BART strike traffic would jump 10 percent over last shutdown, with same transit service
With the second BART shutdown of the summer looming next week and daily negotiations apparently continuing to prove fruitless, regional transportation officials warned Tuesday that the overall number of drivers and transit passengers is projected to jump 10 percent compared with the first strike. And they've decided not to launch additional trains and buses beyond what was offered last time -- a decision that has sparked some criticism.
During the Fourth of July holiday week while BART was shut down, more than 90,000 displaced one-way BART riders -- or one-fifth of the agency's daily ridership total -- packed onto standing-room-only buses, trains and ferries. Tens of thousands of others clogged jammed freeways and bridges, extending drive times by 25 minutes or more on the Bay Bridge and freeways that parallel BART.
But it could have been worse: Many others stayed home or went on vacation.
This time, the region's transportation planners are expecting fewer people to be on vacation -- and even a small increase in the amount of cars on the freeway can extend drive times dramatically.
http://www.mercurynews.com/bart/ci_23763296/bart-strike-traffic-would-jump-10-over-last