Bad BART riders could face ban hammer

Unruly BART passengers might want to shape up or face a ban from 30 days to a year on the transit system.

BART police will begin the implementation of issuing bans to riders who commit crimes on BART property starting May 6 thanks in part to a state law that went into effect in January 2012.

Some of those crimes include violence against station agents or other riders, possession of a controlled substance for sale or interfering with the operation of a train.

Anyone caught at least three times within a 90-day period urinating in public, defecating on property, or caught defacing BART trains with graffiti can also receive a ban order from the transit agency.

Station agents will be able to see names and photos of banned BART riders on their computers.

Banned riders can request an administrative hearing to the overturn the ban.

Antonette Bryant, president of The Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1555, which represents BART station agents, said this is one of the first steps in providing a safer environment for the public and employees:

“It’s extremely important to our members that we work in a safe environment and that those individuals — although few that do continue to present repeated problems — are dealt with in a quick and expeditious matter.”

Visit the BART police website for a list of all offenses that can get you banned.

Jerold Chinn

Jerold serves as a reporter and San Francisco Bureau Chief for SFBay covering transportation and occasionally City Hall and the Mayor's Office in San Francisco. His work on transportation has been recognized by the San Francisco Press Club. Born and raised in San Francisco, he graduated from San Francisco State University with a degree in journalism. Jerold previously wrote for the San Francisco Public Press, a nonprofit, noncommercial news organization. When not reporting, you can find Jerold taking Muni to check out new places to eat in the city.