The BART, Bay Area Rapid Transit, began working on plans to expand their services in the Fremont area. They did this by designing a five and a half mile extension from the Fremont station to the Warm Springs district of Fremont. The design plans of this massive project was approved in 2013, and BART has been working on the Warm Springs Station since. It is finally coming near completion as predicted, fall 2016.

BART is now testing the tracks and making sure that everything is running smoothly before the start of this station. BART will have some training set up for BART workers and emergency personnel to lessen the chances of accidents and confusion that could happen in the event of an emergency. The current Fremont Station caters to over 9,300 people daily, so hopefully the Warm Springs Station can take some of the load off the main Fremont Station.

BART is taking extreme caution in the preparation of this new station, as it will pass under the eastern side of Lake Elizabeth for about a mile. According to the BART website, they are currently in the testing phase, which includes verifying the integrity of fabricated parts to make sure that they will work properly once the station is open. The testing phase also includes installing the parts on the tracks and doing a few test runs as well. A report from the San Francisco Chronicle states that the Warm Springs Station will officially open on October 22nd of this year. However, that date could change based on adjustments or unforeseen circumstances during the testing phase or any time before the official opening.

Some issues that could prolong the opening of the station include the strict safety requirements for both workers and the public and the safety of the special status species that are present in the area. This includes the California Tiger Salamander, California Red Legged Frog, and the Western Burrowing Owl. BART said that they are taking extra precaution by monitoring all special status species in the area as well as all construction and BART personnel receiving training for wildlife care in the Fremont Central Park. BART is also managing all the construction noise by setting up sound barriers in places where it is possible for equipment to break the sound regulations in the city. BART also stated that for every acre of wetlands impacted, it will personally compensate with four more acres in the east part of Fremont Central Park.

The initial schedule for the station is 7:00 P.M. on weekdays, and it will only run from Daly City to Warm Springs/South Fremont Station. The Richmond to Warm Springs/ South Fremont will be open all regular times Monday through Friday and all day Saturdays and Sundays. These plans may change after the opening of the Warm Springs Station or at any point in the future.

As for fares, the regular BART distance based system will be employed to calculate the cost of the trip between stations during a commute. For example, a trip from the Warm Springs/ South Fremont station to the Fremont Station costs about two dollars, while a trip from Warm Springs to San Francisco International Airport is about twelve dollars. There will be parking for about two thousand vehicles, as well as bike lockers and bike racks at the new Warm Springs Station.      For the convenience of BART users, there will be VTA bus lines running through the new station. VTA lines 120,140,180, and 181 will be stopping at the new Warm Springs Station.

Overall, the new Warm Springs Station is a highly anticipated addition to the BART system and is being managed well, despite strict regulations. BART is also doing a good job managing all the possible environmental threats that come with building this station under the lake and through the Fremont Central Park. Hopefully, this BART station will operate without issues and serve the people in the South Fremont area.