This series of caches is intended as a tribute to the BART
system. Each cache is placed in an area that is easy to access and
is not placed near the station itself or the tracks.
A rapid transit system in the San Francisco Bay Area was first
proposed in 1946 by Bay Area business leaders concerned with
increased post-war migration and congestion in the region. The idea
of an underwater electric rail tube was deemed the best solution in
conjunction with a multiple-county rapid transit rail system.
However, it was not until the 1950s that the actual planning for
a rapid transit system would begin. In 1951, California Legislature
created the San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit Commission to
study the Bay Area's long term transportation needs. The
commission's 1957 final recommended that the cheapest solution to
reduce traffic tie-ups was to form a rapid transit district, that
would build and operate a high-speed rapid rail system linking the
cities with the suburbs.
BART construction officially began on June 19, 1964. President
Lyndon Johnson presided over the ground-breaking ceremonies at a
4.4 mile (7.1 km) test track between Concord and Walnut Creek in
Contra Costa County.
BART began regular passenger service on September 11, 1972. The
Transbay Tube opened nearly two years later on September 16,
1974.
Today the BART system comprises 104 miles (167 km) of track and
43 stations and carried 323,213 daily riders in 2004.
BART uses a non-standard 5 feet, 6 inch (1.676 m) rail gauge
(broad gauge). This unusual gauge was selected to provide greater
stability (including on a planned Golden Gate Bridge route) and a
smoother ride for its relatively lightweight aluminum and
fiberglass cars, as well as for political and economic reasons.
Trains achieve a maximum speed of 80 mph (129 km/h), and provide
a systemwide average speed of 33 mph (53 km/h) between stations,
with 20-second station dwell times. Trains operate at a minimum
length of three cars (per California Public Utility Commission
guidelines) to a maximum length of 10 cars, spanning the entire
700-foot length of a platform. Trains in the BART system are also
referred to as "consists"; both words are interchangeable.
The coordinates where checked using two GPSr's and were allowed
to settle until they both matched. Initial contents include Steve
Martin Buttons #793 and 783.
Congratulations to SnoWake on
collecting the FTF.
Special Congratulations to Dgreno.
On Feb 14, 2006 he was the first to find all 30 Bart caches.
