BART expanding homeless outreach team, elevator attendant program

OAKLAND, Calif. (BCN) - By Bay City News Service

BART's board of directors voted Thursday to expand the elevator attendant program, expand the Homeless Outreach Team, and award a contract to upgrade the 19th Street Station in Oakland, BART officials said.

The elevator attendant program launched in April 2018 at San Francisco's Civic Center and Powell Street stations and has virtually eliminated "inappropriate behavior" in the stations' elevators, according to BART. %INLINE%

The agency now will expand the program to the Montgomery Street and Embarcadero stations. 

'Thursday's vote also means street-level public toilets are coming to the Powell Street, 16th Street and 24th Street stations as a part of the San Francisco's Pit Stop program.

BART's Homeless Outreach Team will expand its efforts to Alameda and San Mateo counties, including San Francisco International Airport, and continue in Contra Costa County. According to BART, the Contra Costa County team engages people on trains and in stations experiencing homelessness and 
connects them with available shelters and other services.

The board also awarded Oakland-based ProVen Management a $32.7 million contract to modernize the 19th Street station. According to BART, the station is used by more than 13,000 riders on any given weekday. Plans include the consolidation of the station's paid areas into one, a new elevator and the reopening of public restrooms at the station.

Renovations are expected to begin in early 2020.