San Bruno B.A.R.T.

  BART proposes to get back on track toward cleanliness by spending money to replace seat covers and cushions in its train cars.

  The rapid transit system's board today will consider awarding a $2.7 million contact to replace wool seat covers and foam seat cushions on 200 of its 669 train cars.

  The seat work would be done this year at the same time as $2 million worth of new resin-based carpeting is installed in the same 200 cars.

  "We are trying to upgrade riders' experience," BART spokesman Linton Johnson said. "It makes sense to replace the carpets and seat covers at the same time as cars are pulled offline for the work."

  In a survey released last year, riders complained about declining train station and car appearance after cutbacks in BART cleaning crews.

  The train system increased cleaning crews again this fiscal year to clean carpets, seats, and car exteriors more frequently.

  Despite more frequent cleaning, the seats get dirty and wear out under the load of some 360,000 riders a day.

  On today's board agenda, BART administrators recommend the seat contract be awarded to low bidder National Transit Interiors Inc. of Belmont.

  The contract also would allow BART to buy seat cushions and covers for another 100 cars next year once it lines up $1.3 million in federal funds, according to BART.

  Gail Murray of Walnut Creek, the BART board president, said clean seats are important to keeping up the train system's image and ridership.

  "People are a little squeamish about drinks and food that spill on the seats," she said.

  The new seat covers provided by the contract will be installed faster than the BART's regular replacement rate of about 4.5 cars per week, Johnson said.

  "We're always replacing the seat covers. This ramps things up." Johnson said.

E-mail Denis Cuff at dcuff@bayareanewsgroup.com