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.

BART set to increase Sunday service

in Community

BART is set to begin schedule changes next month that will bolster Sunday service, including the extension of service until midnight for the first time since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the operation of 5-line service on Sundays for the first time in the transit agency’s history.

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Highlights to service changes beginning Feb. 14 include:
  • Extend service to midnight on Sundays
  • Run 5-line service every day (except for single-tracking Sundays) until about 9pm
  • Consistent 3-line service every day after 9pm
  • 4 trains an hour at SFO station on Sundays until 9pm
  • 15-minute even headways on the Yellow line as far as Pittsburg Bay Point on Saturdays until about 8pm
  • New transfer opportunity at Bay Fair for Dublin to Berryessa transfers every day
  • Improved connections with Caltrain at Millbrae on Sundays before 9pm
  • 16 single-tracking Sundays in 2022 when 3-line service will be provided

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BART has been closing at 9 p.m. Sundays since the start of the pandemic in order to accelerate infrastructure projects. Starting Sunday, Feb. 20, BART will extend Sunday service until midnight, the transit agency said.

The 5-line service on Sundays will start in March, although 3-line service will operate on 16 single-tracking Sundays, when power cable replacement work is done in San Francisco. BART runs 5-line service on every other day of the week until about 9 p.m.

“Running 5-Line service on Sundays provides more equitable service to Richmond and Berryessa line riders who previously had to transfer to complete their transbay trip-while other lines provided direct service,” according to BART.

In other schedule changes, BART is offering a new daily transfer opportunity at Bay Fair for Dublin to Berryessa transfers.

Also, starting Feb. 14, transfer times between BART and Caltrain will reduce as the transit agencies look to better match the timing of their services. The 5-line service on Sundays after 9 p.m. will reduce some wait times by 9 or 11 minutes, with smaller decreases in wait times for weekday and Saturday connections.

To view the schedule, which also includes slight changes to some departure times on weekdays, click here for the Trip Planner and here for PDF timetables.