BART riders are bracing for a weekend without train service between San Francisco and the East Bay as crews prepare to replace hundreds of rail ties in the Transbay Tube.
On Thursday, BART officials repeated what they've been telling passengers for weeks: Traffic's going to be a mess, so don't cross the bay unless travel is essential.
"The Bay Bridge will be extremely crowded and we’re strongly recommending people stay on their side of the bay," says Taylor Huckaby, a BART spokesman. So far, he believes most riders are getting the message.
Trains will not be running between West Oakland and San Francisco Saturday and Sunday so workers can install more than 900 new rail ties and replace rails inside the tube. Service is scheduled to resume Monday morning at 4 a.m.
For those who do need to cross the bay, a fleet of more than 80 buses from various Bay Area transit agencies will be available to shuttle riders between 19th Street Station in Oakland and the temporary Transbay Terminal in San Francisco. However, riders are being warned to expect delays. Huckaby says buses will run once a minute.