Peninsula BART riders can expect more delays on the 10-mile stretch between San Bruno, SFO and Millbrae as officials sort out a frustrating computer problem with its new switching system that was designed to — ironically — move trains faster.
Representatives from the East Coast computer company that installed the switching system visited the site last week and concluded there was definitely a problem. Now they've retreated back to the East Coast — with $40,000 — and BART has no idea when they'll be back to fix the problem, said spokesman Linton Johnson.
The payment is in addition to what BART already spent to install the system less than two years ago, Johnson said.
BART started using the new system in September when it changed its scheduling. Since then, the computer glitch involving rail switches at a complicated maze of tracks near San Francisco International Airport has delayed trains anywhere between two and 20 minutes.
The San Bruno, SFO and Millbrae stations were opened in June 2003 after years of delays. The switching system at SFO was tested, but Johnson claims there was no way of foreseeing these "sporadic" problems that occur up to three times a week.
Now train operators are required to go outside and switch the tracks manually before continuing on to the stations.
Johnson admits that 20 percent of BART's delays are caused by problems in the 10 miles of tracks between San Bruno, SFO and Millbrae. The rest of the delays are caused by problems distributed throughout the system's remaining 94 miles of tracks.
Part of the problem is how people perceive the delays, Johnson said. If someone misses a bus by five minutes, that's all they are going to remember about their experience with BART, Johnson said.
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But they'll return because BART has a 94 percent on-time rate, Johnson said.
That number is based on customer arrival time and not train arrivals, which only pull into the stations on time 88 percent of the time — shy of BART's target.
Trains that are running late for any reason will have their number reassigned to the next approaching train. It's called "rolling numbers" and it keeps the schedule running as smooth as possible, Johnson said.
BART then speeds up the oncoming train and manages to get most riders to their destination within five minutes of the scheduled arrival time.
While that is a better statistic than most airlines, Johnson admitted there are serious flaws.
"There's no denying there are too many delays for BART customers. I wouldn't be surprised if they try a different mode of transportation," Johnson said, adding that he believes they will return because overall the service is good and traffic congestion is bad.
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