BART completes Powell Street station makeover
BART’s Powell Street Station is looking a bit brighter and more spacious.
The brighter lights, new ceiling and the relocation of fare machines from the center to the side of the station is part of BART’s completed Powell Street Modernization Program. City and transit officials celebrated the completion of the project just days before Thanksgiving with a press conference followed by a ribbon cutting.
“The modernization of this station, if you remember, where we’re standing was like a bank of ticketing machines, you couldn’t see the station agent didn’t have a clear view of what was going on,” said BART board Director Bevan Dufty, whose district includes Powell St. BART station.
In addition to the new LED lighting and metallic grid ceiling, BART reopened its restrooms in February and installed five-foot tall glass fare barriers.
Passengers may also notice a new piece of illuminated ceiling artwork at the center of the station where fare machines once occupied.
The artwork by Stephen Galloway, titled “Elysium,” showcases the three buildings that are near the entrance of the station. Galloway said the work itself is a large LED lightbox with the image digitally printed on film. The film is then placed between two glass pane panels.
An even closer look of the artwork shows the work pays homage to well-known bubble titles along the Powell station walls, though it’s just an illusion since the artwork is made of glass. The Galloway’s artwork can been seen on the Hallidie Plaza of the station.
Funding for the modernization project came from a variety of funding sources, including BART’s Measure RR funds, the San Francisco County Transportation Authority Prop. K funds and San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency. State funds also contributed to the project.
“We continue to welcome riders back from the pandemic,” said BART board Director Janice Li, who represents two downtown San Francisco stations. “We’re laser focused on any and all ways to improve the customer experience.”
