you will need them on bart. the bart board voted to reinstate the mask mandate effective immediately. joining us to discuss the policy is the vice president janice lee. thank you for joining us today. i know this is big news. i want to confirm that this is effective immediately, right? >> that is correct. the bart board passed unanimously an extension of the mask mandate through a change of the customer code of conduct. it is temporary so the date is set through july 18, per nash for a couple of months. >> people are pretty divided on mask mandates but this board bill was unanimous. are you surprised by that? >> i have to say that i'm a bit surprised because we were watching the state department, what the department of health was doing. what these different public transit agencies across the state would be. bart is not the first agency to move forward with this. l.a. metro, the county department has continued the mask mandate. bart is definitely taking a leadership role in the bay area and i'm really proud of th

our current president kerman live for us at the lafayette bart station with more on this dam. >> bartone of the first to do this in the bay area. not the first nationally la county also requiring masks on public transit as well as new york city requiring masks on public transit. but bart felt like this is what they needed to do to keep everybody safe. they say they have a lot of other measures in place, but they say they've been hearing from riders and wearing masks and making it a requirement, not a recommendation is what's best for everyone. those riding bart are once again required to wear a mask. >> thursday, the bart board of directors added the mandate to the district's code of conduct. we heard from. >> many dozens of riders, same. they will not feel comfortable riding bart anymore. if masks are required and we felt the need to protect the safety of our writers. it's one of the main parts of our mission. bart board, president rebecca saltzman authored the measure. >> she says for many public transit is not a choice but a necessity. and with cases on the rise and unvaccinated ch

hearing from lots of bart riders who say they are just not comfortable riding bart without everyone wearing a mask. and so today, bart put that mask mandate back in place. >> if you plan to write barred any time soon, you would best bring your mask. it's required again thursday. the bart board of directors added the mask mandate to the district's code of conduct. it's a small thing to ask. might feel like an inconvenience for some, but you're protecting all of the other riders around you and protecting yourself. bart board, president rebecca saltzman off of the measure and says because public transit is not a choice but a necessity for many. >> it's necessary to protect those most at risk. he says have been continuing to and >> though lots of people have good protection from covid through vaccinations and boosters. there are still a lot of people at high there are folks who are immunocompromised or have underlying health conditions. and of course, all the kids under 5 who are still not eligible to get vaccinated thursday afternoon, some but not all bart riders for mask or aware of t

but the bart board could vote to extend it. in contra costa county, i'm jodi hernandez, nbc bay area news. >> all right, jodi, thank you. >>> while rising home prices are nationwide from nom-nom, california is nothing like the other states. here nearly one in five homes sales for over a million dollars. ranked in 2020, the south bay topped the nation with 61% of homes selling more a million bucks or more. san francisco's metro area was next with just under half the sales in seven-figure territory. l.a.'s metro area was third at 27% and san diego with 19%. seattle rounds out the top five with nearly 15% of home sales passing the million mark. >>> trying to help the homeless crisis but turning hotels into housing. up next the amount of money being sent to the south bay to carry out the plans and which of those hotels will be converted. >>> also, a vision that started years ago as a way to help feed the hungry and combat climate change has exceeded all expectations. our bay area proud story is next. >>> i'm chief meteorologist jef

they're feeling he joins us now live from the bart station in lafayette with more. >> vicki bart ridersalked to say they generally feel safe riding public transit even after hearing about the mass shooting inside a brooklyn subway station include increased police presence and more than 4,000 security cameras helping to put people at >> this cell phone camera footage captures the moment. subway riders ran from the smoke-filled train tuesday morning. police say a man opened fire shooting multiple people inside the train at on the brooklyn platform. bart increasing police presence throughout the day in response myself deputy to win 3 road trains out this morning to increase our presence and lead, by example, is put everybody out there, sunny, but we we get uniform and is out there this morning. those efforts by police work to put bart riders like shannon cairns that he's she took a train from san francisco to lafayette to visit family tuesday. but i don't feel unsafe on our transit in the bay area. bart police were in direct contact with federal authorities and say there's no credible thre

today we heard from bart passengers about bart's mandate on wearing mask.mandate was still in effect. well, now masks are optional. we are joined now by the president of the bart board or baucus health men with more on the decision and what the future may hold for covid precautions on the transit system. thank you for being with us this evening. a lot of confusion surrounding this issue all across the country, actually. so right now, masks are optional on bar. but you are thinking of reconsidering that decision. why? >> so wasn't bart's decision to make them ops nor any other transit agency. there was a court ruling earlier this week >> that made the federal law mandated mask on transit and on airplanes. not enforceable anymore. and so that was a surprise to bart and all other transit agencies. and as of today, the state of california lifted its mask mandate on transit. and so absent a policy decision by the bart board are cannot in force a mask mandate. and that's why i'm bringing in order i'm bringing a policy to the bart board next week to vote on to rei

police dispatch or by using the bart watch app. dave young ride public transit every day from his home in oakland. in his opinion, the majority of riders need to pay better attention to what's happening on the train so that if they see something they can say something. alright, po temptation. >> you've got the homeless. >> you've got people talking on a cell. you know, likes a backpack. you know what the carrot. >> it's not just police responding to emergencies at bart stations, bay area, rapid transit also has transit ambassadors and crisis prevention specialist trained to respond during crisis situations in lafayette. i'm rob nesbitt kron. 4 news. >> the valley transportation authority is also increasing patrols. visibility. 2 bomb sniffing dogs will be patrolling the vta system throughout the week. officials are assuring the public that it is safe to ride the light rail system in may of last year, 10 people were killed when a disgruntled vta employee started shooting his colleagues coming up on the kron 4 morning news. san jose

there were four thousand cameras across bart transit system here across the bay area. those cameras monitor platforms, entity rans and inside each train. bart's chief of police said that there is concern when the cameras malfunction like they did in new york city and valuable video was lost. for security purposes, bart would not say how many of its 4,000 surveillance cameras are working. >> the police are pretty -- i think doing an active job. they are -- they are here patrolling the station and making sure that people are -- that it's a safe environment. >> anyone that's taking the train and public transit should have the right to feel safe and secure. >> bart police chief said he will use additional funds for safety measures if they are available. right now it's unclear how that will be used. in pleasant hill. i'm justin andrews. >>> and stay with us for all of the latest on the mass shooting in brooklyn. >> you updates on kpix.com and streaming on cbs news bay area. >>> happening today an east bay man will be sea police sergeant than six years ago. mark was convicte

police dispatch or by using the bart watch app. dave young ride public transit every day from his home in oakland. in his opinion, the majority of riders need to pay better attention to what's happening on the train so that if they see something they can say something. all right, coach and asian. >> you've got the homeless. >> you've got people talking a cell. you know, he likes a backpack. you know what? they >> it's not just police responding to emergencies at bart stations. bay area, rapid transit also has transit ambassadors and crisis prevention specialist trained to respond during crisis situations. live in lafayette, i'm rob nesbitt kron. 4 news. >> and in the south bay, the vta is also increasing patrol visibility to bomb sniffing dogs will be patrolling the system randomly throughout the week. they say officials are ensuring people that it is safe to ride the light rail system. >> sacramento police have identified another suspect in last weekend's mass shooting. police say 27 year-old the tulip payton appears to be among a

. >> masks are optional if you catch bart. that could change thanks to a new proposal being kicked around. we are, too, coming up. >>> giving a quick turn around in detecting coronavirus variants. the bay area lab making it all happen. >> good morning, it is thursday, april 28th . >> i'm amanda. we begin with the big story of the morning. and the wind. according to cal fire, the wind is what helped this brush fire near livermore just south of the pass. this is a time lapse video showing a glow and all that smoke. crews had it under control. 50acres burn thankfly, no one was hurt. >> w to the north bay. another part affected by wind advisory. sticking around for at least another five hours. >>thatgoing anywhere. >> how long will those winds stick around and how strong is it going to get? >> and we're going to see wind. the pass where we had the brush fire. a ever 0-mile an hour gust in the hills. it is not that bad on the road. the hills that are going to feel this along more than the actual commute or communities where we all

bart is bringing back its mask mandate. we will tell you about that because they are the only agency in the bay area that decided to do this. we will check in with amy for more. amy: good morning. we are not hearing any complaints at this bart station. this is the first morning in about 10 days that riders are required to put those masks back on. everyone seems ok with it. the vice president said they were not prepared for the federal judge to strike down the mask mandate so the bart board voted unanimously to put it back in place. bart is the only public transportation agency to put a mask mandate back in place. riders think others should follow their lead. >> i think they should keep the mask mandate here and on airplanes and public transport. i feel a lot safer about it these days and i don't think that the pandemic, that covid is all the way behind us at this point in time. better to be safe than sorry. amy: bart board members say this is temporary and will be in effect until july 18, 11 more weeks. bart says they are d

but on bart, you have to have your mask on. julian: in the south bay, today's the deadline for the valley transportation authority employees to report vaccination status. in january, they announced they would have a mandate for their workers. boosters are not required. earlier this month committee reported about 20% of the total workforce had not received a dose of the vaccine. of those, 59 received a medical or religious exemptions. they will be tested weekly for covid. kumasi: the man and woman suspected of kidnapping a baby in the south bay will be in court today. yesterday, the mother of the baby came face-to-face with them and documents revealed the plan to take the baby. here is our reporter. reporter: a look at the people suspected in the bazaar broad daylight kidnapping of bb brandon -- baby brandon. he was found on tuesday, dehydrated, about 20 miles -- about six miles from home. the two plodded for weeks to snatch the infant. in court, the boy's mother getting her first glimpse at the abductors. she says it is difficu

while bart's change is effective, immediately are first in kerman, spoke with bart today about the agencyg the mandate. >> early wednesday afternoon, parts mask mandate was still in effect in most, but not all passengers were wearing face coverings. >> i have no problem with continuing to wear masks. i prefer to keep my mask so it's my choice. >> the masks are really more of a precaution. the keeping airborne pathogens and giving it to someone else. assistant. feel like if everybody just as this mall, they have their part that we can the what i think >> but many new the masking requirement on public transit could soon be going away as it did on airplanes. and some were pleased to hear it. >> i think it's time to move on and get to the sense of normalcy. if their lines left it. i think it's good enough. for part 2 left. >> shortly after 02:00pm, the state health department changed its guidance stating and its website effective immediately. california's requirement for masking in public transit in transportation hubs is terminated. the california department of public health strongly recomme

bart deployed every uniformed officer with in the system because of the attack. bart's police chief addressed the concerns. >> anyone that's taking the train and public transit should have the right to feel safe and secure. >> thousands of cameras throughout the bart transit system monitor what's happening on platforms, and inside each train. >> it does add the time element. we could always go back and check our stair wells where people walk into the stations. >> the concern is when they malfunction like some did in new york city and important surveillance is lost. >> there has to be a maintenance program that allows them to make sure what they have in place is operating properly. >> jeff harp is a former fbi agent and security a sift. >> probably 80% of them are working 20% of them are not. >> bart's cameras are monitored in its operation control center around the clock. with cell phones captures video and images daily that surveillance network expands, sometimes providing key evidence for law enforcement. >> bart is safe. it's a team effort. we ask for their he

reggie: bart and bta ramping up patrols. san francisco police also have added officers in heavily populated areas. kumasi: the biden administration expected to announce $750 billion in additional aid for ukraine. this after president biden used the word genocide to describe russia's actions. reggie: oakland coliseum officials pushing the city to end its vaccine mandate. they are worried the mandate will prevent them from scheduling events. drew: less wind this afternoon, partly sunny skies. rain returns tonight. kumasi: less wind in the forecast, but we do have wind advisories from chp for the san mateo bridge. also for the dumbarton and antioch bridges. kumasi: starting next friday, lululemon will buy back your old workout clothes. you could get up to $25 depending on the condition. reggie: so many have worked from home or earned extra money through a side gig. both could have an impact on your taxes. >> working from home has become the new normal for many, but before you try to write off a portion of utilities, you might n

police chief is working to reassure riders. >> bart is safe.team effort. we ask for authority help. we can't do it by ourselves. >> justin andrew is in pleasant hill this morning talking to riders on bart. >> after that mass shooting in new york bart has increased security, in fact every single you formed officer was deployed. this happened on yesterday but as thousands of riders continue with their morning commute this morning, security is top of mind. >> anyone taking the train and public transit should have the right to feel safe. >> to help riders feel safe bart said that it has thousands of cameras throughout the transit system monitoring what's happening on platforms and inside each train. bart chief of police said there is concern that when the camera technology fails, like some did in new york city and valuable video is lost, failing to capture crime. jeff is a former fbi agent and security a sift. he gives his take. >> there has to be a sort of preventive maintenance in place that allows them to make sure what they have in place is ope

rebecca saltzman, bart board, president introduced the idea of bringing back mask on bart trains. she wants to add a mask mandate to bart's code of conduct. the rule would apply to people who would not apply. excuse me to people who cannot wear a face covering because of a disability or medical condition and for children ages 2 years or younger. now, if passed, the mask mandate would be in effect until july 18th saltsman sent a letter to 5 bay area counties where bart runs urging them to make a mask required a requirement on public transit. and she says that mask both protect people when riding buses or trains, especially those who are high risk. >> because there are many riders who need to be protected from covid. so folks who have underlying health conditions who are immunocompromised kids under 5 were still not eligible to get vaccinated, which is i know amazing to some people because vaccines have been around so long. but small children are still not eligible. those people really need to be protected in the best protection is that everybody is wearing. >> mask. >> now, accordi

andrés brender habló con la policía del bart el bart ffuncionó en forma normal hoy pero con más dotacións el hecho ocurrido nueva york. >>estamos bien no hay amenazas. >>pero autoridades no tomaron ningún riesgo hoy. >>pusimos más personas en el sistema que trabajen con la policía y lo estamos haciendo para poder ayudar en ocho pasajeros a sentirse más seguros cuando utilicen el sistema bart >>los pasajeros utilizaron el servicio con normalidad ppero asustados y nerviosos ante lo ocurrido la gran manzana. >>siempre estamos rezando por los trabajadores en new york y siempre estamos listos >>el llamado de las autoridades es a estar pendientes. si ve algo sospechosa denúncielo. >>si algo así ocurre acá >>tenemos la orden de responder con los oficiales que entrenamos. tenemos un video que hicimos para todos los empleados del bart ppara que ellos también sepan qué hacer en caso de un tiroteo. correr, esconderse y si puedes atacar a quien está haciendo tiroteo bart necesita más oficiales y están contratando 25 uniformados para que formen parte de esta fuerza. si usted está interesado en aplica

hopefully bart. as you may have heard, we are developing thousands of units of new housing in stonestown. and the developers are thinking of putting the parking underground to make that entire area just different than it is now. and it will need public transportation. san francisco state also has a master plan that involves significant expansion of their facilities and a lot more student housing, so having connectivity regionally and for the rest of the transportation network will really support the changes that are happening in the west side and i'm so grateful that we have the vision and the foresight to start it. it may not happen within my lifetime, but certainly within my kids' who i hope will stay in san francisco. so i am really grateful that we're doing this and thinking about the future of our city in a way that is sustainable and that has public transportation connected to everything else that we're doing. one of the things i have asked of the developers is to consider designing the undergr

rebecca saltzman, bart's board president introduced this idea of bringing back mask on bart trains. she wants to add a mask mandate to bart code of conduct the rule, however, would not apply to people who cannot wear a face covering because of a disability or medical condition or for children ages 2 years or younger. now, if passed, the mask mandate would be in effect until july 18th saltzman sent a letter to 5 bay area counties where bart runs urging them to make a mask a requirement on public transit. now she says mask will protect people when riding buses or trains, especially those who are high risk. >> because there are many riders who need to be protected from covid. so folks who have underlying health conditions who are immunocompromised kids under 5 were still not eligible to get vaccinated, which is i know amazing to some people because vaccines have been around so long. but small children are still not eligible. those people really need to be protected in the best protection is that everybody wearing. >> mask. >> now, according to bart's, customer code of conduct riders wo

some of those riders are just confused. >> i ride bart afternoon as well. before this, you did see a lot of people without masks on still. so it is going to be interesting to see if they do clip us back in. how it is going to play out. >> and then the enforcement. if you said you are noticing they are not really wearing it. if they do implement this again, will they be enforcing it? >> lots to see. >> thank you, justin. >>> to the coronavirus, some counties have some of the highest case rates in the state. >> and live in the newsroom this morning. and health experts say it is too early to call this a search. >> let's use this time to be ready. many public health labs have right now is the ability to do genetic sequencing for variants. we have an inside look at how critical this is. >> cases are raising once again in the bay area. >> what we don't know is this a foothill to a big mountain in front of it? that is the real surge? >> dr. john swartzberg with uc berkeley public health says we can use this time to prepare. >> we are putting together our resources

and that's according to the bart police chief. he actually sent out information this morning saying that he reached out to federal authorities, transit systems. they monitor each other. so he is fully aware of what's happening in new york. he says right now there is no credible threat to california. now, it doesn't mean there could not be copycats. but in the meantime, it looks like it's safe. you can see people looking at the bart platform. they're getting their tickets and then getting up the escalator. going to the trains, not a problem. i did see officers come and go from this location and it was actually safe. just a few moments ago, even safer. i should say the reason being they had to come here to pick up the money from the tickets. so they had extra security at this location for that in the meantime, bart police chief, they did say that they will be relying on you. the bart rider to let them know anything of suspicious activity and they will pounce on that. plus, look at that camera right there. they have about 4,000 camer

bart plans to stop service.and south hayward stations while it does track maintenance on several weekends. this includes the memorial day and labor day holiday weekends. there will be free bus service between those stations when the tracks are shut down. it will add about 20 to 25 minutes to trips on the closed sections of the green and orange lines. the first work will take place this coming saturday and sunday and will continue through midmber. bart says this past saturday's ridership reached 54% of pre pandemic levels, and on sunday ridership was 62. of what it was before the pandemic parts board president says that she is pushing for bar to increase the frequency of trains on weekends . other bay area transit agencies are also seen an increase in ridership. the san francisco bay ferry says it had 12,000 people on board last weekend that includes 1000, who took the free short hop to oracle, part for the giants games. very officials. overall ridership says, they say is about 70% of what was normal before the p

bart's board president says she's pushing for bart to increase the frequency of trains on weekends ofan francisco bay ferry said it had 12,000 people on board last weekend. this includes 1000. it took the free short hopped oracle park for the giants games. very officials overall say that ridership about 70% of where it was before the pandemic. the a. c l u of northern california is calling on the state department of justice to investigate a plan by the oakland unified school district to close some schools. the blue is calling the plan racially discriminatory and says it disproportionately impacts black families despite strong community opposition school board voted to close seven schools emerged to others by next year. the complaint says. oakland unified failed to analyze the racial equity of closing the selected schools. the school district has not yet commented. on the complaint. a new state report shows public schools i've seen declining enrollment for the fifth year in a row, according to the california department of education. total public school enrollment dropped by more than 1

we just heard from bart police. this is what they had to tell us so far. police they say they're in direct contact with federal authorities. and at this time there is no credible threat to california. nonetheless, bart police will continue to cut conduct high visibility patrols, 3 trains and stations. they will use our system for more than 4,000 cameras to monitor the system. >> riders, they are being encouraged james to keep their eyes peeled. make sure to report any suspicious activity. i can tell you we did see a bart police officer drive-thru this location. they don't really have to do anything. i've done this story before. they don't even have to get out. but the fact that they're they're they're patrolling that shows any potential copycats. any potential copycats that they are ready to pounce in case anything should happen. you can see people coming and going their buses pulling up. but at this time, the good news is according to bart police chief. >> he says there is no credible threat to california. it doesn't mean however, that there >> might not

. >>> the bart board says it will be pushing ahead with a $2.5 million plan aimed at improving rider convenience and safety. the decision is raising privacy concerns. >> reporter: slowly winding through the parking garage, it's easy to miss them. license plate reader cameras hanging from the ceiling. >> we were able to use it for parking management and safety. >> reporter: cameras were part of aprram with the goal in a few years to allow riders to pay for parking through an app on the phone instead of a kiosk in the station. plus added safety benefits. >> this gives us a better sense of what vehicles are at our stations, parking in our garages. >> reporter: the decision to expand the program did not come without controversy. there have been a number of cases where data from license plate readers has been shared with outside law enforcement agencies like immigration and customs enforcement or ice. >> i don't suspect bart of wrongdoing at the moment. is the possibility for abuse there? always. >> reporter: the chair of oakland's privacy commission worked close with bart to shape polici

the option to not wear a mask on bart trains. but thomas is deciding to keep hers just because i've got this virus before the sorry the decision comes because there's now no federal state or local orders requiring masks on public transportation. the state's department of health also terminated their statewide order on mask. but bart officials are considering a proposal that would require masks on its trains. i think at this point whether it's a mandate or not, some people are still not going to wear a mask. >> but i mean, it doesn't bother me. i mean, we've been doing it for 2 years now. both kind of light. >> second age, the board, president rebecca saltzman says covid cases are going up and that will keep riders safe, especially the ones who are at high risk. we're under the age of 5 salzman, says her proposal would not make mask a permanent thing in general. i think >> it's probably a good thing just because you're stuck in the middle to for 30, 40 minutes. biters like bobby medic will keep his mask in his back pocket just in

at the lafayette bart station. dan kerman kron. 4 news. >>and opens fire department and public works. teams are teaming up to get rid of over 200 dead trees along the skyline boulevard area. officials want to replace them with 150 oak trees to serve as shaded fuel breaks. the department says the back-to-back years of drought caused the decline of the trees and raise the potential for fire risk. california attorney general rob bonta is blaming exxonmobil for what he's calling the plastic pollution crisis. he's subpoenaed the oil giant as part of his investigation into the fossil fuel and petrochemical industries. bonta says this probe will determine whether petroleum companies violated the law by telling consumers for decades that the majority of plastics are recyclable. >>the fossil fuel and petrochemical industries have engaged in a half century campaign. of deception. that has harmed our environment. our people and our natural resources. >>bonta says in reality, 91% of plastic waste ends up in landfills burned or just in the environment

reporter: mandatory -- masking back on bart trains. ama: the forecast is coming up. >> building a better bay area, moving forward and finding solutions. this is abc7news. >> baby brandon's suspected kidnappers in a south bay courtroom today. good evening and thank you for joining us. ama: court documents reveal the alleged weeks long planned to take the baby. our reporter has a continuing coverage on the case. reporter: a look at the two people suspected in the broad daylight kidnapping of baby rand and cuellar. they be brandon was found alive on tuesday a bit dehydrated roughly 20 hours later and six miles from home. as days court appearance comes after investigators say the two plodded for weeks to snatch the three month old san jose infant room his grandmothers care. the boy mother getting her first glimpse of the alleged abductors since her son was taken. carolina says it is difficult to see the people that took her baby but she has faith that god and the law will do their job. the two face three charges. conspiracy to kidnap -- an

. >> and mask mandates are back on bart bart's. board of directors has decided to keep requiring face coverings at least through mid july kron four's dan kerman has that story. >> if you plan to ride bart anytime soon, you would best bring your mask. it's required again thursday. the bart board of directors added the mask mandate to the district's code of conduct. it's a small thing to ask. might feel like an inconvenience for some, but you're protecting all of the other riders around you and protecting yourself. bart board, president rebecca saltzman off of the measure and says because public transit is not a choice but a necessity for many. >> it's necessary to protect those most at risk. he says have been continuing to and >> though lots of people have good protection from covid through vaccinations and boosters. there are still a lot of people at high there are folks who are immunocompromised or have underlying health conditions. and of course, all the kids under 5 who are still not eligible to get vaccinated thursday afternoon

reporter: mandatory -- masking back on bart trains. ama: the forecast is coming up. >> building a better bay area, moving forward and finding solutions. this is abc7news. >> baby brandon's suspected kidnappers in a south bay courtroom today. good evening and thank you for joining us. ama: court documents reveal the alleged weeks long planned to take the baby. our reporter has a continuing coverage on the case. reporter: a look at the two people suspected in the broad daylight kidnapping of baby rand and cuellar. they be brandon was found alive on tuesday a bit dehydrated roughly 20 hours later and six miles from home. as days court appearance comes after investigators say the two plodded for weeks to snatch the three month old san jose infant room his grandmothers care. the boy mother getting her first glimpse of the alleged abductors since her son was taken. carolina says it is difficult to see the people that took her baby but she has faith that god and the law will do their job. the two face three charges. conspiracy to kidnap -- an

you will have to mask up once again when you ride bart. the decision to bring back the rule.>> reporter: the vote was overwhelming. all board members voting yes except for two that up stains. it will be a change in conduct. >> it is a small thing to ask riders. to wear the masks. by doing that, they will be protecting all the riders. >> reporter: the federal mandate was lifted april 15th. masks have been optional since then. with the new mandate, everyone caught not wearing a mask in any paid area of bart will be given one. agents and train operators will not be responsible for enforcement. there are exemptions for those with medical conditions. at today's meeting, public comment was overwhelmingly in favor pick >> i am all favor. we are trying to get back to normal. but, there was a time when normal we realize wasn't good for us. we are technically in the pandemic. if you can take a precaution.>> reporter: worst-case. violators could be kicked off the bart system or be fined. the police say they only found seven since the beginning of the

. >> happening today, we have bart. potentially bring in the mask mandate behalf and maybe you just got used to not wearing a mask. so let's go to come towards camilla bernal. she's been following the story about what they might do, what people think of it, camilla. >> well, speaking of the riders darya james, about 150 people chimed in on my own twitter poll, ashby, warren again on public transportation, 67% say they would like to see people wear masks on bart trains. now the board of directors have been hearing from people about continue mask mandate. they're going to consider those comments in the next hour when they meet to discuss whether to bring mask back on bart trains and know possibly vote on this proposal. then the idea comes from a becca saltzman, bart board president. she wants to add a mask mandate to bart's code of conduct. the rule would not only a plot would not apply to people who cannot wear a face covering because of a disability or medical condition and children ages 2 years or younger. but if it do

bart trains, but it this may be going back and forth. however, bart officials are trying to reinstate that mask mandate. but in the face coverings are going to be optional. when you are on the court right now, bart dropped their mask mandate. >> because there's no federal state or local orders requiring face coverings on public transportation. that state's department of health also ended their statewide order on mask and bart had been falling tsa's guidance. but now that agency also will be enforcing them either. now, like i said, a lot of riders this morning have decided to wear them. others have decided not to. we did speak to one rider. her name is brittany thomas. >> and we actually were the first ones to notify her that you didn't have to wear a mask on the train. however, he's deciding to keep her on. >> yeah, that was weird because i was wonder whether people on the part with no mask but i didn't say anything because i don't want to be that person. but i mean, i get it. but i'm still wearing just because i've got this virus before

masks have been optional on bart since. with this new mandate everyone caught not wearing a mask in any paid area of bart will be given one for free. station agents and train operators will not be responsible for enforcement and there are exemptions for people who have medical conditions. public comment was overwhelmingly in favor of the plan. >> i am for it. i know we are trying to go back to normal but there is a time we realized normal wasn't good for us. since we are technically still in the pandemic i think it is best to take every precaution that we can. >> the worst case scenario, violators can be kicked off the system or potentially fined up to $250 but the fines are very rare. bart police said they only fined seven people since the beginning of the pandemic. >> thank you. >>> we'll have more coverage on the decision on kpix and cbs news bay area. >>> this is news parents have been waiting to hear, children may soon be able to get protection from covid-19. moderna announced it is seeking emergency use authorization

>>> right now at 5:00, bart pledged to do it. the plan moves forward. why it is pivotal for bringing back a mask requirement. >>> a devastating airstrike on ukraine and a surprising announcement from ukraine's president about a high profile visit from u.s. officials. >> i hope they pick up trash and they don't pollute the ocean. >> it is back and popular as ever, the return of san francisco's earth day festival. how organizers use the event to make a difference. ♪♪ >>> the news at 5:00 starts right now. thanks for joining us, i am terry mcsweeney. audrey has the night off. big crowd turning out for san francisco's earth day festival. welcome back for the festival since the first time, since the pandemic. >> reporter: the festival is back, all the food you see up and down the streets are vegan. this tradition is more than a decade's old. >> it is important here in san francisco. we know all the politicians all speak the rhetoric of climate change but what are we actually doing about it? >> reporter: for 2022, the festival is focusing on how what we eat c

bart riders are urged to use the bart watch at that's where you can send messages to bart about any dangerouslanchard live near the station in brooklyn this morning, lauren. what is the scene like today? is there still a big police presence out there? well good morning, pam. yeah there is. there are cops all have been down here we are just about a half a block or so away from this 36th street station. that, of course, is where just a day ago that mass shooting happened on one of those packed subway trains outside the station. just quite a bit number of news outlets, but as well as police as they are here. ah they continue to say this is a very active investigation because this suspected gunman remains at large. and pam just a few moments ago. we have learned that the person of interest in this case has now been upgraded to a suspect. they have not been able to find him and they are continuing to interview people and try and find exactly where this person could be because they do consider him dangerous. how much do we know about that person? i know where they're talking about the keys found to

on bart trains. now barton dropped its mask mandate because now there's no federal state or local orders requiring masks on public transportation. the state's department of health also under the statewide order on mask had been falling, tsa's guidance. but now that agency also won't be enforcing them either either. now, a few riders this morning have been wearing masks. others have chosen not to. here's what a few of them had to say about the new rules. >> think it will depend how crowded gets was to translate 40% capacity. so if it's more spread out and maybe on where it depends on how kind of the trains are because all that. >> we never know, you know, because we love the book here like how we did it, then we repair never know something else might happen. we've got be safe. >> now, despite the new ruling, barr is considering a proposal that would require masks on its trains. the board president rebecca saltzman is introducing the proposal. she says that covid cases are going up again. and they say

the upcoming teachers strike and bart's big decision about masks. that's just ahead. >>> but we start with that kidnapping in san jose. it's getting more bizarre by the hour. turns out it's a husband and wife among the three people who were arrested. here's what happened today. the husband was actually released from jail. the wife and the other man were in court, accused of kidnapping 3-month-old brandon cuellar. all three appear to have ties to a small church run out of a home in san jose. here are the two kidnapping suspects, yesenia ramirez and jose portillo. court documents reveal that the two may have been planning this kidnapping for weeks. baby brandon was taken from his grandmother's home monday afternoon while she was unloading groceries. police found brandon about 20 hours later on tuesday. he was then reunited, as you can see here with his mother shortly after. at the courthouse today, brandon's mom spoke briefly about how relieved she is to have her son back home. >> translator: my family is now full of insecurities. believe me. i learne

illegally bart's inspector general released details of the investigation today. it shows the bart manager who awarded the contract was also a former employee of the firm and has relatives who currently work for the firm that potential conflict was never reported and is illegal under state law. it could force bart to void the remaining contract worth more than 27 million dollars a celebration on the peninsula today for a transportation. project more than five years in the making dignitaries and residents gathered for ribbon-cutting ceremony this morning for the completion of the remodeled caltrain station in south san francisco officials. say that 97 million dollar project not only improves the station but really transforms the city. this remodeled station is a game changer for south city. it greatly improves our walkability and connectivity to our downtown by allowing for easier pedestrian access to our downtown businesses. the station features a new pedestrian and bicycle underpass and a center platform for passengers can board trains in either direction. all ri

with bart passengers today about the agency dropping the mandate. >> bart's mask mandate was still in effect early wednesday afternoon and most but not all passengers were wearing face coverings. i agree >> keeping mask up and close spaces like that in places where we're stuck together. airports, airplanes think that people should still i just something about making sure that everybody else does their part to make me feel but many were well aware that just as the mask mandate went away on airplanes that could soon go away on public transit. i wish they would let the people allow the whether they feel comfortable wearing the mask or not. and while some were ready for the change, others were not. it is a concern. >> to not have people wear shortly after 02:00pm. the state of california changed its guidance stating in its website. >> effective immediately. california's requirement for masking and public transit and in transportation hubs is terminated. the california department of public health strongly recommends that individuals in these settings continue to wear a mask. hours later, p

police dispatch or by using the bart watch app. dave young ride public transit every day from his home in oakland. in his opinion, the majority of riders need to pay better attention to what's happening on the train so that if they see something they can say something. alright, po temptation. >> you've got the homeless. >> you've got people talking on a cell. you know, likes a backpack. you know what the carrot. >> it's not just police responding to emergencies at bart stations, bay area, rapid transit also has transit ambassadors and crisis prevention specialist trained to respond during crisis situations in lafayette. i'm rob nesbitt kron. 4 news and in the south by the valley transportation authority. vta is also increasing patrol visibility. 2 bomb sniffing dogs are going to be patrolling the vta system randomly. >> throughout the week, officials are assuring the public that it is safe to ride the light rail system. former ufc champion cain velasquez is speaking publicly for the first time since he was arrested for attempted mu

bart and pta ramping up controls.ficers in high traffic in heavily populated downtown areas. kumasi: the biden administration is expected to set -- to announce 750 million dollars in additional military aid for ukraine as soon as today. this comes after president biden used the word genocide for the first time to describe russia's actions in ukraine. reggie: oakland coliseum officials are pushing the city to end its vaccine mandate for indoor vents and large gatherings. they are worried the mande will prevent them from scheduling events. drew: i'm tracking partly sunny skies out there. less wind today so good news there. we will track temperatures in the 50's and 60's. rain returns to the forecast tonight in the north bay. jobina: bringing your live picture from the san mateo bridge, if you're traveling westbound, heads up as we do have a stall in the area slowing you down but it will moved out -- will be moved out shortly. kumasi: this historic for moment -- historic moment for baseball. the first woman to coach on f

bart still talking over what to do. here are some thoughts from passengers about masks.ying they are going to keep them on anyway. >> i think i will, just because it makes other people feel comfortable. it's not for me. i would say for other people i will do it. >> i'm glad they're finally letting everybody do it. >> other local agencies have weighed in as well. all telling us that they will continue to require masks for now. >> developing news on the war in ukraine. there are new signs that russia might be launching its biggest assault yet. andrew dymburt has the details. >> russia's long anticipated offensive in eastern ukraine appears to be underway. russia has recently added 11,000 troops to its forces already in ukraine. ukrainian president zelinski saying a large part of the entire russian army is now focused on this offensive. in the strategic port city, claims russia is now dropping bunker buster bombs. abc news overnight could not independently verify the battalion's claim. ukrainian authorities say civilians are also sheltering at the plant and a network of und

at the lafayette bart station. dan kerman kron. 4 news. >> well, it's 6, 0, 8. we have the 2 people formally charged in the kidnapping, a baby brandon now in san jose. they're going to be back in court today for a bail hearing. you have the to do here. we've got jose and we've got this and you're emir as they're both accused of taking that 3 month-old boy on monday. now they made their first appearance in court yesterday and in court, santa clara county district attorney jeff rosen shed some light on how this kidnapping came to be. he says that ramirez took brandon's grandmother shopping at walmart and when they came back to the apartment, then took the baby one of the things that, of course, we noticed. >> is that the individual came with a baby carrier to the apartment. then took the child and then walked out of the apartment. so to us that indicated. >> rosen says the 2 suspects knew the grandmother from church. the da believes the kidnapping was premeditated. and when police searched for 2 home, that's where they found baby formula diapers and baby rocker. t

just spoke with bart's board president. she tells me covid cases are going up across the bay area. >> and they think mask add another layer of protection for riders. so now she and the board of directors are going to vote. whether masks should be worn again on bart trains. now you're taking a live look at bart's board meeting that just got underway. rebecca saltzman, the board's president will be talking soon. she is the one presenting this proposal and says the mask mandate would be temporary. now this proposal gets approved. masks would be required on bart trains until july 18th. the rule would not apply to people who cannot wear a face covering because of a disability or medical condition. and for children, ages 2 or younger. now i caught up with saltzman right before she headed into this meeting. here's what she had to say about why she wants to see people wearing mask again on bart trains. >> we're going to remember that the only reason that the mask mandate was lifted was because of a court ruling. know health officia

now, rebecca saltzman, bart's board president introduced this idea of bringing back mask on bart trains. she wants to add a mask mandate to bart code of conduct. now the rule would not apply to people who cannot wear a face covering because of a disability or medical condition and children who are under the age of 2. now, if passed, the mask mandate would be in effect until july 18th saltsman sent a letter to 5 bay area counties where bart funds urging them to make mask a requirement on public transit. she says mask will protect people when riding buses or trains and especially those who are at high risk. >> because there are many riders who need to be protected from covid. so folks who have underlying health conditions who are immunocompromised kids under 5 were still not eligible to get vaccinated, which is i know amazing to some people because vaccines have been around so long. but small children are still not eligible. those people really need to be protected in the best protection is that everybody wearing. >> mask. >> now, according to bart's, customer code of conduct riders would

police dispatch or by using the bart watch app. dave young ride public transit every day from his home in oakland. in his opinion, the majority of riders need to pay better attention to what's happening on the train so that if they see something they can say something. alright, po temptation. >> you've got the homeless. >> you've got people talking on a cell. you know, likes a backpack. you know what? they care. >> it's not just police responding to emergencies at bart stations, bay area, rapid transit also has transit ambassadors and crisis prevention specialist trained to respond during crisis situations in lafayette. i'm rob nesbitt kron. 4 news. >> and in the south bay, the valley transportation authority vta is also increasing patrols visibility to bomb sniffing dogs will be patrolling the vta system randomly throughout the week. officials are assuring the public that it is safe to ride the light rail system. >> the bay area's biggest transit agencies are about to get a financial boost from the feds aimed at helping them to re

the days of going maskless on bart could be numbered. earlier this week, bart leaders hen hinted they would explore reinstating a mask mandate. today, they announced the board is expect set to take that issue on thursday, for getting the masks back through bart's code of conduct. right now, they are not required after a judge struck down federal rules requiring masks on public transportation. >>> live look along i-80 in truckee. plenty of snow along