A novel approach: Why book lovers are making BART their next reading destination
SAN FRANCISCO – Bay Area Rapid Transit has been struggling to get back on track in a post-pandemic world. The agency is projecting a $93 million deficit by 2025.
But that hasn't stopped Mardi Veiluva, a retired librarian, from taking the train any chance she gets.
"I can just sit down, open up my book and I'm in whatever world I'm reading about," she told KPIX.
On a cool June morning, Veiluva was at the Rockridge BART station in Oakland, even though she had nowhere specific to go.
Veiluva is a member of BART's first-ever moving book club called, One Book, One BART. All one has to do is show up at a particular platform and hop on the last car.
Michelle Robertson, a member of BART's Communications Department, said the idea is to remind people that taking the train is not just good for the planet but also for the soul.
"One of my favorite pastimes on BART is reading a book and it's not something you can do when you're driving," Robertson said.
The club's first selection is Stay True, a Pulitzer Prize-winning memoir by author Hua Hsu.
America's love story with book clubs went off the rails in 1996, when Oprah Winfrey turned millions of her viewers into die-hard readers.
BART's book club is a little different, mainly because its sessions only last until the final stop.
While the point is to get people reading again, it also shows BART in a positive light. In a recent poll conducted by EMC Research 46% of riders said they personally witnessed a crime while taking the train.
"We're listening to our community," Robertson said. "We're actively working to address [those issues] but it doesn't mean we can't have a little fun at the same time."
For Veiluva it was a way to connect with fellow bookworms, while supporting her beloved train system.
"We're taking back BART and we're saying, 'Hey this is a community. Anything can happen here and you can just be part of it by stepping on BART.'"
Additional information about One Book, One BART can be found by visiting http://bart.gov/bookclub.