Four weeks earlier than scheduled, BART trains will roll 'til midnight starting August 2, and a few “limited” weekend routes will run 'til 11:30 p.m. starting in just two weeks.

Since we have been gathering again, I have taken no pleasure in being “that guy” who informs people that their last BART train option is at 9 p.m., and then adds insult to injury telling them that this will be the case all the way until August 30. But I will not be “that guy” much longer, as BART announced Wednesday they are moving up the return of midnight service on August 2. On top of that, there will be some limited 11:30 p.m. service starting July 15. Let’s roll!

“BART will return to near-pre pandemic service on August 2 instead of August 30 as originally planned,” the transit system said in a Thursday release that has elicited much rejoicing. “The August 2 change includes extending closing times to midnight Monday through Saturday.”

What is left unspoken there is that Sunday night service will continue ending at the 9 p.m. hour going forward indefinitely (and “track repair” delays are likely to pop up on many given Sundays as well.) But on weekdays, trains in each direction will be scheduled every 15 minutes until 8 p.m., then every 30 minutes from 8 p.m. to midnight. Saturday service will involve transferring, and BART has not yet made any frequency commitments in terms of Saturday service except to say that they are “for the first time, offering four trains per hour one most lines.”

The other big news is that we’re getting some limited weekend service starting July 15, but it is by no means systemwide. “Beginning July 15, 2021, BART will run four trains leaving either Embarcadero or Civic Center at 11:30pm serving limited stops after regular BART service ends on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays,” their announcement says. “These trains are in addition to the special service for A’s night games and the limited service provided for Giants' night games.”

It sounds like this is just one extra train after 9 p.m., departing Civic Center or Embarcadero at 11:30 p.m., but given the arm-and-a-leg cost of rideshare these days, it’s worth considering. The trains won’t stop at each station, but the graphic above explains the fairly complicated proposition of the late 11:30 p.m. “last call” trains that will run Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights starting mid-June.

BART is regularly crowing about their increasing ridership, which they have every right to do, though the numbers are still historically low. They hope to goose that ridership up with a 50% off fare deal in September, though be aware that discount only applies to Clipper Card users.

Related: BART Expected to Have Free WiFi at All Stations by 2024 [SFist]

Image: SFBART via Twitter