Coming soon: new smartphone app for BART rider safety

BART riders will soon have a simple-to-use app available on their smartphones that will allow them to easily report crimes, suspicious items or activities or other safety hazards on the BART system. Riders have been asking for a safe, silent and discreet way to communicate with BART when they are on a train or in a station and this new smartphone application will make that happen.

“This app will be free for BART riders to download from our website in a few months,” said BART Police Chief Kenton Rainey. “Riders will be able to upload pictures and location information, choose comments from dropdown menus or write their own comments in text boxes. BART will be the first transit agency to offer both Spanish and Simplified Chinese options for the app.”

The app will feature a silent photo and flash-free feature and is GPS-enabled.  The app will be another tool for our passengers to participate in the national “If You See Something, Say Something” campaign and act as an extra set of eyes and ears to help keep the system safe.  Passengers are still encouraged to program the BART Police phone number, 510-464-7000, into their phones to have it handy.  Passengers can also contact a Station Agent or their Train Operator using the intercom at the end of each train car to report suspicious items or activities.

The BART Board of Directors approved a multi-year contract with ELERTS Corporation, which has created similar apps for other U.S. transit agencies including the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA), the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) and the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA). 

An informational campaign will be created to let riders know when the app is ready.