BART is appealing to riders to weigh-in via a survey on fare increases in 2024 and 2025 that it says will help it continue to provide “safe and reliable service.” The agency is also considering offering low-income Clipper START customers an increased discount of 50 percent—which is up from 20 percent, on Jan. 1, 2024. Customers can find the online survey here. BART began implementing its Board-Approved Inflation-Based Fare Increase Program in 2004, which institutes below-inflation, small fair adjustments intermittently over time. Amid “recent rapid inflation,” BART said the program’s formula “calls for a single 11.4 percent increase on Jan. 1, 2024.” The agency is looking to sidestep that larger, at-once increase by spreading it out over two smaller increases “of up to 5.5 percent each in 2024 and 2025.” The agency last increased fares by 3.4 percent on July 1, 2022. According to BART, it is also examining the possibility of offering larger discounts for Clipper START program riders, which is for adults with a household income that’s 200 percent of the federal poverty level or less. Again, the discount would increase from 20 percent per trip to 50 percent per trip. “Money from the fare increases will go towards our operating and capital budgets, funding train service, enhanced cleaning, additional police and unarmed safety staff presence and capital projects such as purchasing new train cars,” said BART. Again, find the survey about BART’s scheduled fare increases through March 26 here. Those responding can enter to win a $50 Clipper card.

Paper tickets a thing of the past at BART

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Paper tickets are a thing of the past at BART, which has transitioned all stations to offer only Clipper sales.

The transition from paper tickets began in August and September last year at two stations in downtown San Francisco, one in Berkeley and another in Oakland.

“The conversion was accelerated during the pandemic with one or more stations transitioned each week throughout 2020,” according to BART, with all five San Mateo County stations completing the transition to paperless in the second half of November.

Systemwide conversion was fully completed the week of Dec. 7.

“This effort is part of BART’s 15-Step Plan to welcome riders back to a more contactless experience in the era of COVID-19,” according to the transit agency.

While paper tickets will no longer be available for purchase at stations, riders are still able to use them to enter or exit through fare gates.  Riders are also able to add enough fare to a paper ticket to exit the station using add fare machines located inside the paid area.

Want to refund your paper ticket? That’s possible for tickets with a remaining value greater than $1. Simply bring it to a station agent for processing, or mail a refund request to Refunds, BART Treasury Department, P.O. Box 12688, Oakland, CA 94604-2688. For more information, call BART Treasury at (510) 464-6841.

See answers to some of the frequently asked questions (FAQ) and the transition to Clipper-only sales here.