BART escorts for West Oakland?
Photo by Thomas Hawk
KCBS reports of a partnership between BART police and Oakland Police Department’s Citizens Police Academy Alumni Association to provide escorts at the West Oakland Station tonight and tomorrow. The volunteers will be available to walk people to their cars or give them rides to a nearby parking lot.
We can see the necessity for this, but really? It’s come to this?
Why just tonight and tomorrow? And if you are an East Bay resident wanting to take BART to SF why on earth would you drive all the way to west Oakland before getting on the train?
This has been an off and on event over the years. BART and OPD did this many years ago after a BofA executive was savagely beaten to death two blocks away and car-jacking was at its heyday. Berkeley PD had a similar arrangement at the North Berkeley Station many years ago.
West Oakland is a popular stop because it is 6 minutes to Embarcadero without crossing any bridges, yet you can still jump into your car on your return trip. There is no wait in either direction from downtown SF to West Oakland. It’s also the “cheapest” from a BART fare perspective.