BART wants to gamify your commute to solve congestion problems

What’s it gonna take for you change your commute schedule to avoid BART’s most congested times? Some of you might remember that BART bought some new trains (here they are with new interior features), but those trains aren’t going to arrive until 2017. In the meantime, BART is set to launch a commuter game called “BART Perks” to alleviate the congestion issue, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. The game gives you extra points if you ride BART at its less congested times, and the points lead to perks that have not yet been announced.

More from the Chronicle:

Enticing just 1,250 people — about the capacity of a 10-car train — to commute a bit earlier or later, officials said, could significantly reduce crowding on trains and station platforms.

The need to spread out the rush is growing. San Francisco’s downtown stations, particularly Montgomery and Embarcadero, have become so overwhelmed with arriving passengers in the morning that BART is planning to run all of its escalators in the up direction to clear platforms. Transbay trains are often packed to the limit, as most commuters have experienced.

… The $1.6 million experiment, funded mostly with grants from federal transportation agencies, is based on successful programs used on crowded transit systems in Singapore and Bangalore, India. Like those, BART Perks was developed by Urban Engines, a Silicon Valley startup focused on mobility.

If you’re the type of person who makes Open Table reservations only at 1,000 point restaurants, or if you clipped coupons in a former life, you can probably see the appeal of this game. BART Perks will be launching this spring so we’ll keep you updated.

h/t: SFist.

Photo via @JimMcNutty