BART announced at midnight on Sunday that its employees would be going on strike on Monday following a breakdown in contract negotiations.
AC Transit seemed unlikely to join BART workers on a walk-out, as had previously been feared. However it is worth noting that AC Transit buses will not enter BART property while the strike is ongoing. For information on this, visit AC Transit’s special BART disruption web page.
The BART shutdown means thousands of commuters will need to find alternatives to their usual travels.
The Municipal Transportation Commission approved $20 million in emergency funding Wednesday to provide alternative transportation in the event of a strike. But, according to KQED News, officials are warning that those alternatives will not be able to meet the demand. BART typically serves 400,000 people each day.
Talks between workers and BART management came to an end shortly before 8:30 p.m. today, after union negotiators left the state office building in Oakland, according to the San Francisco Chronicle which has more details on the negotiations.
Alternatives, along with taking the bus, include walking, cycling , ferries, or working from home. See articles by KQED News Fix and SFist for ideas.
The last time BART went on strike was in 1997 and that walk-out lasted six days.
In addition, Oakland City employee unions are planning to go on strike tomorrow. The walk-out does not include emergency services.
Check BART online for updates as well as @SFBART on Twitter.
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