From ASME San Francisco Section Nov/Dec 1997 Newsletter:
Bay Area Transit System Named an Historic Landmark
The Bay Area Rapid Transit System (BART), including its underwater tunnel in the San Francisco Bay and fleet of lightweight aluminum train cars, which have carried more than 704 million passengers since 1972, has been honored by ASME International (American Society of Mechanical Engineers).
BART was named an ASME Historic Mechanical Engineering Landmark at an awards ceremony held recently in San Francisco. BART was cited for its engineering attributes, social significance and influence on transit systems worldwide.
"BART has been the prototype for most modern rail transit systems," says ASME in a bronze plaque presented to Bay Area Rapid Transit District on July 24.
BART was conceived in 1957 to meet the civic need for a modern and comfortable rail system linking major commercial centers and residential districts throughout five counties in the Bay area. Construction began in 1964 and was completed in 1972.
The 3.5-mile Transbay Tube connecting San Francisco with Oakland, Calif., was, at the time, the longest underwater tunnel in the world. An extraordinary feat in every aspect, the tube is comprised of 57 steel and concrete sections which were joined using sophisticated mechanical engineering methods. Its ventilation system uses large blowers which move 300,000 cubic feet of air per minute through the structure.
BART trains featuring the "monocoque" shell design copied the styling of the space vehicles used in both the U.S. and Soviet aerospace programs. The trains were designed with aluminum extrusions and ball joints situated below the air springs, providing greater passenger comfort. The electronically-controlled hydraulic brakes were a first in rail transit.
Other characteristics of BART which contributed to the efficiency of the total system included modern passenger stations, state-of-the-art control center, eye-bolt connections for lifting cars during maintenance and repair and newly developed turntables.
Heading to the year 2000, BART continually improves and expands. The San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District is carrying out a $1 billion system renovation, together with a project to build a line to the San Francisco International Airport.
The Bay Area Rapid Transit system joins a roster of 182 ASME landmarks investigated since 1971 by the Society's History and Heritage Committee. The role of the committee within ASME is to illuminate our technological heritage and encourage the preservation of the physical remains of historically important works.
Contact: John Varrasi, 212-705-8158, varrasij@asme.org.