Have you seen the parking lots at the Concord BART station lately?
The “extra” BART parking lot behind the Concord police station, which was always full prior to COVID, is now always completely empty. The main BART parking lot on Oakland Ave. is not at full capacity, and only the first three floors of the Concord BART parking garage are taken. The top floor is completely empty.
These pictures were taken last Tuesday at 11 a.m.
Extra parking lot behind Concord Police station.
Extra parking lot behind Concord Police station.
Main BART parking lot on Oakland Ave.
Top floor of Concord BART parking garage.
Main BART parking lot on Oakland Ave.
Used to be the garage might (might) have an open space or two by 7:15am.
People who used to work in the urbanity now work from the ‘burbs, and those who used to own homes in the ‘burbs moved out of the State…like us.
To bad that is not real because there would not be any housing problems any more.
We left for Texas, where did you go? I wish we didn’t have to leave CA
I want my parents out here more than ANYTHING. Your kids are so lucky have you. Even though they’re unhappy with CA they will never leave Pleasant Hill and their house. They’re creatures of habit. It’s hard not having any family to help with our 2 young boys, but we came here for a better life for them. It was the ultimate sacrifice.
More proof that the BART system (and by extension, the HSR) is no longer a viable option when most can work remotely.
Time to pull the plug on both.
Most people do not work remotely. That’s simply not true. People are however choosing not to ride BART as frequently or at all.
Hey Hey, maybe most people just arn’t working. All that Bidddden ( I refer to him as mumbles) easy money.
What a difference from years past. Times are changing.
I wish someone could get a photo of the new homeless encampment at the empty lot on Clayton Road and Belair.
I noticed the same thing. A couple of weeks ago I dropped someone off at the Orinda BART station and was very surprised to see plenty of available parking in the lots near the station. The lot that is further away was nearly empty. This was on a weekday around 10 in the morning. BART is clearly in trouble.
I hope our homeless industry doesn’t advocate to build a “tiny village “ in the BART parking lots. Somehow they miss the connection between homeless camps and property crimes
I have a couple questions about this: (1) If people aren’t having to park at BART to go to work, where are they working now? I still see plenty of cars going down Clayton Rd and Treat Blvd in the early morning that I assume are taking people to work, so where are they going? (2) If people aren’t commuting to the City, where historically salaries are higher, how are they affording the increasing rents/home prices in Concord? Do all those people who used to fill the BART parking lots really have office type jobs that they can do from home, and do they get the same salaries?
My company opened an office at Pleasant Hill bart. We still have an SF office, but most people go in just 1-2 days per week. The PH office is mostly 2-3 days per week. Of the people in SF about half drive/half Bart. In PH there are no bart riders, one that takes the bus from Suisun City.
Yet BART management is putting it’s head in the pile of federal borrowed money and pretending like everything will return to normal in two years when the funds dry up. Time to take action now and not rely on hopes the idiotic public gives you another infusion of cash from a Regional Transport tax increase.
Judging by the traffic I still see on the freeways, people are making a conscious decision not to ride BART. The fecal matter they found on the seats was enough for me. Bart is turning out to be the poster child for a failed government program. I think they would do a better job if they closed it down and put electric buses on the freeways.
@Just Saying – It seems the freeways in the area are also less crowded than usual. It’s 9:30 in the morning on a Tuesday. Take a look at the Google maps traffic map at https://www.google.com/maps/@37.8920276,-122.0113779,11z/data=!5m1!1e1 Nearly everything in the region is green. I uploaded a screen shot to https://imgur.com/a/jFMhclg
My wife works in downtown Oakland. She drives in. She used to take BART from Concord Station every day. No longer. She got fed up having to pick up her feet due to the streams of urine on the floor. And the occasional defecation on the floor. And the open drug use. And the in-your-face panhandling. And the misbehaving (and sometimes threatening) younger men.
BART need to prioritize hardening their stations and placing more security on the trains. Until then, we’re using our car.
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Deborah Allen needs to respond.
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I work in SF 1 day per week. I drive to the office during non peak hours. I’ve been communicating on Bart since before 1991. What a change. Same comp I just work remote. I think that most of us work remote ( at least 2 to 3 days per week). Some EE’s have relocated. Some still take bart. Corporate is more flexible since Covid. Just my 32 cents
Around covid time, year 2020, I decided not to take BART because of lack of security in Bart. I was deciding whether to spend 300-400 dollars in gas every week to sf or take bart, and decided to invest more on gas for my security in that regard. It was getting bad, I remember being escorted to the next train because a man behind me was threatening everyone with a knife in the pleasant hill bart station, and also remember another time where two sisters got stabbed and one survived while waiting for the train to come by. I honestly do not think police are there to really help us out, thats my feeling from seeing multiple people get harassed on bart or seeing weird situations where homeless people are there to do whatever they want. Its really sad to see this kind of stuff, especially in what we call a “progressive society”, no progressive at all to that point.
For good reason BART has a very bad reputation. Fewer and fewer people are willing to possibly be subjected to filth, drug use, panhandling, threatening behavior, etc. if they have other options. Why BART would not make the comfort and safety of their paying customers the number one priority is beyond me. If riding BART is not seen as a comfortable, efficient, pleasant and safe way to “commute” than naturally most people will not use it. I’m sure there are those that will tell you that BART isn’t really that bad but that is not the way most people perceive it and if BART isn’t willing to do what is necessary to change that perception then they will get what they deserve.
That’s a parking lot???!!!! I thought that was a catalytic converter donation drop off zone!
Well – I survived a horrific “BART” experience from SFO – to Orinda (not my stop – but “bus” stopped there for 3rd Transfer).
The train went to ROCKRIDGE Oakland (that was as far as it went – no announcement, no signs – just DEAD STOP) – then we were herded into busses. I just followed everyone out – once I realized the train was heading back to SFO.
One slow as a snail “elevator” at ROCKRIDGE (for us older ones with luggage) – really filthy and unsafe was available to take us down to the waiting “BUS.”
After exiting the elevator with our luggage – an elderly lady fell – (trying to get on the bus) – we helped her.
Nowhere 4 me to go with luggage in BUS so I surfed the middle rubber connection between the two busses – and finally fell over myself.
A young child was so amused it made my day.
“ORINDA” was where we were supposed to connect (transfer) to ANOTHER train to Antioch – nope – I got off and waited 4 a ride.
ORINDA Station was full of agents and police dealing with ANOTHER person having a psychotic break – I was told it was Meth, so they made me stand in the red zone – and asked if “I felt safe” – (I thanked them for asking).
The BART train from SFO had syringes, rubber gloves, white powder on disabled seats – and aggressive “panhandlers” who would jump on and off the trains demanding money. I let them know I felt safer outside the BART than on it.
All that being said – station attendants and staff are doing the best job they can – it’s just too much for them – there are just too many problems, social, mechanical, technical – nobody is equipped to deal with ALL of these issues (occurring at the same time). Passengers ARE helping each other – but some things are just too much.
People are getting hurt, especially the elderly – and those with children.
Even the addicts and mentally unwell are stressed out- and ACTING out.
I filed a complaint to BART
Offer free parking to increase ridership?
My wife and I rode BART from Concord to Oakland Airport 2 weeks ago. Mid-day on a Wednesday.
We were lucky to get on the new BART cars. They were clean, quiet and nice. The station agent in Concord was helpful and I saw BART employees cleaning the station area. It was a very good trip with no sign of any intoxicated people (at least not on our trains).
Very different from my experiences during the pandemic. I am hopeful BART is getting the message that passengers value cleanliness and safety. Big improvement.
Looking out the window as we rode through west Oakland was surreal. Worse than any third world country I have seen with trash, broken down cars, make-shift tents all along the streets. A sad mess.
I still use BART for work and to visit SF I don’t have a car lol
Wow. It’s like we had a generational shift in commuting and city planners didn’t know Covid was going to be a thing. Crazy