Thousands attend BART’s 50th anniversary celebration
At 8 am on Saturday morning, Lake Merritt Station and Plaza were already abuzz with activity. Train tracks – un-electrified third rail included – sprawled across a small section of the plaza. An A-car nose (the pointy part at the front of the train) stood shining, awaiting the many selfies to come. And hundreds of workers rushed from place to place to ensure the station was ready for its big closeup.
By 11 am, thousands of people began filtering into the plaza. Many emerged from the decorated BART station below, which included a historical “walkthrough” of BART’s history in the wall spaces normally reserved for advertisements. The plaza above was covered in booths and a throng of railfans and BART aficionados. Live music performances pulsated from the stage, where folks stopped to listen and take cover from the sun.
People purchase BART “swag” from the Customer Services booth.
On Saturday, BART celebrated its 50th anniversary with a celebration and family fun festival at Lake Merritt Station and Plaza. Per initial estimates, more than 2,500 people – among them, BART employees, BART retirees, and members of the public – attended the celebration. They partook of the many photo opportunities (the BARTmobile’s smiling face plastered social media that day), played mini golf on the plaza, snacked on eats from the food trucks, and jammed out to the variety of live music acts that graced the stage with their different styles.
“People are really happy, you can tell,” said BART Ambassador Sequoia Taylor. “I’m on-duty and having a great time.”
Some attendees came from far locales to attend the party, among them Linda Lyon, who flew from Washington State to cheer BART for its 50th birthday.
“I left home after high school and moved to the Bay Area, and I took BART all the time,” Lyon said. “This was 1972, right when it opened. It was great fun.”
People pose in the nose of an A-car train cab.
Ethan Mizzi, a youth transit enthusiast, could not have imagined missing the big day. He said he was “very pleasantly surprised” by the crowds.
“I’m happy people are out supporting BART,” he said. “I’ve been looking forward to this day forever.”
Around 12 pm, some of the crowds set down their mini golf putters and stashed their BART sticker passports to head for the stage. Here, hundreds gathered for speeches from public officials, including recorded remarks by Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg.
The beloved BARTmobile was a boon for photos.
Between speeches, speakers pulled items from a BART time capsule buried in 1992 for BART’s 20th anniversary. (You can find the full catalogue of items found in the time capsule here.) They also paused to place an item in BART’s new time capsule, which will be opened in 25 years on BART’s 75th anniversary of operation.
Children ooh’d and ah’d at the capsule and its mystical contents, including 12-year-old Sam from Oakland and 12-year-old Jeremiah who was visiting from Tennessee.
12-year-olds Jeremiah (left) and Sam (right) with BART-Man (middle).
“We watched the time capsule then I had a burrito,” Sam said. When asked what he’d like to tell BART on its 50th birthday, Sam offered a question: “How soon are you having hovering trains?” (He thought they’d be faster than traditional track-bound trains.) Jeremiah, of the same token, asked if BART “will ever make a fully glass train car.”
Nine-year-old Lydia, of Oakland, admitted that she “didn’t really want to go” to the event and that her parents “made me.” Nevertheless, she was pleasantly surprised by what she found.
“Keep up the good work, BART,” she said. “I love you.”
Even BART-Man, the famous Bay Area Lucha Libre wrestler, was on-hand to celebrate. He took a few minutes between selfies with fans to wish BART a “Happy Birthday.”
“Stay golden, pony boy,” he said in closing.
Real BART train tracks were brought out for the event – including the un-electrified third rail.
For Liz Kamae of Long Beach, the day was especially emotional. Her father, Robert Allen, was elected to the BART Board of Directors in 1974. Allen died in January 2020, and Kamae said she could feel his presence at the event.
“BART was my dad’s baby,” she said. “He lived, breathed, and thought BART. He was so proud of the trains.”
Even in his late years, Allen continued to attend BART Board meetings, Kamae said, to give his take on the topic of the day.
“He was quiet unless you got him talking about trains,” Kamae said.
For many, BART’s 50th anniversary was a day of joy, celebration, and memory. We thank you for celebrating with us. Happy birthday, BART!