Electronic Bike Lockers More Than Double at BART Stations

BART is pedaling toward its goal of making it easier for bicyclists to commute to work. The transit operator recently finished installing 336 new electronic bike lockers at 19 stations, more than double the previous number. More than 500 of the e-lockers, which BART first started installing in 2008, are now available at 26 of the transit operator’s 44 stations.

According to BART, the new lockers offer several advantages for bicycle commuters. For one thing, they give people the option of leaving their bikes at the station, rather than bringing them on board. That can be a major convenience, if you don’t need your bike at the final destination of your BART trip. Another advantage for commuters is that the lockers aren’t just lockable, they’re also weatherproof.

BART likes the lockers too for another reason: unlike older, keyed bicycle lockers, these new ones aren’t assigned to a single user. That helps the system operate more efficiently.

“Given real estate constraints at BART stations, there just isn’t room for everyone who wants a locker to have their own key-operated locker,” said Steve Beroldo of BART’s Access Department. “Frankly, most of the keyed lockers sit empty on any given day because not all key-holding cyclists are using them daily.”

In other words, the electronic lockers free up space by allowing different bicyclists to use different lockers at different times. According to BART, using the e-lockers is easy. All a cyclist needs to do is to purchase a $20 BikeLink Card, which works like a debit card, at www.bikelink.org. The card also operates as a key to open the locker, and when a bicyclist returns to pick up their bike, a rental fee of 3 cents per hour is deducted from the card balance. The BikeLink website also lists retail locations where the cards can be purchased in person.

BART installed the new lockers at the following 19 stations: Ashby, Bay Fair, Castro Valley, Coliseum, Concord, Daly City, Dublin/Pleasanton, El Cerrito Del Norte, Fremont, Fruitvale, Hayward, Lafayette, North Concord, Orinda, Pleasant Hill, Richmond, San Leandro, West Dublin and Oakland.

The news gets even better because BART plans to purchase another 200-300 electronic lockers later this year. Beroldo said, “Stations likely to receive new lockers include: El Cerrito, Lake Merritt, North Berkeley, Pleasant Hill, Rockridge, South Hayward and Union City.” Another station, Walnut Creek, will receive more than 60 new lockers after the completion of seismic retrofit work, likely as soon as 2013.

Funding for the lockers has come from a variety of sources, including approximately $300,000 from the Metropolitan Transportation Commission’s (MTC’s) $20 million Safe Routes to Transit program, which complements MTC’s Regional Bicycle Plan for the San Francisco Bay Area. Funded through Regional Measure 2, Safe Routes to Transit aims to reduce traffic congestion by improving access and safety for bicyclists and pedestrians to and from regional transit stations. TransForm and the East Bay Bicycle Coalition (EBBC) are administering this program for MTC.

Commuters also can use any of the hundreds of bicycle racks at BART stations that are available for free. Riders who want to take their bike to their final destination still have the option of bringing their bike on BART. Bikes are allowed on most trains, except those highlighted on the BART schedule during peak commute times, or at any time on crowded cars. Folding bikes are allowed at any time. Bicyclists must yield to all other passengers and yield priority seating to seniors and persons with disabilities. A complete list of BART rules for bicyclists is available on the BART website.

“Bicycling and taking transit are both great ways to save money, alleviate traffic congestion and reduce air pollution from car tailpipes,” said Shruti Hari, who administers MTC’s Regional Measure 2 program. “They also can help reduce the greenhouse gas emissions that scientists say are causing climate change.”

For more information about the BART bicycle locker program, visit the BART website.