Riders can find lots of digital monitors with real-time info at Bay Area Rapid Transit stations, but for the first time, now you can find a set directly above the fare gates — in a pilot project at Civic Center Station. The idea is, riders will see how much time they have to get to the platform, or be able to change their plans if there’s a delay, before they take that final step to process their card and enter the paid area.
The two pairs of displays have been installed over the fare gate arrays at the east entrance to San Francisco’s Civic Center Station. While BART has deployed 66 similar screens in station plaza, concourse and bus intermodal areas across the system, those displays are in unpaid areas of the stations and feature real time information for BART as well as other transit agencies. But this is the first time BART is trying screens directly above fare gates.
The new screens not only provide real-time departure information and platform details for upcoming trains but perhaps even more importantly they offer updates on current service advisories and information from the control center such as a station closure or no transbay service.
The goal is to give our riders the most up to the minute information possible so they can make the all-important decision of whether to go through the fare gates. If there are significant delays, riders at Civic Center Station can decide whether to delay their trip for a bit or find another travel option. Making the decision before riders process their ticket means they avoid paying an excursion fare or needing a station agent to validate your Clipper card or ticket.
The eight-month pilot costs $130,000, with funds coming from BART and the Federal Transit Administration. BART will conduct customer surveys in February and will revise the design accordingly. If the displays prove popular, BART will need to seek funding to expand it to other stations.
