After several outlets reported earlier that there were no plans to schedule new negotiations between BART officials and the two unions currently on strike, a spokesman for the transit agency has said that state mediators will be ready to bring everyone back to the table tonight at 6 p.m. while riders are slogging through their own evening rush hour.

Getting SEIU and the Amalgamated Transit Union communicating with BART officials may be a step towards getting the trains moving again, but ABC7 reports at least one of the labor unions had not actually been notified as of this afternoon. Although both unions have said they are eager to resume talks, a spokesperson for the SEIU bargaining told ABC7 they were unaware of the new negotiations.

State mediators have been brought in to facilitate things, but haven't yet managed to connect the two sides since the strike went into effect at midnight on Sunday. Mayors Ed Lee and Jean Quan have apparently been no help either, choosing to remain silent on the matter.

San Francisco's attention-seeking former mayors, on the other hand, have been outspoken about getting service running again. Lt. Governor Gavin Newsom has added his voice to those calling on both sides to start communicating again. The honorable Willie Brown, meanwhile, hasn't missed the opportunity to remind everyone that he singlehandedly ended the 1997 strike by calling every high-powered Californian in his rolodex. Brown has offered to throw his fancy hat into the ring and do some negotiating if anyone would just come ask him first.

Even if talks do resume tonight at 6 p.m., as BART and mediators have said they will, it seems unlikely (although not impossible) for things to be smoothed out by tomorrow morning's commute. So, before before you get your hopes up, you may want to review your alternate options one more time.

Previously: BART Strike Day 2
Scenes From a Public Transit Meltdown
Your BART Strike Alternate Routes
BART Goes On Strike