BART tallies 1 million rides on Antioch extension

Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) last week served the one-millionth rider along its Antioch extension.

The milestone came five months after the debut of the new service in East Contra Costa County, California.

In June, average ridership along the 10-mile Antioch extension was 7,895. That figure jumped to 8,622 in October, BART officials said in a press release.

"From the very first week of service, BART to Antioch has exceeded ridership expectations," said Joel Keller, a director on BART's board.

The extension's popularity is driving demand for parking at the Antioch Station. As a result, BART is pursuing a $16.4 million project to nearly double the number of spaces available.

The extension, which includes two new stations, runs along the Highway 4 median between the Pittsburg/Bay Point Station and Antioch. The line features diesel multiple units that operate on standard gauge track instead of BART's wider gauge rails.