All BART stations are on track to have WiFi networks installed by 2024, officials with the transit agency said Thursday.
Providing wireless internet service in all BART stations and on the agency’s new fleet of trains is part of the agency’s Digital Railway program, which is intended to modernize the BART system by making it easier for riders to make calls, text and use the internet.
BART plans to leverage its existing partnerships with telecommunications companies like Verizon and AT&T to enhance wireless service throughout the system as well as in other local transit agencies like the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency.
“We want to keep pace with modern technology and make sure that people can use the devices that they love and enjoy,” said Travis Engstrom, BART’s director of technology, to the BART Board of Directors on Thursday.
The board originally approved the Digital Railway program in January 2020.
One pandemic and 18 months later, Engstrom said Thursday that the agency plans to launch the first of the Digital Railway’s four parts, which includes installing wireless phone service in Muni’s underground, by the middle of next year.
“This service will make sure that riders that normally, today, have long periods of no connectivity on those trains, they’ll be able to have cellular service in the underground,” he said.
For BART, its first segment of the Digital Railway program includes beginning installation of wireless internet service in late 2022 in the downtown San Francisco BART stations, with the goal of having all stations complete by 2024.
In addition, the agency also plans to install wireless service-boosting poles along its train routes by 2025 that will enable riders to utilize BART’s WiFi network on any route.
BART also plans to install new fiber optic cable within the system by 2023 to boost cellular service and speed even higher.
It will take roughly four weeks per station to install in-station WiFi throughout the system, Engstrom said, adding that the service will be free and will not include internet speed tiers unless the BART board approves them.
“I’d be really careful about having any kind of tiered service,” Janice Li, a BART board director. “I want to make sure that this is a benefit that all of our riders can access as equally as possible.”
This is probably Infrastructure $$, never mind Cell Service is plentiful, BART could spend the $$ for Maintenance, I wish they would fix pot holes versus Internet … This is a waste
Pot holes on rail lines?
Free WiFi at BART stations is awesome! As long as you’re alive to use it…. maybe some of that money could go towards employing police officers on every single BART train.
Riding BART is scary now
Riders don’t need to be any more distracted than they already are. Everyone looking down into an object, OBLIVIOUS TO THEIR SURROUNDINGS.. Criminals love these targets!
“Free”
Tax dollars pay for it, it’s not free.
Yay! Free WiFi ! Who cares about crime, increasing costs, and broken cameras?
Next up, BART is going to install free laundromats and showers at stations so the homeless don’t have to exit a station to get cleaned up. On the drawing board is food carts and free needle exchanges.
So glad I don’t have to pay for BART (except some Federal taxes) anymore! It’s like a cut-rate cruise ship without the buffet and bar.
How about little condos, too? We don’t want them to have to walk too far to BART.
WC-
Bike lockers can double as homeless condos.
With crime rampant on BART, who in their right mind would be using an electronic device? No need for WiFi when your electronics are stolen
I hope the WiFi works out better than the camera lie did.
As for free,
Nothing is ever free.
When will that lie be understood?
Way late to the party on this one.
Way to keep pace with modern technology BART! *facepalm*
No WIFI for street people. Use the ‘infrastructure’ money to secure the stations so street people can’t get in and spend the day on BART sleeping and using it as a bathroom.
It is not free…
Better use a VPN
Another example of the California governments true priorities. What will they provide next for the bums and criminals who frequent the BART wheeled homeless hotel? Massages? Gourmet food? Live entertainment?
Meanwhile, California continues to crumble into 3rd worldness, and honest, law abiding citizens foot the bill.
The entire comment section proves how behind Americans are in the world. In other countries they have free wifi across entire cities and for sure in every train station and airport. Relax.
Yeah, but they all want to live here…
CC,
Your comment proves how behind you are regarding what’s going on in America. There are more important things here in the country that should be fixed that are more important than free WiFi.
Perhaps the negative feelings are less about WIFI and more about BART continuing to ignore safety and sanitary problems.
And the comments don’t “prove” one damn thing – certainly not about how “behind” America is.
Done let the door hit you in the ass on the way out, snowflake.
There are countries who give away free wifi,
and there are countries who have been to the moon.
Someone has tried stealing my phone while I was on BART. I won’t be using their “free” wifi.
Oh yeah….
“Free wifi at the expense of safe travel and clean seats…”
You can sit on dirty needles and be hounded by panhandling bum while you have your nose stuck to your cellphone.
when ticket prices go up, will it still be free? LOL!!!
Not enough to make me want to ride again.
You mean they don’t currently have free WiFi?? Another reason to avoid this mode of transportation!
Right, that’s what BART needed, more WiFi!