SFist has its hand over its heart as the BART flag is raised and its national anthem ("Dublin/Pleasanton train arriving, platform 2") is played BART was named the best public transportation system for 2004 by the American Public Transportation Association. (This mornings free coffee giveaway was supposedly part of the celebration, though SFist notes that the free coffee giveaway was being planned last week, before the awards were announced.) The venerable New York MTA subway won in 2001 (no one begrudges the NY subway system anything for that year), and the underappreciated NY/NJ Port Authority transit system in 2002 (the Tri-State crown was snatched away last year by Denvers Regional Transportation Agency, a system which SFist cannot truthfully say we have ridden).
Modest to a fault, BART says, "This award really belongs to our riders and the people of the Bay Area. Thats because it validates the wise investment they made when they voted to build BART 32 years ago." Hits ya right there! So frickin emo!! "People have big grins on their faces. There is a lot of pride." BART would also like to thank the association, its mom, and the Big Guy up above.
