A symphony of noise echoes through BART each day: rails screeching in the Transbay Tube; people yelling from platforms; the buzzer that goes off when a cheater “piggybacks” through a fare gate.
Add to all that a new sound more redolent of a chiming door bell. Starting this week, BART passengers will hear two ascending notes — a perfect fifth, for those who took piano lessons — if they pause an extra beat while tapping their payment device to enter.
Riders who hold down their devices while exiting will hear two descending tones in a D major chord. Meant to be warm and inviting, the chimes also have a pragmatic purpose. They warn riders with visual impairments when the gates are swinging open…