most advanced automated urban rail transit system incorporating many innovations, marking a new generation of rail travel.

Opened in 1972 the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) system has been the prototype for most modern rail transit systems. The integration of many newly engineered components into a unified system was a key to its success. The first BART cars introduced extruded-aluminum car body sections, 70-feet long, and a new generation of transit-car trucks. Innovative ventilation and fire-control systems made the 3.6-mile trans-bay tube practical. Former BART president Adrien Falk led the BART team during design and construction. Bill Stokes was general manager from 1962 to 1974. Three engineering firms involved were Parsons-Brinckerhoff-Douglas McQuade, Tudor Engineering, and Bechtel Corporation.