BART Debuts Mascot-Covered Train Car

BART has put a bright blue train car covered in dancing BARTy mascots into service as a test of full-car wraps on its newest trains. (bart.gov) The Bay Area Rapid Transit agency said the car began roaming the system on Monday, April 20, and will stay out for the next few months. Staff said the pilot is meant to see how wrap material holds up on Fleet of the Future cars in regular service. (bart.gov) BART marketing director Dave Martindale said the agency is testing whether wrapped cars could become paid advertising space. Catherine Westphall, who manages BART’s advertising franchise program, said the trial will measure durability, appearance and maintenance needs before any larger rollout. (bart.gov) The experiment lands as BART searches for money beyond fares. The agency says remote work cut ridership and fare revenue, and its emergency funding is projected to run out in 2026. (bart.gov) BART says it balanced its fiscal year 2026 budget with $35 million in ongoing cuts and cost controls, but projects a $376 million deficit in fiscal year 2027. On its financial crisis page, the agency says its longer-term structural gap is $350 million to $400 million a year. (bart.gov) That pressure has pushed BART to look for smaller revenue streams as well as bigger political fixes. In its 2026 factsheet, the agency said it has already raised fares and parking fees, cut costs, and is still seeking a long-term funding source. (bart.gov) The wrap test also reflects a change in BART’s fleet. The agency retired its legacy cars from reserve service on March 4, 2024, and says all 55 trains now in service are made up of newer Fleet of the Future cars with a different exterior finish. (bart.gov; bart.gov) BART said it sold train-car wraps on its older fleet before, but this pilot is the first chance to see whether the newer cars can handle the material without creating maintenance problems. The agency says riders who spot the car can still see out the windows and are being encouraged to post photos on social media. (bart.gov) For now, the mascot car is both a rolling ad test and a public-facing pitch for attention. If the wrap performs well over the next few months, BART said it will decide whether selling wrapped cars makes sense as a longer-term revenue program. (bart.gov)