CONCORD (KRON) — Fewer BART passengers during peak hours during the morning commute is the aim of a new BART pilot program, called BART Perks.
The idea is to get passengers to avoid taking the train during the busiest times of the day. BART is experiencing record ridership numbers these days especially during peak time between 7 a.m. and 8:30 a.m. In the peak direction of the Transbay corridor, over 2,600 passengers per hour are on the packed trains.
The transit agency is now working on a new pilot program aimed at easing overcrowding by nudging passengers to alter their commute travel times. It’s called Perks.
The specifics of the program are still being hammered out, but according to BART officials, some of the ideas include encouraging passengers to take the train at off-peak hours.
With incentives such as cash and prizes for frequent riders, and even creating a game with a cash prize, the question is would passengers be interested in shifting their travel times for these kinds of perks?
But for some passengers, not even a cash incentive could entice them to alter traveling during the peak time frame.
BART is hoping to get 5 percent of its riders to opt-in to the Perks program.
Clipper cards will be used to keep track of travel patterns during the six-month period of the pilot program set to begin in the spring.
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