BART Unveils Mascot-Wrapped Train Car
- BART unveiled a new train car wrapped in mascot designs to boost revenue. - The eye-catching vehicle is designed to spark smiles and social media buzz. - Officials expect increased ridership and photos from commuters patch.com.
Bay Area Rapid Transit has put a bright-blue “BARTy” train car into service as a test of full-car advertising on its newest rail fleet. (bart.gov) BART said riders could start spotting the wrapped car on Monday, April 20, and said it will roam the system for the next few months. The car is covered in dancing versions of the agency’s anime-style mascots. (bart.gov) The pilot is aimed at selling wraps on Fleet of the Future cars, which BART said could become a paid advertising platform if the test works. Dave Martindale, BART’s director of marketing and research, said the agency is “exploring a new source of revenue.” (bart.gov) BART is trying the wrap as it faces a budget crisis tied to ridership and fare revenue that never fully returned to pre-pandemic patterns. On its financials page, the agency said emergency federal and state funds used to balance operations are projected to run out in 2026. (bart.gov, bart.gov) The agency said on Feb. 26, 2026, that its board initially approved an Alternative Service Plan to close a $376 million deficit for the next fiscal year if no new funding arrives. BART has described its structural shortfall as roughly $350 million to $400 million a year. (bart.gov) The mascot car also fits BART’s newer outreach strategy. In 2024, Richmond Confidential reported that BART had been using anime-inspired characters and fan events to attract younger riders after pandemic-era ridership collapsed. (richmondconfidential.org) Those mascots debuted in 2023 and include characters tied to BART’s system, staff and wildlife programs, including Baylee, inspired by the goats BART uses for vegetation control, and Mira, a train operator. Alicia Trost, BART’s chief communications officer, told Richmond Confidential the agency wanted to build a “future generation of BART riders.” (richmondconfidential.org) This is not BART’s first run at wrapped trains. The agency said it sold train-car wraps on its retired legacy fleet, but the new pilot is also a materials test because Fleet of the Future cars have a different exterior finish. (bart.gov) Catherine Westphall, who manages BART’s advertising franchise program, said staff will use the pilot to judge durability, appearance, maintenance needs and whether wraps can be scaled without disrupting service. For now, BART is asking riders to do exactly what the design was built to encourage: notice it, photograph it and post it. (bart.gov)
