A dozen SF BART canopy panes vandalized as agency releases report showing crime down 15%

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- Canopies are being installed at BART stations across San Francisco to improve the rider experience. But a string of vandalism at four stations along the Market Street corridor is putting a damper on those plans.

Many riders say they're disappointed to see the new improvements take a step backward.

Rider Griffin Robbins said he's taken MUNI all his life and feels very passionate about it and that "it just sucks to see someone destroy the city."

One, after another, after another. In total, more than a dozen panes of glass, spread across four BART canopies along Market, smashed.

"It really disappoints me. I have friends coming to the city. I bring them in, I have to make them look away," Robbins said.

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The destruction includes cd shattered schedule boards, like those at Montgomery station. According to BART, it most likely all took place over the weekend.

By law, the canopies are required to protect the outdoor escalators. They're also part of a $64 million, 21 canopy project. Work began in 2020 and was expected to take seven years. So far, 10 have been completed.

"I think it's a shame the city puts in so much effort and honestly to see it get vandalized like that," said one young man who was about to get on at the Embarcadero station.

BART Police released their latest safety numbers on Wednesday. They say 2024 numbers show a 15% reduction in overall crime from last August. The broken glass did not give riders much comfort.

"It should be clean and safe in my opinion. And something like this, it's disappointing to see," said one woman who was in town from Fremont.

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Amber Hasselbring is from the nonprofit Nature in the City. It partnered with BART and the city back in 2021 to bring living rooftops and the Western Tiger Swallowtail butterflies to the Market Street corridor at Montgomery and Powell Street Stations.

"You know, the more activity and attention that is downtown, the less vandalism is likely, so we'd like to see if we can play a part," Hasselbring said.

Nature in the City continues to raise the approximately $200,000 needed for the project. The cost to replace the dozen or so panes of glass is likely in the tens of thousands of dollars.

BART Police have not yet made any arrests and the investigation is ongoing.