BART Makes Fashion From Trash

Any public employee will tell you with near absolute certainty that any change to their agency’s services will upset someone. Public agencies are always caught in a “damned if you do, damned if you don’t” situation. When it's time for an agency to make a change, the question isn’t which choice will make everyone happy—because that’s impossible. Instead, it's about making the decision that makes the most sense, pleases the greatest number of people, and avoids legal fallout. As a photographer who frequently collaborates with public agencies, I've captured many marketing and ad campaigns aimed at easing these transitions. Over the years, I've seen the good, the bad, and the "Ya really missed that opportunity."

On November 30th, 2023, BART phased out its last paper ticket and moved exclusively to Clipper Cards. This shift presented BART with a unique opportunity: they still had thousands of unused paper tickets, quietly stored away, unknown to the public. With no vocal public debate to derail them, BART seized the moment and donated the tickets to local art schools, commissioning them to create dresses. The result? A fashion show that celebrated the end of an era in a bold and creative way, "Project Doneway".

I can’t speak to any public response over the switch from paper tickets to Clipper Cards, but I can confidently say that BART’s choice to repurpose those tickets was a home run. The paper ticket fashion show was a visual spectacle—a striking example of how a public agency can handle change with flair. Other agencies will have a hard time making their transitions look this colorful, engaging, and, frankly, as cool as BART did.