BART to install earthquake safety sensors

OAKLAND

Bay Area Rapid Transit's chief engineer James Dunn said today that the transit agency is on track to install 10 high-tech ground motion sensors within the next two years to help BART almost instantaneously determine whether it's safe to run trains after a massive earthquake.

Sensors currently are installed at the Orinda and Daly City stations and BART is getting permits to install eight more, including a sensor in the transbay tube, he said.

The first sensor was installed at the Orinda station in August 2004.

It now takes up to 20 minutes to get earthquake-related information, but soon BART will be able to get important information within a minute or two, Dunn said.

Working with the U.S. Geological Survey, BART has developed a software program called System Earthquake Response Assessment, or SERA, that it believes is the first of its kind in the world.

The information helps BART check the safety of elevated tracks, stations and the transbay tube.