Friday's BART shutdown​ brought much of the Bay Area to a standstill, offering a sobering preview of what could become a daily reality if public transit agencies are forced to make drastic service cuts due to looming budget shortfalls.

The full system-wide closure to all 50 stations ended about 9:20 a.m., according to BART. The agency said major delays in service to all of its destinations would follow. They announced the closure of the system about 4:25 a.m.

Bay Area Rapid Transit, the main commuter rail system for the region, was forced to close for most of the Friday morning commute.