BART’s Earthquake Safety Program

geological faults affecting BART lines — Map courtesy of BART

A lot of us take BART to the many places we need to go. Some of us have wondered what would happen if we’re on the tracks, in a tunnel, or under the bay when a big quake happens. We know there are geological fault lines that would affect our ride.

The people at BART (the Bay Area Rapid Transit system) have wondered that too. BART carries about 415,000 travelers every day, and this isn’t a new issue for them. From their Earthquake Safety Program page:

Because of the likelihood BART will be subject to a major earthquake, and to safeguard the public’s significant investment in the system, BART has initiated the Earthquake Safety Program. The program will upgrade vulnerable portions of the original BART system to ensure safety for the public and BART employees. Portions of the original system with the highest traffic will be upgraded not only for life safety but also to ensure that they can return to operation shortly after a major earthquake. The upgrades will be accomplished by using the latest seismic standards to improve the structural integrity of BART facilities.

This includes a major retrofit of the Transbay Tube. BART anticipates the completion of all earthquake upgrades by 2022. In the meantime, day-to-day safety is also important. BART offers a few safety tips.