Just in time for National Poetry Month, BART is unveiling BART Lines: 826 Valencia, our latest collaboration bringing a curated selection of 826 Valencia students’ works to BART’s five Short Story Dispensers and online at bart.short-edition.com.
More than 100 students ages 9 to 18 participated in the project, which was developed by 826 Valencia and centered BART as both inspiration and subject. The resulting poems and short stories capture young writers’ perspectives on transit, community, and everyday Bay Area life. BART previously partnered with us for the BART Lines: Teen Poetry Contest in 2024.
For many students, this will be the first time their work is formally published outside 826 Valencia. Four pieces will also be featured in advertising spaces on BART train cars to bring joy and wonder to customers’ rides.
BART’s free Short Story Dispensers are located at the following stations: Balboa Park, Downtown Berkeley, Fruitvale, Pleasant Hill, and now San Leandro. To read a BART Lines: 826 Valencia work, simply wave your hand over the 5-minute (or “Local Authors”) button, and a story will be dispensed on eco-friendly, recyclable paper.
To increase accessibility to literary works for all riders, BART’s Short Story Dispensers will soon offer free audio stories, allowing riders to listen on their phones by scanning a QR code on the machine. The program continues to expand with the recent installation of a new dispenser at San Leandro Station.
This collaboration builds on BART’s history of celebrating creativity in transit spaces. In recent years, the agency has hosted writing and poetry contests, featured rider-submitted work in stations and online, and used arts programming to make stations more welcoming and community-centered.
826 Valencia student work featured on BART train cars
“The notion of mixing poetry and other literary forms with transit is not new. New York, London, Paris, Los Angeles, to name a few, all have various programs. What makes the BART program so engaging is our commitment to featuring local writers—especially our youth writers,” said BART Art Program Manager Jennifer Easton, whose department launched the dispensers in collaboration with BART Communications. “We love sharing their creativity with our riders, and giving their voices a platform on our Short Story Dispensers and website is particularly meaningful—and particularly Bay Area.”
“At 826 Valencia, we believe our students write a better future for all of us. Through this partnership with BART, we’re celebrating the creativity and insight of our future leaders as they reflect on what it means to move through the Bay Area. Their stories transform everyday commutes into moments of connection, wonder, and belonging,” said 826 Valencia Executive Director, Bita Nazarian.
“Bringing the voices of local youth into our stations and trains through their own words is a powerful way to activate public space and connect riders to the Bay Area’s rich stories,” said Michelle Robertson, Principal Marketing Representative with BART Communications. “The creativity and insight students brought to the 826 Valencia curriculum—with BART as their muse—reminds us that transit is more than movement; it’s context for community, connection, and imagination.”
Since its first day of service, BART has viewed its stations and trains as shared civic spaces. Arts and literary programs help transform wait times into meaningful moments, highlight local talent, and create a more welcoming, human-centered environment for riders. By supporting community voices, especially young riders, BART aims to strengthen connection, creativity, and a sense of belonging across the spectrum of communities the system serves.
BART Short Story Dispenser Locations:
• Balboa Park Station
• Downtown Berkeley Station
• Fruitvale Station
• Pleasant Hill Station
• San Leandro Station (new)
About BART
The San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District (BART) is a heavy-rail public transit system that connects the San Francisco Peninsula with communities in the East Bay and South Bay. From the opening of service in 1972 to the present day, BART has enhanced the quality of life in the Bay Area by providing rapid and reliable transportation.