16th And Mission St.
The 16th Street Mission station, nestled beneath Mission Street at the intersection with 16th Street in San Francisco’s vibrant Mission District, is a vital hub in the Bay Area Rapid Transit system. This station, along with several others connecting Montgomery Street Station to Daly City station, welcomed its first passengers on November 5, 1973. Today, it operates as a key node for the Red, Yellow, Green, and Blue lines, facilitating seamless transit across the region. Positioned beneath Mission Street, the 16th Street Mission station runs along a north-south axis and features a dual-level underground structure. The primary level is home to an expansive 700-foot island platform that caters to two tracks, providing efficient service to commuters. Directly above this, a spacious mezzanine stretches out, characterized by its arched ceiling spanning the majority of its length. Accessibility between these levels is ensured by two staircases and an escalator, evenly placed for convenience, alongside an elevator located at the station’s northern tip. The entrance to the fare collection area is strategically positioned at the mezzanine’s southern tip, right below the bustling crossroads of 16th Street and Mission Street. Commuters can access the station through entrances equipped with both escalators and stairs, situated in the plazas on the northeast and southwest corners of this intersection, with an additional surface elevator available at the northeast entry point.
The 24th Street Mission station, sharing its architectural blueprint with the 16th Street Mission station, was also crafted by the design team of Hertzka & Knowles, presenting a mirrored aesthetic. Highlighting the entrances of both locations are the distinctive concrete reliefs by William Mitchell, adding a unique visual depth to their facades. Inside, the vibrancy continues with the mezzanine and platform areas adorned with the lively tilework of Janet Bennett. Specifically, at the 16th Street Mission, the tiles boast shades of blue, olive, yellow-green, and gray, drawing their palette and inspiration from the natural landscapes of Marin County.
Enhancements made during an early-2000s refurbishment of the 16th Street Mission’s southwest plaza introduced a collection of new art installations. Among these is “Palaza del Colibri” by Victor Mario Zaballa, which brings to life hummingbirds through colorful metal railings, and “Future Roads” by Jos Sances and Daniel Galvez, a captivating tile mural with screen-printed imagery that encircles the entrance, further enriching the station’s cultural footprint.
Equal Employment Opportunity
BART stands out with an exceptional compensation and benefits package that’s hard to match. Our salary offerings are highly competitive, designed to attract and retain top talent. This is supplemented by a robust benefits package that includes the well-regarded CalPERS pension plan, comprehensive medical, vision, and dental insurance, and additional insurance options. Employees also enjoy generous provisions for paid sick leave, holidays, and vacation time. Moreover, BART provides two investment opportunities, including one that is fully financed by the organization for the employee. An added financial perk is the absence of Social Security deductions from your paycheck, allowing for more take-home pay.
BART prides itself on being an employer committed to equality. We ensure that all applicants are treated fairly and without discrimination, regardless of their race, color, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, religion, national origin, disability, ancestry, marital status, veteran status, or any medical condition related to cancer, along with any other categories protected under local, state, or federal regulations. Our Human Resources Department is dedicated to providing accommodations for individuals with disabilities or specific needs due to religious beliefs during the examination process. Should you require any special accommodations, we encourage you to reach out to the Human Resources Department well in advance of any examinations by contacting 510-464-6112.
BART Veteran’s Preference Application (PDF)
Transit Career Ladders Training Program
BART has launched the Transit Career Ladders Training program, an initiative designed to foster career opportunities within the transportation sector for those from low-income neighborhoods, as well as unemployed and underemployed groups. The program specifically targets minorities, veterans, and women, aiming to equip them for key roles such as Electricians, Transit Vehicle Electronic Technicians (TVET), and Transit Communication Electronic Technicians (TCET). This effort underscores BART’s commitment to diversifying its workforce and providing meaningful career paths in technical and specialized fields.
Visit the Transit Career Ladders Training page for more information.
Quarterly Status of On-Call Agreements
BART engages in the practice of issuing on-call contracts on a periodic basis. These contracts authorize specialized consultant teams to offer their expertise across multiple facets of capital projects, encompassing environmental planning, general engineering, and construction management. These agreements do not pertain to distinct projects; rather, they allow for the initiation of individual task orders or work plans to consulting firms and their subcontractors as and when BART requires their services, based on a set of predefined criteria. While these contracts specify a maximum financial limit for the duration of the agreement, the amount of work—and consequently, payment—consultant teams can expect is not predetermined. Payment is strictly for the services rendered, which might not reach the contract’s maximum financial ceiling.
BART Grants Archives
The Grant Development Department at BART operates in close partnership with various BART departments to identify the most suitable projects and programs for submission for potential external financing, taking into account the specific eligibility requirements and limitations of each program. Opportunities for grants come from multiple levels, including federal, state, regional, and local authorities. Moreover, BART collaborates with municipalities, counties, and other transit bodies as needed to submit the strongest possible proposals for discretionary funding.
Below is a compilation of grant applications that have been submitted for funding consideration. It is important to note that the final awarded sums may differ, depending on the availability of funds from each funding source.
Safe Routes to BART
The Safe Routes to BART (SR2B) initiative is a grant effort launched by BART, funded by the voter-endorsed Measure RR capital funds. This program is aimed at assisting local authorities in enhancing the accessibility to BART stations for passengers who choose to walk or bike. Through the allocation of Measure RR capital funds, SR2B enables local entities within Alameda, Contra Costa, and San Francisco Counties to implement capital improvements on streets, sidewalks, trails, and plazas that facilitate BART riders’ journeys to and from the stations.
Embedded within the Measure RR General Obligation (GO) Bond is a commitment of $135 million, accounting for 4% of the total $3.5 billion bond, dedicated to capital projects that broaden the avenues for safe station access. Of this, $77 million is preliminarily earmarked for the enhancement and construction of Active Access projects, which promote walking and biking.
Out of the $77 million, BART has designated $25 million specifically for the SR2B grant program. This program prioritizes projects that align with BART’s Station Access Policy objectives, augmenting access alternatives to stations and improving the overall safety and convenience for riders. The SR2B grants are specifically intended to fund construction activities, which may encompass construction management tasks.
The Role in the Region Study
For over half a century, BART has been pivotal in knitting together the diverse tapestry of the Bay Area, offering top-tier rail service to a wide array of riders, irrespective of their backgrounds or needs. Its contribution has been fundamental to the region’s transportation network, cultural richness, environmental health, and economic vitality.
The “Role in the Region Study” delves deep into the evolving dynamics of the area and showcases the myriad ways BART enriches the Bay Area. Through a rich mix of data visualizations, personal stories, and informative fact sheets, culminating in a detailed final report, the study shines a light on the indispensable role BART plays in fostering regional prosperity. This research not only expands upon the narratives and findings of BART’s “Transit Saves” initiative but also builds on the insights from the previous 2016 study.
The comprehensive report from this study is eagerly awaited and is scheduled for release in the spring of 2024. 
BART is as essential to the Bay Area as ever
BART serves as a vital link between communities in the Bay Area, alleviating traffic congestion and reducing harmful emissions that harm the environment and exacerbate climate change. Our trains play a crucial role in transporting millions of individuals to work, appointments, cultural events, and social gatherings, fostering connectivity and mobility across the region.
Despite the significant challenges faced by the Bay Area, such as the disruption in travel patterns experienced in the spring of 2020, BART remains resilient. We understand the importance of adapting to these obstacles with creativity and innovation, recognizing that our transit system is indispensable for the long-term prosperity of the region.
Sharing Our Riders’ BART Stories
BART is committed to staying attuned to the evolving needs of our community. In line with this commitment, we recently launched a call for stories, inviting our riders to share their experiences and insights on what BART means to them. This call was widely publicized through our website, social media platforms, email newsletters, and flyers distributed at stations, resulting in an overwhelming response from over 300 riders.
To delve deeper into these narratives, we conducted interviews with select respondents, allowing us to capture the essence of their stories in greater detail.
These compelling stories will be featured in our upcoming Role in the Region Study and will also be published on bart.gov/news under the title “BART Connects” in the coming months. Through these stories, we aim to showcase the diverse and profound ways in which BART serves as a vital connector within our community. 
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Why doesn’t BART run 24/7 or at least later on Friday and Saturday nights?
The brief period during which BART ceases operations is crucial for conducting vital maintenance work, ensuring the system’s safety and reliability. Each night, after the final trains conclude their runs and before the first trains of the next day begin, there’s a narrow window—often just 2 to 3 hours—when maintenance teams can access the tracks without trains in operation. This time is used to travel to the maintenance sites and carry out necessary tasks. The weekends offer a slightly extended opportunity for such work, given the longer intervals without train activity.
BART’s infrastructure lacks the redundancy seen in some other public transportation networks, which have parallel tracks that allow continued service on one while maintenance occurs on the other. Consequently, to ensure the safety of maintenance personnel and the effective execution of their work, it’s necessary to deactivate the third-rail power. This means that train service is suspended during these maintenance periods, underscoring the delicate balance between operational efficiency and essential upkeep.
What about shifting service hours on weekends?
In 2011, the BART Board of Directors considered adjusting weekend service times to extend Friday and Saturday night operations, starting Saturday and Sunday services later to maintain necessary maintenance periods. However, a survey conducted that year revealed that early morning riders, predominantly minority and low-income individuals commuting to work, would be adversely affected by such a change in service hours.
From its inception, BART was designed to operate within set hours, not round the clock. The initial funding model and operational plans, endorsed by the local electorate, envisioned a system with constrained operational hours—a principle so strict that, in its initial phase, BART did not even operate on weekends.
Compromising or eliminating the crucial overnight maintenance periods could lead to severe outcomes, including the risk of derailments. As the infrastructure of our system continues to age, the current maintenance schedules are proving to be insufficient. Signs of this strain include the necessity for trains to operate at slower speeds due to deteriorating track conditions and a diminished ability for the traction power system to support rapid acceleration. Increasingly, essential track maintenance is being carried out during regular operating hours, leading to unavoidable delays for our passengers due to the limited time available for such tasks overnight.
Our system, now marking its 50th anniversary, is at a juncture where ensuring its safety and reliability demands extensive shutdowns of entire track segments during operational hours. This is to provide our maintenance teams the comprehensive access needed to perform significant repairs that are impossible to undertake with trains in operation, even on nearby tracks.
This strategy of scheduling service interruptions for substantial maintenance work aligns with practices of other major rail transit systems across the United States. Despite the pressure to extend operational hours into a 24-hour service or to push closing times later on weekends, prioritizing future performance, safety, and reliability of the BART system necessitates lengthier maintenance intervals and potentially more disruptive, planned outages of track segments. Shortening these crucial maintenance windows or entirely removing them to accommodate round-the-clock service would compromise the system’s reliability and safety.
Why can’t my train be longer? Why can’t all trains be 10 car trains?
Starting in 2023, BART implemented the strategy of operating shorter trains, a decision driven by several critical objectives: enhancing safety measures, ensuring the cleanliness of the fleet, and optimizing the use of its limited resources. This approach also facilitated the phasing out of older trains, enabling the exclusive deployment of new trains for the standard schedule. The determination of train length is meticulously tailored to passenger demand or the “load” expected on each line, specifically focusing on segments where trains are anticipated to be at full capacity. BART officials utilize comprehensive data on passenger entries and exits across the network, considering specific times and locations, to align the size of trains with the actual need, all while taking into account the availability of cars.
I went into a station and then came right back out of the same station. I didn’t ride the train and had to pay $6.75. Why?
We regret any confusion caused. When a passenger enters and exits the same BART station within a three-hour timeframe without boarding a train, the system’s fare gates identify this as an “excursion,” incurring a charge known as the Excursion fare, which is set at $6.75. This fare category, established in the 1970s, typically applies to individuals exploring the system for leisure, such as tourists and transit enthusiasts, or to prevent certain fare evasion tactics and the misuse of parking facilities.
Should you need to leave a station without taking a train, we advise you to speak with the Station Agent before passing through any fare gates. The agent will provide you with a unique sticker, allowing you to exit through a designated gate without using your Clipper card. Upon your return to BART, this sticker must be presented to the Station Agent to validate your Clipper card for re-entry.
In a move to enhance customer convenience, the BART Board of Directors, in December 2022, approved the introduction of a 30-minute grace period to the Excursion fare, to be implemented once the necessary technical adjustments can be made. This adjustment means that passengers who decide against traveling after entering a station will not face the Excursion fare charge. This update is slated for introduction with the forthcoming generation of the Clipper system.
What time does BART stop running?
Our final trains for the day depart at approximately midnight, operating every day of the week. The specific departure times of these last trains vary based on your location and your destination. To ensure you catch the final train heading in the direction you need, we recommend consulting the BART schedule, either through the Trip Planner or by looking up the Schedule by Station.
How often are stations cleaned?
BART places a high priority on maintaining a clean and secure environment for its passengers. In line with this commitment, BART has introduced an advanced station cleaning initiative aimed at elevating cleanliness standards and optimizing resource allocation. This initiative prioritizes increased cleaning efforts at the most frequented stations while ensuring adherence to the highest industry practices. Dedicated cleaning teams are active around the clock to maintain cleanliness.
Station cleaning operations are conducted continuously during operational hours, addressing tasks such as waste removal, mopping, disinfecting critical touchpoints like stairways, escalators, handrails, restrooms, and fare adjustment machines.
In 2023, BART notably enhanced the regularity of its comprehensive overnight deep cleaning sessions. These detailed cleanings, which may take up to two weeks to complete, are scheduled for each station several times a year, with frequency adjusted based on each station’s specific requirements and foot traffic levels.
The cleaning protocol includes several steps, starting with dust mopping to collect loose debris and dust. Following this, a heavy-duty floor scrubber, akin to a manually operated mini Zamboni, is used to remove ingrained dirt and old sealants, occasionally supplemented with an alkaline stripping solution for tougher grime. A high-temperature steam power washer then eradicates residues, with the resultant water being squeegeed off. The area is subsequently dried using dry mops. This process is repeated bi-weekly, with a special sealing and waxing treatment applied every four to six months—or more frequently at busier stations—to prevent dirt accumulation and enhance the floors’ appearance.
Moreover, BART has initiated the construction of protective canopies over the entrances of its downtown San Francisco stations, a move designed to keep these areas cleaner and more welcoming by mitigating debris accumulation.
Are pets allowed on BART?
When traveling on BART, all pets must be contained within a carrier specifically designed for the transportation of animals. Pets on leashes are not permitted. However, BART welcomes trained service animals assisting individuals with disabilities, allowing them to be on a leash or harness. These service animals are specially trained to perform tasks or work for those with disabilities. Within the confines of a train car, it is required that both service animals and pets within carriers do not occupy seats and are kept out of the walkways to ensure a clear passage.
If a station agent observes a service animal behaving in a way that could potentially endanger other passengers, they have the authority to inform the animal’s handler that the animal is not allowed to enter the station.
BART Police officers have the authority to issue citations or remove individuals from BART premises if they are found to be in breach of the regulations concerning pets.