Topic: San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District

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Why Jerry Brown is standing firm on shaky California high-speed rail plan

Another report critical of California's $100-billion high-speed rail project – the second this month – has not shaken Gov. Jerry Brown's faith in the plan. He has his eyes on his legacy, some say.
Tear gas and mayhem at Occupy Oakland: help or hindrance to the cause?

Media zeroed in on Occupy Oakland protesters and their clash with police. Such confrontations could bolster the Occupy movement, some say. But they may also be a sign the protests are winding down.
San Francisco earthquake: Second quake jolts Bay Area

San Francisco earthquake: Thursday night's quake came nearly six hours after a magnitude 4.0 earthquake hit in the same area.
Cities fret over democracy's costs as 'Occupy Wall Street' stretches on

Cities see costs mount as they supply security and other services at Occupy Wall Street demonstrations. What are cities' First Amendment obligations to the protesters?
New BART protests could test emerging policy on cell service shutdowns

After criticism from civil libertarians and First Amendment scholars, BART says it will consider a policy of shutting down cellular service only in an 'extreme case.' But what is an extreme case?
'Flash mob' crimes: How good are police at tracking down culprits?

While the ability to track 'flash mob' lawbreakers on Twitter and other social media platforms offers a powerful, futuristic vision for policing, real-life police response has so far been more Sherlock Holmes and less Blade Runner.
BART puts social media crackdown in 'uncharted' legal territory

The decision by BART officials to cut cellphone service Thursday – denying train-riding protesters access to social media – raises deep legal questions, analysts say.
BART backs off tactic of cutting cellphone service to thwart protests

After taking heat from the ACLU and being hacked by Anonymous for shutting down cellphone service to four stations last week, the Bay Area's BART kept cell service on during Monday protests.
'Flash mobs' vs. law and order: BART protest adds fresh twist

Social media 'flash mobs' are becoming integral to the organization of protests. BART officials shut down cellphone service to thwart a protest Thursday. What will BART do Monday?
As Anonymous threatens BART, stakes rise in feud over cell service cutoff

Hackivist group Anonymous targets BART website, as retaliation for the Bay Area transit agency's cutoff of cellphone service to some passengers on Aug. 11. BART acted to stymie a protest at a subway station, which was being organized via social media.
To defuse 'flash' protest, BART cuts riders' cell service. Is that legal?

To forestall a planned protest, Bay Area Rapid Transit turned off cellphone service, angering passengers and raising questions about First Amendment rights in an age of social media protests.
Feds to investigate civil-rights claims against L.A. bus authority

Activists in L.A. say the Metropolitan Transportation Authority has discriminated against minorities and the poor by cutting their bus routes first. The MTA says it welcomes the federal audit.
Mehserle verdict: Johannes Mehserle sentencing stuns Oscar Grant supporters, sparks riots in Oakland

Oscar Grant supporters cry foul and take to the streets after Mehserle verdict. The Johannes Mehserle sentencing of two years was shorter than it would have been if the gun enhancement law had been applied.
Police layoffs hit Oakland, one of the nation's most crime-ridden cities

Police layoffs leave the city of Oakland with almost 10 percent fewer cops despite last minute negotiations.
Mehserle trial verdict draws violence to Oakland, legal scrutiny

Protests erupted in Oakland overnight after the Johannes Mehserle trial ended Thursday with a conviction for the lesser charge of involuntary manslaughter. But legal experts call the outcome of the transit police officer's trial fair.
BART case: As Oakland awaits Mehserle verdict, a push for peace

Oakland community groups are educating young people about the justice system and the ill effects of rioting in the lead-up to a verdict in the trial of a white former transit police officer accused of murdering a black passenger.
In BART murder case, police brutality, video evidence on trial

The trial of an Oakland, Calif. BART police officer may reveal judicial attitudes toward video evidence and police brutality, legal analysts say.
Fights on public transit: Oakland bus fracas is latest flash point

A fight aboard a city bus in Oakland, Calif., is the latest fracas on public transit to be captured on video and disseminated on YouTube. Such images, rightly or wrongly, may heighten concern about the safety of public transportation in the US.
Arrest video sparks scrutiny of BART cops - again

A video that appears to show a Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) police officer pushing a passenger into a glass barrier rekindles the issue of excess police force. A passenger was shot by a BART police officer in January.
In video age, a rush to judgment?

Cellphone videos of a police killing in Oakland, Calif., spark outrage.
An oasis in an unexpected spot

‘No space is too small to make a difference.’
An unexpected highway garden

The writer's husband has planted flowers along a grimy Oakland, Calif., avenue.
For mass transit, mass investment

With record ridership and fuel prices, subways, trains, and buses are strapped.