BART ridership down amid coronavirus concerns

OAKLAND, Calif. - Rising fears over the coronvirus is having a big impact on commute patterns in the Bay Area.

BART said ridership was down 8% last week compared to the previous week, due in part to the significant increase in telecommuting.

Many people were also avoiding getting on trains because of worries about the virus spreading in tight spaces, especially during high traffic commute hours.

The decline represented a drop of roughly 170,000 riders, according to figures from the San Francisco Chronicle. 

BART said the transit agency was taking extra steps to try and keep its riders safe during the outbreak. Its cleaning crews have increased their regular rounds on both trains and at stations across the Bay Area.

The agency said it's also placed hand sanitizer dispensers, as well as informational posters at various employee work stations, reminding staff about good hygiene practices including proper hand washing technique. 

The transit agency said it's working closely with health agencies to stay informed about the latest developments on the outbreak.

"BART staff has formed an internal task force that is meeting regularly and is dialed into the updates and recommendations coming from local, state, and federal public health officials," BART said, adding, "We've developed an emergency response plan and contingencies if the situation escalates." 

In recent days, motorists also noticed lighter than usual traffic on Bay Area roads, particularly during commute hours. 

Figures from the Metropolitan Transportation Commission showed a sharp decline in motorists coming through Bay Area bridge toll booths on Monday, compared with a week ago.

MTA spokesman John Goodwin told KTVU that specifically, data showed carpool activity saw a steep drop.

The greatest declines were seen on the Dumbarton Bridge, San Mateo Bridge, and Bay Bridge, which experienced a 15.86%, 15.65%, 11.96% week-over-week decline respectively, according to MTC data.

Many Bay Area companies, including tech giants Google and Salesforce, have asked their emplyees to work from home.