No BART strike Wednesday as talks continue

SAN FRANCISCO--Bay Area commuters received assurance late Tuesday night that BART trains would run Wednesday as unions and managers continued to try to reach a labor agreement.

Federal mediator George Cohen said the unions had authorized him to say that Bay Area Rapid Transit trains would run as normal Wednesday. Union leaders had tweeted out the news minutes earlier.

“There will be train service operating all day tomorrow,” Cohen told reporters.

Both sides returned to the negotiating table at 1 p.m. Tuesday after ending a previous marathon session at 5:30 a.m. Cohen did not say how long talks were to continue, though he did say progress was being made.

Bay Area commuters have been on edge during the last several days as strike deadlines have come and gone. BART carries 200,000 round-trip riders daily during the work week.

Workers struck for 4 1/2 days in early July, turning freeways into parking lots and forcing commuters to stand in long lines for packed buses and ferries or stay home. Economists estimated the walkout cost the region $73 million a day.

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