Here’s a rather charming illustrated map showing the Bay Area’s BART commuter rail system as it looked in early 1989, plus a glimpse into the future as it was envisioned at the time. I particularly like the little details in this map – drawn by Art Richardson of BART’s “Documentation Division” back in 1983, it would seem – all the bridges are drawn accurately, and the skylines of San Francisco and Oakland are also well rendered. Look at the cute little Ferry Building and Transamerica Pyramid!

Some of it is quite familiar – the line to SFO (though San Bruno was named “Tanforan”) and the Warm Springs/Milpitas extension, for example – but some of it is far less so. A line from Walnut Creek directly down to West Dublin/Pleasanton? An extension past Richmond all the way to Crockett? Or continuing from Concord past Pittsburg out to East Antioch? BART were definitely dreaming big back in the late 1980s.

Our rating: Looks gorgeous, and a fascinating historical document to boot. Four stars!

Source: David Rumsey Map Collection