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Fremont station (BART)

Coordinates: 37°33′27″N 121°58′36″W / 37.557489°N 121.97662°W / 37.557489; -121.97662
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Fremont
Bay Area Rapid Transit
A southbound train at Fremont station in April 2024
General information
Location2000 Bart Way
Fremont, California
Coordinates37°33′27″N 121°58′36″W / 37.557489°N 121.97662°W / 37.557489; -121.97662
Line(s)BART A-Line
Platforms1 island platform
Tracks2
ConnectionsBus transport AC Transit: U, 99, 200, 212, 215, 216, 217, 232, 239, 251, 707, 801
Bus transport Marguerite: AE-F, EB
Construction
Structure typeElevated
Parking2,030 spaces
Bicycle facilities76 lockers
AccessibleYes
ArchitectKitchen & Hunt[1]
History
OpenedSeptember 11, 1972
Passengers
20241,983 (weekday average)[2]
Services
Preceding station Bay Area Rapid Transit Following station
Union City
toward Daly City
 Green Line Warm Springs/​South Fremont
toward Berryessa/​North San José
Union City
toward Richmond
 Orange Line
Location
Map

Fremont station is a Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) station in the central district of Fremont, California. The station is served by the Orange and Green lines. It was the southern terminus of both lines from September 11, 1972, until March 25, 2017, when Warm Springs/South Fremont station opened.

History

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Construction

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The BART Board approved the name "Fremont" in December 1965.[3] Service at the station began on September 11, 1972.[4] It cost just over $2 million to build.[5] Due to a national strike that year by elevator constructors, elevator construction on the early stations was delayed. Elevators at most of the initial stations, including Fremont, were completed in the months following the opening.[6][7]

During the first months of revenue service, the Automatic Train Control (ATC) system had safety problems with its design and operation. On October 2, 1972, an ATC failure caused a train to run off the end of the elevated track at the Fremont station and crash to the ground - an incident dubbed the "Fremont Flyer". Four people on board were injured.[8] The incident drew national and international attention, followed a month later by release of the "Post Report" on BART safety by the legislative analyst for the California State Senate.[9][8] The "Fremont Flyer" train crash led to a comprehensive redesign of the automatic train control system, the firing of the general manager,[10] and the replacement of the board of directors.[11][12][13]

Parking and buses

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The newly-opened east entrance in 1980

Fremont station was not initially served by connecting buses.[14] The Santa Clara County Transit District – later Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) – bus service began operating Fremont station—San Jose service on June 25, 1973, connecting BART with the South Bay transit system.[15] AC Transit service was expanded to Fremont in November 1974, and to Newark that December, with Fremont station as a hub.[16][17] Peerless Stages, a private carrier, began operating intercity bus service to the station by 1977.[18]

Fremont station opened with a 700-space parking lot, which quickly proved too small; BART was considering expansion of the lot by late 1973.[19] Public hearings for an expansion took place in early 1975.[20] By mid-1975, the lot typically filled up before 7 am, and riders parked on streets as far as a mile from the station.[21] Some 41% of those parking at the station were from Santa Clara County, outside the BART district, for which Fremont was the nearest station. The expansion plans were slowed by BART board politics about who should pay for such projects.[22] The board ultimately approved the plan to add 361 spaces in November 1975.[23]

The board issued a $590,605 contract in February 1977 and construction began that April.[24][25] The new lot with 300 spaces opened on June 16, 1977. It was created by filling a water retention lagoon and covering it with gravel.[26][27] After a year of allowing the fill to settle, paving work began in May 1978.[28] In September 1978, the board awarded a $269,000 contract to create a new east entrance to the station. The work included a 2,200-square-foot (200 m2) expansion of the fare lobby, new faregates, a bus transfer plaza, and a new access road.[29] The paved lot opened in October 29, 1978, leaving the station with 1,000 parking spaces; construction of the new entrance began at that time.[30] The east entrance and the bus plaza opened on April 7, 1980.[31]

In April 1981, BART opened bidding for construction of an additional parking lot off Mowry Avenue on the north side of the station.[32] The interim gravel lot cost $173,000 to construct, plus $216,000 to acquire the land from Caltrans. It opened in March 1982 with approximately 500–600 spaces, increasing total capacity at the station to 1,500–1,600 spaces.[33][34] Later that year, BART installed canopies at the bus transfer area.[35][36] The Mowry Avenue lot was expanded and paved in 1986 using UMTA funds.[37][38] The older lots were reconfigured in 1987 to add 391 spaces, with a final count of 2,374 spaces.[39][40] The station was renovated in 1997, with the bus plaza expanded.[41]

21st century

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Fremont was the southern terminus of East Bay BART service until March 25, 2017, when the line was extended to Warm Springs/South Fremont station.[42] On December 28, 2019. VTA discontinued service to Fremont station as part of a systemwide network modification, which was originally intended be simultaneous with the opening of the BART extension to Berryessa/North San Jose station.[43][44] However, the BART extension did not open until June 13, 2020, leaving Warm Springs/South Fremont as the only connecting point between the two systems until that time.[44]

As of 2024, BART anticipates soliciting developer proposals by 2028 for transit-oriented development to replace surface parking lots at the station..[45]

Transit connections

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Bus bays at Fremont station

A three-lane bus plaza on the east side of Fremont station is a transfer hub for AC Transit buses:[46]

Two Stanford Marguerite Shuttle routes, AE-F and East Bay Express, also terminate at Fremont.[46]

References

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  1. ^ Cerny, Susan Dinkelspiel (2007). An Architectural Guidebook to San Francisco and the Bay Area (1st ed.). Layton, UT: Gibbs Smith. pp. 501–502. ISBN 978-1-58685-432-4. OCLC 85623396.
  2. ^ "Monthly Ridership Reports". San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District. June 2024.
  3. ^ "Names Approved for 38 Rapid Transit Stations Around Bay". Oakland Tribune. December 10, 1965. p. 10 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ "BART Chronology January 1947 – March 2009" (PDF). San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District. March 2009. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 13, 2013.
  5. ^ "News Release N-37" (PDF) (Press release). San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District. July 7, 1977.
  6. ^ "Strike Delays Elevator Service at Some Stations". Oakland Tribune. September 10, 1972. p. 36 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ "Four BART Lines Make The System". The Independent. February 26, 1973. p. 30 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ a b "Transportation: Troubles Beset Transit System in San Francisco Bay Area". The New York Times. December 9, 1972. Retrieved March 15, 2017.
  9. ^ Bill Northwood (November 29, 1972). "What is BART, and why are we saying such terrible things about it?". KPFA Pacifica Radio. p. 5 min : 00 sec. Retrieved March 15, 2017.
  10. ^ "B.R. Stokes, ex-BART general manager, dies". San Francisco Chronicle. May 25, 2013. Retrieved March 15, 2017.
  11. ^ "Legislative Analyst's Office 75th anniversary". Legislative Analyst's Office (LAO) of the State of California. May 25, 2013. Retrieved March 15, 2017. After the state legislature held a month-long series of hearings on the financial mismanagement at Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART), Alan Post recommended the firing of BART's general manager.
  12. ^ "BART historical timeline" (PDF). BART. Retrieved March 15, 2017. November 5, 1974, Nine-member Board of Directors elected to replace 12-member appointed board.
  13. ^ Bill Wattenburg (February 15, 1974). "BART: Countdown to San Francisco". Commonwealth Club of California. p. 28 min : 30 sec. Retrieved March 15, 2017.
  14. ^ Kusserow, H.W. (September 15, 1972). "BART Banks First Fares". The San Francisco Examiner. p. 5 – via Newspapers.com.
  15. ^ "BART bus link won't serve Alameda County". The Argus. June 23, 1973. p. 16 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  16. ^ History of Lines by Line: Major Changes Since 1960 (PDF). Alameda-Contra Costa Transit District). July 17, 1978. pp. 74–77.
  17. ^ "8,000 riders flock to use Fremont's bus system". The Argus. November 20, 1974. p. 9 – via Newspapers.com.
  18. ^ Norberg, Bob (June 8, 1977). "BART proposes redesigning of Fremont station". The Argus. p. 12 – via Newspapers.com.
  19. ^ "More parking at BART station eyed". The Argus. December 5, 1973. p. 15 – via Newspapers.com.
  20. ^ "News Release R-3" (PDF) (Press release). San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District. January 17, 1975.
  21. ^ "Early Bird Parking Only". Oakland Tribune – Southern Alameda County Edition. June 17, 1975. p. 15 – via Newspapers.com.
  22. ^ Demoro, Harre W. (June 17, 1975). "New Delay on BART's Fremont Parking Lot". Oakland Tribune – Southern Alameda County Edition. p. 14 – via Newspapers.com.
  23. ^ "BART Fattening Fremont Parking". Oakland Tribune. November 14, 1975. p. 6 – via Newspapers.com.
  24. ^ "Snafu Stalls Fremont BART Project". akland Tribune. February 24, 1977. p. 9 – via Newspapers.com.
  25. ^ "Fremont Parking Addition Begins Construction" (PDF) (Press release). San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District. April 6, 1977.
  26. ^ "New Fremont Parking Lot Opens" (PDF) (Press release). San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District. June 14, 1977.
  27. ^ "More BART Parking". Oakland Tribune. June 16, 1966. p. 7 – via Newspapers.com.
  28. ^ "Final Construction on BART Fremont Parking Lot to Get Underway" (PDF) (Press release). San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District. May 3, 1978.
  29. ^ "BART lot awaits road". Oakland Tribune. October 6, 1978. p. 30 – via Newspapers.com.
  30. ^ "BART's New Fremont Parking Facility to be Dedicated" (PDF) (Press release). San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District. October 25, 1978.
  31. ^ "New Fremont Entrance to be Dedicated" (PDF) (Press release). San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District. April 1, 1980.
  32. ^ "More Parking For Fremont & Union City BART Stations" (PDF) (Press release). San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District. April 22, 1981.
  33. ^ "New Parking Lot At Fremont BART Station" (PDF) (Press release). San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District. March 18, 1982.
  34. ^ "BART parking lot to open". Oakland Tribune. March 10, 1982. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com.
  35. ^ "Construction to Start on Bus Stop Canopy at the Fremont BART Station" (PDF) (Press release). San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District. October 20, 1982.
  36. ^ Annual Report 1982/83 Fiscal Year. San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District. 1983. p. 7.
  37. ^ "UMTA Releases $16 Million in Grant Funds to BART" (PDF) (Press release). San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District. August 24, 1984.
  38. ^ "First Phase of Parking Improvement Project at Fremont Station Completed" (PDF) (Press release). San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District. July 30, 1986.
  39. ^ Annual Report 1986–1987. San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District. 1987. p. 4.
  40. ^ "Parking Project to Begin at Fremont BART Station" (PDF) (Press release). San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District. April 14, 1987.
  41. ^ Annual Report Fiscal year 1996/97 (PDF). San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District. 1997. p. 3.
  42. ^ Cabanatuan, Michael (March 11, 2017). "BART's long-awaited Warm Springs extension to open March 25". SFGate. Retrieved March 12, 2017.
  43. ^ Hendler Ross, Stacey (March 22, 2017). "BART Warm Springs Opening for Service March 25" (Press release). Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority.
  44. ^ a b Childress, Brandi (November 20, 2019). "Ready for Launch! VTA's All New Service December 28, 2019" (Press release). Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority.
  45. ^ BART Transit-Oriented Development Program Work Plan: 2024 Update (PDF). San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District. March 2024. p. 16.
  46. ^ a b "Transit Stops: Fremont Station" (PDF). Metropolitan Transportation Commission. July 17, 2020.
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