BART to offer safety app for smartphones

Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) is developing an application that riders will be able to use on their smartphones to report crimes, suspicious or unsafe activity on the BART system, agency officials announced yesterday.

The new app will be free for BART riders to download from the agency's website in the next few months, BART Police Chief Kenton Rainey said in a press release.

Riders will be able to upload pictures and location information, choose comments from dropdown menus or write their own comments in text boxes. The app, which is GPS-enabled, will feature a silent photo and flash-free feature.

"BART will be the first transit agency to offer both Spanish and Simplified Chinese options for the app,” said Rainey.

BART's board approved a multi-year contract with ELERTS Corp. to develop the app. The company has created similar apps for other U.S. transit agencies, including the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority and Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority.