Crowd meter debuts on BART’s website

BART riders who want to find a less crowded train during their morning or evening commute can now do so using QuickPlanner on BART’s website or on a smart phone.

QuickPlanner, which already tells riders when a train arrives and the total trip time, will now include estimated crowd levels on trains. Icons with three heads (heavy crowding expected), two heads (moderate crowding expected) and one head (light crowding expected) will appear when using QuickPlanner.

BART said it hopes the new feature will persuade riders to find a train with more space even if it means catching an earlier or later train.

The information is not in real time, but based on historic data, according to Timothy Moore, BART website manager. He said in a statement:

“Although the data is not real time, the historic data we’re using is generally predictive, and customers will be able to see which trips are less crowded than others.”

QuickPlanner will also let riders know if bicycles are allowed on the train. BART is still reviewing the information gathered during a bike pilot held March 18-22 which allowed bikes on board trains at all times.