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{{focused coverage period|end-date = June 2020}}
This is a timeline of {{w|Bay Area Rapid Transit}} (BART), a mass rapid transit system serving the San Francisco Bay Area.
| 1991–1997 || Over this period, BART constructs the Dublin/Pleasanton and Pittsburg extensions, opening the stations of Castro Valley and (East) Dublin/Pleasanton on the former and the stations of North Concord/Martinez and Pittsburg/Bay Point on the latter.
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| 2004–2012 (preparation starts in 2001) || BART works with major cellular carriers to extends extend cellular connectivity throughout the underground portion of the BART system.
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| 2009–present || BART extends service south of Fremont, with the ultimate goal of going all the way to San Jose. Multiple delays in financing, construction, and technical aspects of operations delay the opening of Warm Springs/South Fremont to March 2017and the opening of Milpitas and Berryessa to June 2020.
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| 2011–present || BART begins work on the East Contra County Extension Project, which adds diesel eBART service extending east from the Pittsburg/Bay Point BART terminus. The first set of new stations opens for revenue service in May 2018.
! Year !! Month and date !! Minimum fare !! Excursion fare !! Percentage increase in fares !! Date of approval of series of increases
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| 2004 || January 1 || 1.25. || 4.40 || ?? || ??
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| 2006 || January 1 || 1.40 || ?? || 3.7% || May 2003
| 2004 || May || Connectivity (cellular) || BART works with cellphone carriers Sprint, Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile to provide cellular access in its underground stations in downtown San Francisco.<ref name=bart-transbay-cellular/> || Downtown San Francisco stations (Embarcadero, Montgomery, Powell Street, Civic Center)
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| 2004 || August 23 || Recognition || The [[w:American Public Transportation Association|American Public Transportation Association]] (APTA) identifies BART as the #1 transit system in the United States among systems with 30 million or more annual passenger trips.<ref name=bart-40-years/><ref name=apta-margro-retires>{{cite web|url = http://www.apta.com/passengertransport/Documents/archive_3857.htm|title = Margro to Retire as BART General Manager|date = April 16, 2007|accessdate = August 20, 2017|publisher = American Public Transportation Association}}</ref><ref name=bart-margro-retires>{{cite web|url = http://www.bart.gov/news/articles/2007/news20070411|title = BART General Manager announces resignation|date = April 10, 2007|accessdate = August 21, 2017|publisher = Bay Area Rapid Transit}}</ref><ref name=straightdope>{{cite web|url = http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=312925|title = #1 Transit System in America? Bite me!|date = April 20, 2005|accessdate = June 18, 2017|publisher = Straight Dope Message Board}}</ref>
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| 2004 || November 2 || Safety, referendum || Bay Area voters approve Measure AA in a referendum. The measure allocates $980 million from property taxes for the BART Earthquake Safety Program, including seismic retrofitting of the Transbay Tube and elevated tracks to better withstand an earthquake.<ref name=bart-40-years/><ref name=bart-eqs>{{cite web|url = http://www.bart.gov/about/projects/eqs|title = Earthquake Safety Program|publisher = Bay Area Rapid Transit|accessdate = June 18, 2017}}</ref><ref name=prop-aa>{{cite web|url = http://www.smartvoter.org/2004/11/02/ca/sf/meas/AA/|title = Proposition AA. BART Earthquake Safety Bond. San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District|date = November 2, 2004|accessdate = June 18, 2017}}</ref><ref name=measure-aa-podcast>{{cite web|url = https://www.bart.gov/news/articles/2016/news20160929|title = Podcast: Bond money pays off with improved earthquake safety|date = September 29, 2016|accessdate = June 18, 2017}}</ref>
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| 2004 || || Information for riders || BART launches www.bart.gov/wireless for phones. This is before the smartphone era, and this website is optimized for the traditional phones of its era. The site would continue to be available even after BART launches its mobile site at m.bart.gov in 2011, but it is no longer available as of 2019.<ref name=bart-mobile-site/>
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| 2005 || January 6 || Information for riders || The oldest available story in the BART News archive is from this date.<ref>{{cite web|url = https://www.bart.gov/news/articles/2005|title = News Articles (2005)|publisher = Bay Area Rapid Transit|accessdate = April 11, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url = https://www.bart.gov/news/articles/2005/news20050106|title = Tax-free commuter benefits increased|date = January 6, 2005|accessdate = April 11, 2020|publisher = Bay Area Rapid Transit}}</ref>
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| 2005 || October 15 || Highway transportation shutdown || Caltrans shuts down all eastbound lanes on the [[w:San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge|San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge]] over the weekend for earthquake retrofit work, increasing the pressure on BART to carry transbay traffic. BRT runs transbay trains around the clock to serve transbay travelers.<ref>{{cite web|url = https://www.bart.gov/news/articles/2005/news20051011|title = BART runs around the clock during the October 15th weekend|date = October 11, 2005|accessdate = April 27, 2019|publisher = Bay Area Rapid Transit}}</ref><ref name=bart-40-years/> || Transbay Tube
| 2006 || June 3 || Highway transportation shutdown || Caltrans shuts down the lower deck of the Bay Bridge for earthquake retofit work for the weekend. BART runs 24-hour service for selected stations for the weekend to help people travel across the Bay during that time period.<ref>{{cite web|url = https://www.bart.gov/news/articles/2006/newsf20060531|title = Bridge work means 24-hour BART service to selected stations. BART trains to run Friday night through Saturday morning & Saturday night through Sunday morning|date = May 31, 2006|accessdate = April 27, 2019}}</ref> || Transbay Tube
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| 2007 || April 29 || Highway transportation shutdown || A fire in a gasoline tanker destroys part of the [[w:MacArthur Maze|MacArthur Maze]], closing two freeways feeding into the [[w:San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge|San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge]]. BART increases the frequency of transbay service and announces free transit and runs longer trains on Monday, April 30.<ref name=bart-40-years/><ref>{{cite web|url = http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Tanker-fire-destroys-part-of-MacArthur-Maze-2-2575285.php|title = Tanker fire destroys part of MacArthur Maze / 2 freeways closed near Bay Bridge|last = Bulwa|first = Demian|last2 = Fimrite|first first2 = Peter|date = April 29, 2007|accessdate = June 18, 2017|publisher = ''[[w:San Francisco Chronicle|San Francisco Chronicle]]''}}</ref> || Transbay Tube, systemwide effects
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| 2007 || August 23 || Team || The BART Board of Directors votes 6-3 to appoint {{w|Dorothy Dugger}}, the current Interim General Manager, as General Manager. Dugger would become BART's first female General Manager, and would take the job after serving BART since September 1992 and being Deputy General Manager since April 6, 1994. She succeeds {{w|Thomas Margro}}, who retired in June.<ref>{{cite web|url = https://www.bizjournals.com/sanjose/stories/2007/08/20/daily65.html|title = BART makes interim GM permanent|date = August 23, 2007|accessdate = July 27, 2017|publisher = Silicon Valley Business Journal}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url = http://www.mercurynews.com/2007/08/23/bart-appoints-first-female-general-manager/|title = Bart appoints first female general manager|publisher = Mercury News|date = August 23, 2007|accessdate = July 27, 2017}}</ref>
| 2019 || April 2 || Team || Carlos Rojas retires as BART Police chief after less than two years of service.<ref>{{cite web|url = https://www.mercurynews.com/2019/04/02/bart-police-chief-retiring-after-less-than-two-years/|title = BART police chief retiring after less than two years. The department head leaves a $263,000 gig, not including benefits|date = April 2, 2019|accessdate = February 23, 2020|publisher = Mercury News}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url = https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/philmatier/article/BART-Police-Chief-Carlos-Rojas-gets-out-of-13745116.php|title = BART Police Chief Carlos Rojas gets out of policing game to watch son’s soccer games|publisher = San Francisco Chronicle|date = April 7, 2019|accessdate = February 23, 2020}}</ref>
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| 2019 || July 25 || Team || Robert "Bob" Powers takes over as the tenth general manager of BART after unanimous approval by the BART Board, following the retirement of {{w|Grace Crunican}}, the previous general manager. Powers had previously served as Deputy General Manager and before that as Assistant General Manager of Planning, Development and Construction. He had previously held executive level positions for the City of Seattle Department of Transportation and the City of Baltimore Department of Transportation.<ref>{{cite web|url = https://www.bart.gov/news/articles/2019/news20190725|title = Robert Powers is selected as BART’s General Manager|date = July 25, 2019|accessdate = February 23, 2020|publisher = Bay Area Rapid Transit}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url = https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/BART-selects-Robert-Powers-as-new-general-manager-14131426.php|title = BART, facing big challenges, picks insider Robert Powers as new general manager|last = Fracassa|first = Dominic|last2 = McBride|first2 = Ashley|date = July, 25, 2019|accessdate = February 23, 2020|publisher = San Francisco Chronicle}}</ref>
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| 2019 || August and September || Fare collection || BART switches four stations to Clipper-only stations: 19th Street (August 5), Embarcadero (August 19), Powell Street (September 3), Downtown Berkeely (September 24).<ref>{{cite web|url = https://www.bart.gov/news/articles/2019/news20190624|title = BART to begin transitioning to Clipper-only stations as part of efforts to phase out paper tickets|date = June 24, 2019|accessdate = March 8, 2020|publisher = Bay Area Rapid Transit}}</ref>
| 2020 || February 10 || Ambassador program || BART launches a pilot ambassador program to increase the presence of uniformed personnel on trains to address customers’ concerns about safety and security. "The ten ambassadors will walk trains in teams of two, seven-days-a-week from 2 pm to midnight, with extra coverage on Saturdays. They will focus their patrols on the most heavily travelled section of the system, the transbay corridor between 12th St. Oakland and Civic Center stations."<ref>{{cite web|url = https://www.bart.gov/news/articles/2020/news20200210-0|title = New ambassador program deployed on trains|date = February 10, 2020|accessdate = February 23, 2020|publisher = Bay Area Rapid Transit}}</ref>
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| 2020 || March || Service hours, usage, COVID-19 || As a result of the {{w|COVID-19 pandemic in California}}, BART ridership drops dramatically. While the initial drop is due to schools closing and workplaces announcing work-from-home, there is a further sharp drop in ridership after Bay Area counties jontly announce a {{w|stay-at-home order}} starting Tuesday, March 17. Ridership continues to drop as retail stores shorten hours. Despite the drop in ridership, BART mostly avoids shortening its trains or reducing service frequency, in order to allow commuters to maintain {{w|social distancing}} to slow the spread of coronavirus. Starting Monday, March 23, BART begins stopping service at 9 PM on all days (instead of midnight), and moves its Saturday start of service from 6 AM to 8 AM. By the end of March, ridership is down about 90% from regular levels. BART uses the reduced ridership and shortened hours to work on capital projects, moving some of its staff from running trains to capital projects.<ref name=bart-covid>{{cite web|url = https://www.bart.gov/news/articles/2020/news20200225|title = BART updates related to the coronavirus (This page is being continuously updated)|accessdate = March 28, 2020|publisher = Bay Area Rapid Transit}}</ref>|-| 2020 || April || Service hours, usage, COVID-19 || The reduced ridership due to the {{w|COVID-19 pandemic in California}} continues throughout the month, with the drop each day (relative to pre-COVID projections) ranging from 90% to 95%. Starting Wednesday April 8, BART reduces its weekday train frequency for each line from 15 minutes to 30 minutes. On Monday April 13, BART closes some entrances to its downtown Oakland and downtown San Francisco stations, in order to focus cleaning efforts and improve safety for employees and riders. Starting April 22, BART begins requiring all riders to wear face masks or cloth coverings, following a "coveer your face" health order by the counties of San Francisco, Alameda, and Contra Costa.<ref name=bart-covid/>|-| 2020 || May || Service hours, usage, COVID-19 || Throughout the month of May, BART maintains reduced service hours from April, as ridership continues to be over 90% lower than pre-COVID projections.<ref name=bart-covid/> On May 27, BART releases a "15-step plan" to welcome back riders as the Bay Area reopens from the COVID-19 lockdown.<ref>{{cite web|url = https://www.bart.gov/news/articles/2020/news20200526|title = BART releases 15-step plan to welcome back riders as region reopens|date = May 27, 2020|accessdate = June 6, 2020|publisher = Bay Area Rapid Transit}}</ref>|-| 2020 || June || Service hours, usage, COVID-19 || In response to a slight increase in ridership as some Bay Area businesses reopened as the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown is relaxed, BART adds three trains to the morning commute and three trains to the evening commute, effective Monday June 8.<ref>{{cite web|url = https://www.bart.gov/news/articles/2020/news20200605|title = BART adds three extra Yellow Line commute trains as ridership ticks up; new schedule begins June 8|date = June 5, 2020|accessdate = June 6, 2020|publisher = Bay Area Rapid Transit}}</ref> BART adds further commute trains on the Yellow Line on Monday, June 22, as ridership picks up further.<ref>{{cite web|url = https://www.bart.gov/news/articles/2020/news20200622|title = BART extends Yellow Line extra commute trains to Pittsburg/Bay Point as ridership continues to tick upward|date = June 22, 2020|accessdate = July 3, 2020|publisher = Bay Area Rapid Transit}}</ref> On June 9, a BART employee in a public-facing role tests positive for COVID-19.<ref>{{cite web|url = https://www.bart.gov/news/articles/2020/news20200609|title = BART employee tests positive for COVID-19|date = June 9, 2020|accessdate = July 3, 2020|publisher = Bay Area Rapid Transit}}</ref> On June 30, BART launches data-driven passenger load charts to "provide a snapshot of what riders can expect on-board trains during the COVID-19 pandemic."<ref>{{cite web|url = https://www.bart.gov/news/articles/2020/news20200624|title = BART launches data-driven passenger load charts|date = June 30, 2020|accessdate = July 3, 2020}}</ref> Overall, ridership increases during the month from being around 93% below benchmark on weekdays to being around 89% below benchmark on weekdays.<ref name=bart-covid/>|-| 2020 || June 13 || New stations || The {{w|Milpitas station}} and {{w|Berryessa/North San José station}} are scheduled to open for revenue service at this time, after being delayed by over three years, with a ribbon-cutting ceremony held the previous day, Friday June 12.<ref name= "SJ Mercury 2019October" >{{cite news web|url= https://www.mercurynewsnbcbayarea.com/2019news/10local/01south-bay/san2-josenew-bartsouth-delaybay-milpitas-berryessabart-stations-likely-to-missopen-2019-openingsaturday/2308349/ |title = Two New South Bay BART Stations Open for Service. Trains started rolling at Milpitas and San Jose BART delay: Milpitas, Berryessa stations likely to miss 2019 openingafter years of delays|last = Sanchez|first = Kris|last2 = Budman|first2 = Scott|date = June 13, 2020|accessdate = July 3, 2020|publisher = NBC Bay Area}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url = https: Officials had hoped //www.bart.gov/news/articles/2020/news20200519|title = BART service to open the Milpitas and Berryessa stations by the end of the year starts Saturday, June 13|newspaper publisher = San Jose Mercury News Bay Area Rapid Transit|date= October 1May 19, 2019 2020|quoteaccessdate = June 6, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url = https://abc7news.com/6196112/|title = But the agency’s general manager revealed this week that BART is likely to miss that targetannounces service start date for long-awaited Milpitas, and trains probably won’t start taking passengers to those San Jose Berryessa stations until sometime in |last = Glover|first = Julian|date = May 19, 2020. |accessdate= October 10June 6, 20192020}}</ref> || Milpitas, Berryessa (/North San Jose)José
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| 2022 || January 1 || Fares || A fare increase is scheduled for this date. This is the first of a series of three scheduled fare increases (2022, 2024, and 2026) following an inflation-based formula.<ref name=bart-2020-fare-increase/>
