I’ve been bringing you news of the possibility of a BART strike for a while now, and am now bringing you what is (hopefully) the final update– it looks like the madness is finally over. The Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1555, which represents about 900 train operators, station agents and power workers voted for the proposed contract last night. The contract is not dissimilar to the one that the ATU voted against only days ago, which sent Bay Area residents into a bit of a panic about how they would get to work if BART workers went on strike.
The contract will help BART achieve it’s goal of cutting $100 million in labor costs over the next four years, though it will not be enough to make up the four-year budget gap of $310 million.
In other BART news, the system is set for an southward expansion to begin soon. BART plans to extend its Fremont line south 5.4 miles to the Warm Springs district, which is a $633 million project.
