BART customers complain of filthy trains

By Elizabeth Daley, Bay City News Service

March 8, 2007

A recent market research study by Bay Area Rapid Transit shows customers are not as satisfied with BART performance as they were one year ago, agency spokesman Linton Johnson said today.

Though 85 percent of the approximately 5,000 customers surveyed are pleased with BART performance, compared with 86 percent of respondents in a customer study conducted a year ago, Johnson said customer dissatisfaction isn't for any of the reasons usually reported.

"What these surveys tell us is that train cars are dirty," he said.

Overall, the study shows that customers continue to rank on-time performance as their most important concern.

But as stations, trains, restrooms and train exteriors appear to be getting dirtier, passengers are voicing concerns, he said.

BART plans to develop cleanliness initiatives and re-hire cleaning staff for positions that were eliminated due to lack of funding, Johnson said. He said that since the survey was undertaken, BART cars have become cleaner.

According to Johnson, money that has been allocated to BART as a result of Proposition 1B will be used to improve train service, which will help "free up money to improve operations," he said.

Some other issues of passenger concern include noise levels on trains and parking availability, according to the study.

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