in 1979, vern hawkins brought us this report. >> reporter: public transportation for contra costa county and possibly the world aimed for a future at a testing side here in concord. the first of three 80,000-pound test cars built in sacramento and loaded with technical equipment loaded passengers for the test track. >> if it never gets any better than it's running right now it's better than transit systems operating today. >> reporter: they will eventually reach into all nine counties surrounding san francisco bay involving 100 kpwhraoupbties -- communities. >>> building b.a.r.t. was one of the largest under takings in history. the developments included not only tunneling under san francisco and oakland but tunnels through the berkeley hills. perhaps most challenging of all, laying a tube at the bottom of san francisco bay. john fowler brought us this report. >>> we tend to forget b.a.r.t. was not the first. the key system ran all along the east bay even to san francisco. it was killed off in the postworld war ii automobile boom by tire and auto makers. the b.a.r.t. idea sprung up even w