Management of a Large Project—BART

The economic, political, and sociological implications of a project the size and complexity of BART are enormous. Its design, construction, and operation interacts with, and affects, most segments of the Bay Area's population. As no new large rapid transit systems had been built since the early 1900's, BART, during its planning and design period, was not able to draw on existing data banks of progressive and analytical transportation design criteria, formulas, and concepts. The BART Board of Directors decided that planning, design, and construction management would be performed by consultants under direction of the District. This decision was based on the undesirability of BART's attempting to assemble a large and diverse staff for a relatively short-term requirement, coupled with the unavailability of transit people with the necessary experience. The BART staff included a small but strong technical group to give direction to the consultants and to clear the way in nontechnical areas to enable the consultants to carry out their directives.