Bay Bridge closure spikes BART traffic

With the closure of the Bay Bridge nearly at an end, ridership on the Bay Area Rapid Transit system soared to near-record highs.

Thursday saw 475,015 riders on the BART system as people who normally drove across the Bay Bridge opted for public transportation. The new third-highest day outpaced the day in October 2009, also during a Bay Bridge closure, that saw 442,067 riders in one day.

The two highest ridership days remain the days of San Francisco Giants World Series victory parades, in 2010 and 2012, with 522,198 and 568,061, respectively.

The Bay Bridge has been closed since Wednesday night, and is scheduled to be open in time for commuter traffic Tuesday morning.