Skyline students definitely felt the consequences of the latest BART strike that took place from Oct. 18 to Oct. 21 throughout the Bay Area.

Students who took BART instead of drove to school felt the effects of the BART strike that has since ended. BART reached a tentative deal with its worker’s union on Monday, Oct. 21, and resumed service on Tuesday, Oct. 22 on a limited basis.

“The 101 was packed,” Skyline student Christian Simmons said on the day the BART strike started, “especially with the accident that happened…It was slow all day.”

These type of accidents, which are common in highways heading to San Francisco, only exacerbated the traffic problem that grew exponentially due to the strike.

“It affected traffic going to school,” Skyline student Nelson said about the effect the BART strike had on his classroom. “Some students in my class couldn’t make it to school.”

Student Athalia Robinson had to improvise on how to get home with BART out of the picture.

“I was unable to go home through my usual route,” she said. “I had to have a family member pick me up.”

Not only did it affect students going or leaving from school, but it also affected students outside of school. Student Carly Ergas works downtown and the strike disrupted her commute.

“I didn’t go to work one day. I think it wasn’t worth it,” she said. “Next day, I drove. There was a lot of traffic. Traffic was about 40 to 45 minutes.”

Ergas also took BART on the day after the deal was reached, when the service was limited.

“BART yesterday (Oct. 22) was fine,” she adds. “I was a little nervous about taking it, but I took a chance.”

Terms of the new deal between the union and the BART were not released at the time of writing.

“There will be no details tonight about the points of the deal,” said BART general manager Grace Crunican in a press announcement. “I will simply say that this offer is more than we wanted to pay but it is also a new path in terms of our partership with our workers and helps us to deliver the BART service for the future.”

The deal is pending approval from the union workers, once the deal is discussed among the union leaders and the workers.

Two BART workers died on Saturday, Oct. 19, the day after the strike first started, after working on the tracks and were struck by a train, which might’ve expedited both sides on hammering out a deal.

“It was upsetting,” said Robinson about the two deaths. “I’m hoping it all gets fixed and a strike doesn’t happen again. Us San Franciscans rely on [public] transportation.”

“I am reminded everyday that the work that we do touches the lives of every Bay resident,” Crunican adds. “The public expects us to resolve our differences and to keep the Bay Area moving.”