BART Riders Are Set for Free or Discounted Transfers Between Bay Area Transit Systems

BART riders transferring to and from nearly two dozen other Bay Area transit systems will get free or discounted fares next spring under a new pilot program.

Riders who pay with a Clipper Card will receive $2.50 off each transfer between BART and 21 other transit agencies during a two-hour window. If the fare is lower than that, it will be free.

BART directors approved a motion to join the pilot program during their Thursday morning board meeting

“This is an important opportunity to improve the rider experience and a great example of coordination across 22 agencies to increase ridership and to deliver real benefits to riders at a low cost,” Pamela Herhold, assistant general manager of performance and budget at BART, said during the meeting.

The program is one of four key strategies introduced by a task force created by BART and the regional Metropolitan Transportation Commission with the goal of improving transit fare integration in the Bay Area. The others include a Clipper BayPass pilot program to offer free rides for some students and residents of affordable housing communities, an all-agency transit pass and a vision for a shared zone or distance-based fare for regional transit.

“The idea behind the pilot is that a customer should not have to pay extra just for switching agencies,” said Lisa Raffetto, principal financial analyst at BART. “We want customers to be able to make use of the whole network as one transit system.”

According to BART spokesperson Alicia Trost, the program is set to begin next spring after the new generation of Clipper Cards are released. It will last 18 to 24 months and is estimated to cost the agency $3 million to $4 million.

As part of the program, BART will contribute $0.50 per transfer discount. The MTC and other participating transit agencies will cover the remainder of the cost. MTC will grant BART $22 million in Transit Transformation Action Plan implementation funds, according to a presentation from the board meeting.

For Bay Area transit users, the new program is projected to both increase ridership and improve rider experience. The program is estimated to save some regular transfer riders over $1,000 a year and will especially benefit those with lower incomes.

“I really think people are going to acknowledge less and less when they’re moving between agencies as there’s no longer a fare penalty,” BART director Rebecca Saltzman said during the meeting. “The impact on riders who are struggling right now and [for whom] this is such a big portion of their income to spend on transit, this is going to have a huge impact.”

According to the board meeting presentation, transit costs are the third-largest expense for lower-income households in California.

Saltzman said the pilot program will make using the system more feasible and affordable for the people who rely on it.

“It reflects the larger idea that BART is the people’s system,” said frequent BART rider Aleta Dupree during public comment.

In addition to BART, the other participating transit agencies are:

• Alameda-Contra Costa Transit District (AC Transit)
• Golden Gate Bridge Highway and Transportation District
• The City and County of San Francisco, acting by and through its Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA or Muni)
• The San Mateo County Transit District (SamTrans)
• The Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA)
• The Peninsula Corridor Joint Powers Board (Caltrain)
• Central Contra Costa Transit Authority
• The City of Fairfield, as the operator of FAST
• The City of Petaluma
• Eastern Contra Costa Transit Authority
• Livermore/Amador Valley Transit Authority
• Marin County Transit District
• Napa Valley Transportation Authority
• Solano County Transit
• Sonoma County Transit
• Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit (SMART)
• Vacaville City Coach
• Western Contra Costa Transit Authority
• San Francisco Bay Area Water Emergency Transportation Authority
• The City of Santa Rosa
• The City of Union City