BART partners with BMW to create Fleet of the Future

Bay Area Rapid Transit in California is partnering with a subsidiary of BMW Group, DeisgnworksUSA, to create the Fleet of the Future, a new generation of train cars going into service starting in 2017. DesignworksUSA is the design-consulting division of BMW Group. In collaboration with BART, it will conceptualize the next generation of BART trains from the inside out, conveying a style, shape and functionality that reflects the needs of customers and the future of transportation in the Bay Area. "BART is excited to announce its partnership with BMW Group DesignworksUSA," BART Board President Bob Franklin said. "With 75 percent of our customers having the option of choosing another way to get to their destinations, we figured what better way to lure the drivers of the future onto BART than to hire the company who knows motorists best. That's why we turned to DesignworksUSA, which has been instrumental in the design of many BMW vehicles presently on the road, to design a BART car that's modern, elegant, comfortable yet practical, economical and clean so that even more people will choose BART." BART has been conducting Seat Labs to gather public input on the project. DesignworksUSA will use this feedback when it creates the new designs. The resulting work will be available for review by the public this summer. "DesignworksUSA is excited to join BART in its continued commitment to deliver a premium ridership experience to its passengers," Laurenz Schaffer, president, BMW Group DesignworksUSA said. "DesignworksUSA is passionate about creating innovative solutions for mobility in increasingly dense urban centers such as the Bay Area and we are excited to see the results of our collaborative partnership with BART."