BART Powell St. Station modernized in time to welcome holiday shoppers

(SAN FRANCISCO) BART unveiled the San Francisco Powell Street Station modernization plan on November 22 in time to welcome the holiday shoppers coming to Union Square and nearby commercial corridors.

Powell Street is the third busiest station in BART's 50-station system. A ribbon cutting ceremony was held to announce the completion of the Powell Street Modernization Program.

According to BART, the modernization program re-envisions the experience of the station, revitalizing the function, safety and security, capacity, sustainability, appearance, and customer experience.

Among the upgrades, the station reopened the public restrooms last year. The newly-unveiled equipments included LED lighting, five-foot-tall glass fare barriers, a modern metallic grid ceiling, and a new external canopy. A new illuminated ceiling artwork, titled “Elysium,” was installed in the center of the Powell Street Station lobby.

“This project is a true reflection and indicator of BART’s commitment to being a world-class transit system,” said BART Board Director Bevan Dufty, who represents Powell St. Station. “We are excited to invite riders to come experience all of the upgrades firsthand.”

“As we continue to welcome riders back from the pandemic, we’re laser focused on any and all ways we can improve the customer experience,” BART Board Director Janice Li said.

With the modernization plan, Powell Street Station is seen brighter that make the riders feel safer. The fare gates and ticketing machines have been removed from the center of the concourse and moved to the perimeter, opening up the station and further improving line of sight.

Powell Street Station Modernization improvements were funded by State of California Proposition 1B funds, BART Measure RR funds, San Francisco County Transportation Authority Proposition K funds, and through a funding partnership with the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency.