BART is placing the “speed” in “speed dating,” as round 200 individuals will board a prepare in downtown Berkeley for a Valentine’s Day occasion that’s meant to assist singles get acquainted with one another and the transit company.
Alicia Trost, a spokeswoman for BART, mentioned that the speed-dating/speed-friending occasion is one in every of many occasions BART has held to extend ridership, which was slashed in half as a result of Covid-19 pandemic popularizing distant work. Trost mentioned that their previous occasions have been targeted on bringing individuals to stations, however they wished to take it a step additional and attempt to maintain an occasion on a shifting prepare.
Trost mentioned {that a} comparable occasion was prompt by a BART rider, who wished the final automobile on the prepare to be reserved for single individuals to fulfill one another. After seeing that Valentine’s Day was on a Friday this 12 months, they thought that holding a velocity courting occasion for the vacation could be a terrific concept, permitting shy individuals to return aboard and meet new pals or a brand new associate.
“This is 200 people who possibly are shy and don’t normally have something to do on Valentine’s Day, so we’re giving them something to do,” Trost mentioned. “And it’s a way to bring people to BART, show them how clean and safe things are and to bring people together.”
The occasion was open for adults between the ages of 18 and 35. Sadly for individuals who could also be on this occasion, BART capped reservations for the occasion at 200, they usually ran out of areas in 12 hours. For these attending, Trost mentioned that the continuous trip will choose up attendees on the Downtown Berkeley Station and circle across the twenty fourth Road/Mission Station earlier than returning to downtown Berkeley. Trost mentioned they selected to carry the occasion at downtown Berkeley to permit individuals who made connections on the prepare to exit after the occasion was over.
Trost mentioned there shall be indicators and employees directing individuals on the place to fulfill on the Downtown Berkeley Station earlier than everybody goes all the way down to the platform to board the prepare. She mentioned the prepare is timed between two common in-service trains so it wouldn’t battle with the trains commuters would usually take. She additionally mentioned they may solely open one door on the prepare to verify no confused commuters unintentionally enter the prepare meant for the speed-dating occasion.
The trip is anticipated to final 90 minutes, so Trost inspired contributors to make use of the restroom earlier than embarking. There shall be icebreaker questions BART employees to pair individuals collectively and assist preserve conversations going. Persons are allowed to maneuver from automobile to automobile. A whistle will ring out each couple of minutes to encourage individuals to rotate companions. Trost mentioned she was just a little involved in regards to the audio ranges and if individuals would have the ability to hear one another and methods to get individuals to rotate and match with individuals in the identical age vary as them, however that she was nonetheless “excited” for the occasion and she or he thinks it will likely be “really fun.”
“I think it’ll be really fun. We’ve never done anything like this specifically,” Trost mentioned.
Trost mentioned she hoped that the occasion would create joyful moments for his or her riders and hopefully get them to return again and use BART once more. She additionally hoped that the occasion would achieve success and encourage different occasions like this to enhance ridership, particularly on nights and weekends when work commutes aren’t an element into the explanation why somebody would trip BART.
BART has held a number of different occasions to enhance ridership, together with displaying artwork at BART stations, an occasion inviting riders to put on ugly Christmas sweaters and do transit-themed crafts and a “paper ticket fashion show,” in response to Trost. She mentioned that these occasions have had a whole lot and much more than a thousand individuals present up for the occasion. Actually, she mentioned individuals have been emailing and DM-ing the transit company to permit for extra individuals to take part in Friday’s velocity courting occasion. Nevertheless, they determined to maintain it at 200 slots to make the occasion extra manageable because it’s their first time internet hosting this sort of occasion. Nevertheless, if the occasion is profitable, Trost mentioned they might maintain extra with completely different age ranges and completely different themes.
“Past events have been successful, that’s how we knew this event would be successful,” Trost mentioned.
BART shall be internet hosting one other occasion to extend ridership on Might 4, encouraging riders to board the trains in “Star Wars”-themed costumes and outfits.
