BART LED lighting upgrades at nine East Bay stations will use $850,000 in Community Project Funding recently secured by Congresswoman Lateefah Simon (D-CA-12).

Mezzanine and fare gates at Downtown Berkeley BART station
Archive view of the mezzanine and fare gates at Downtown Berkeley BART station. Photo: 4300streetcar / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY 4.0

BART LED lighting upgrades cover nine stations

BART will use the ⁠federal allocation to install LED lighting at nine stations across the district: Coliseum, Downtown Berkeley, Fruitvale, Lake Merritt, MacArthur, Rockridge, San Leandro, North Berkeley and West Oakland. The planned upgrades will improve light quality and the rider experience, strengthen public safety at the stations, and increase energy efficiency.

Simon announced the funding at Downtown Berkeley BART station, joined by BART General Manager Robert “Bob” Powers and members of the BART Board of Directors. She also toured several stations included in the program to discuss the planned work and upcoming lighting improvements.

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The BART funding is part of ⁠$11.2 million that Simon secured for 15 East Bay projects in Fiscal Year 2026. Each fiscal year, members of Congress may submit Community Project Funding requests to the House Committee on Appropriations for consideration. Information about the 15 projects for which Simon secured funding in her first year is also available.

Simon connected the station improvements to her personal reliance on public transportation and her previous service on the BART Board:

“As someone who was born congenitally blind and has been dependent on public transit my entire life – I know that accessible, reliable public transportation is non-negotiable,” said Congresswoman Simon. “During my time on the BART Board, I fought to make our public transit systems safer and improve the rider experience. Now in Congress, I am fighting hard to expand on that work and deliver for us. Every neighborhood deserves to have safe, bright stations, and I look forward to seeing the impact these lighting upgrades will have on both safety and energy efficiency across the East Bay.”

BART train arriving at Downtown Berkeley station
Archive photo of a BART train arriving at Downtown Berkeley station. Photo: 4300streetcar / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY 4.0

Completed lighting work at Downtown Berkeley

Powers pointed to the improvements already completed at Downtown Berkeley as an example of BART’s focus on riders:

“The recent improvements at the Downtown Berkeley Station are examples of how we are relentlessly putting the needs of our riders first. Upgraded lighting makes our stations safer and more welcoming,” said BART General Manager Bob Powers. “We are so grateful for the efforts of Congressmember Simon who has been an incredible advocate in the nation’s capital for Bay Area transit.”

BART District 3 Director Barnali Ghosh described the lighting work completed at Downtown Berkeley Station last spring and the expected benefits of the wider program:

“BART completed a major lighting upgrade last spring here at Downtown Berkeley Station, replacing more than 2,200 aging fluorescent bulbs with brighter, more energy-efficient LED lighting,” said BART District 3 Director Barnali Ghosh, whose district includes Downtown Berkeley Station. “The new lighting makes our stations more welcoming, increases safety, and saves us money on energy and maintenance costs. Once completed this program will reduce energy use from station lighting by half.”

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