BART to Upgrade to Vinyl Seats in 100 Cars

Move over moldy, bacteria-laden wool BART seats, slick new vinyls seats will be taking over in 100 cars come spring.

BART announced Thursday that their Board of directors has voted unanimously to fund a trial of easier to clean vinyl cushioned seat covers. Earlier this year, BART conducted a series of seat labs where public comments were collected about what features were desired in future seats. Based on public comments and safety standards, BART chose a product called PreVail which meets rigorous fire and toxicity standards that had been an issue in the past when considering vinyl seats. PreVail also has an end-of-life strategy that includes reclaiming the vinyl for other purposes, instead of sending the discarded material to the landfill when the seat covers need replacing.

The seats will be replaced starting in April and the full 100 cars will be outfitted by July. If riders like the seats, an additional 100 cars will also get the vinyl treatment.

Photo Credit: Andophiroxia

Jenni loves the city of San Francisco and all the fun, affordable and strange entertainment it provides. http://twitter.com/jenninelson