Guaranteed carpool parking program expands to Concord, Pleasant Hill

Beginning October 23rd, BART will allow commuters using the carpool app, Scoop, to park in the reserved parking spaces in the permit areas at the Concord and Pleasant Hill/Contra Costa Centre BART stations before or after 10:00 a.m.  This provides carpoolers a guaranteed parking space long after daily fee lots fill up on weekday mornings. BART already offers this program at the Dublin/Pleasanton, Millbrae, and San Bruno BART stations.  

Most of the agency’s 48,000 parking spaces fill by 8:00 a.m. each weekday. Ninety-five percent of those spots are taken by solo drivers, according to a 2016 passenger survey.  BART’s new program offers commuters the opportunity to secure a parking space in exchange for a shared trip.

“We’re excited for this roll out of our first two stations in Contra Costa County, where demand for BART parking is particularly high. We’re hoping to shift some riders from driving alone to sharing a trip to BART” said Nikki Foletta, Principal Planner at BART.

“Scoop is proud to be selected by BART to provide this program. Our app makes it easy to participate by matching commuters the night before their trip to the station. Scoop provides all the necessary information through the app for a smooth morning commute.” said David Clavens, Head of Marketing at Scoop. "Together with BART, we're able to add convenient and enjoyable carpooling to the lifestyle of any BART commuter."

To get guaranteed parking at Concord and Pleasant Hill BART stations, download the app at takescoop.com, use promo code BARTLOVE05 to receive a $5 credit, type in the BART station name, and schedule a ride either before 9:00 p.m. the night before the morning commute or by 3:30pm for that evening’s commute.  Shortly after the deadline, Scoop notifies commuters who have matched with one of their 65,000+ users. Scoop coordinates with BART to help verify carpoolers and works with BART police to ensure smooth operations every morning.  

“Scoop has been a long-time partner of the 511 Carpool Program, providing increased carpool commute flexibility for Bay Area commuters. That flexibility, combined with guaranteed BART parking, is a big benefit to commuters struggling to get to work each day,” said Barbara Laurenson at the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC).

This program was developed by MTC, BART and Scoop, and made possible with funding from a Federal Transit Administration Mobility On Demand Sandbox grant. The grant includes enhancements to the app to make the trip to BART seamless for commuters. Scoop-to-BART commuters will be able to find a match, pay or receive money for the carpool, and pay for BART parking through the app. Enhancements will also synchronize travel times with BART schedules, add stations as destinations within the app, and allow drivers to indicate whether their vehicles are wheelchair accessible.

Contra Costa residents are also eligible for discounts on the Scoop app through a partnership between 511 Contra Costa, Contra Costa Transportation Authority, and Scoop.

BART, MTC, and Scoop are planning to continue to expand this service to additional BART stations throughout this and next year.

More information about this program can be found at Rideshare.511.org.