BART unveils modernized Powell St. Station in time for holiday shopping
The team behind the Powell St. Modernization Program poses for a photo under “Elysium” by Stephen Galloway on Nov. 22, 2022.
Powell St. Station’s got a new groove.
On Tuesday, Nov. 22, BART unveiled the Downtown San Francisco station’s updated look and feel – just in time to welcome holiday shoppers to the commerce hub. The completion of the Powell St. Modernization Program was celebrated with a ribbon cutting and press conference attended by local dignitaries.
Powell St. is the third busiest station in the BART system. It’s also many visitors’ first taste of San Francisco and serves as a crucial jumping off point for accessing the city’s delights and entertainments.
The modernization program re-envisions the experience of the station, revitalizing the function, safety and security, capacity, sustainability, appearance, and customer experience.
Among many upgrades, the station boasts reopened public restrooms, LED lighting, five-foot-tall glass fare barriers, a modern metallic grid ceiling, and a new external canopy. The modernization also includes the installation of a new illuminated ceiling artwork, titled “Elysium,” by San Francisco artist Stephen Galloway.
“Elysium” by Stephen Galloway is seen on the ceiling of Powell St. Station on Nov. 22, 2022.
“This project is a true reflection and indicator of BART’s commitment to being a world-class transit system,” said BART Board Director Bevan Dufty, who represents Powell St. Station. “We are excited to invite riders to come experience all of the upgrades firsthand.”
BART Board Director Janice Li, like Dufty, celebrated the transit agency’s commitment to improving the experience of the essential San Francisco station.
“As we continue to welcome riders back from the pandemic, we’re laser focused on any and all ways we can improve the customer experience,” Li said.
Director Janice Li speaks at the ribbon cutting for Powell St. Station modernization on Nov. 22, 2022.
The changes to the station are hardly subtle. The station is now brighter, safer, and more welcoming to the thousands of riders who pass through each day. Noticeably, fare gates and ticketing machines have been removed from the center of the concourse and moved to the perimeter, opening up the station and further improving line of sight.
“Eat your heart out, New York,” said San Francisco Mayor London Breed. “I don’t think they have any central subway station like this.”
San Francisco Mayor London Breed speaks at the ribbon cutting for Powell St. Station modernization on Nov. 22, 2022.
Breed touted the increased visibility and improved aesthetics of the station, noting that the modernization plan is a harbinger of San Francisco “coming alive.”
A new escalator at Powell St. Station on Aug. 29, 2022.
“This is one of the best cities in the world because we work hard to make it so,” she said.
Powell St. Station Modernization improvements were funded by State of California Proposition 1B funds, BART Measure RR funds, San Francisco County Transportation Authority Proposition K funds, and through a funding partnership with the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency.