BART Fare Hike About To Take Effect

SAN FRANCISCO — Most BART riders will pay more in the new year, with fares set to rise 5.5 percent on Jan. 1, and transit officials are preparing to roll out new gates meant to deter fare evasion.

Riders who qualify for the discounted Clipper START program will pay less, with the discount set to increase from 20 percent to 50 percent off standard pricing.

BART's Board of Directors approved the changes in June. Officials noted the board deviated from its usual inflation-based fare policy, which would have mandated an 11 percent increase in fares next year. Instead, that increase will be split between next year and 2025, rising 5.5 percent in each, in an effort to "cushion the economic impact on riders," the agency said.

According to BART, the average fare will cost 23 cents more in 2024, rising to $4.43, with more noticeable impacts over longer distances.

"A 12-mile trip from Downtown Berkeley to Embarcadero, for example, will increase by 25 cents to $4.75," officials wrote Monday. "For a 45-mile trip from Antioch to Montgomery Street, the fare will increase by 40 cents to $8.60."

Transit officials expect the higher fares will generate an extra $26 million through 2025.

To help ensure that happens, BART will move forward with a systemwide initiative to install new fare gates designed to more effectively deter evaders. The board approved the $90 million plan in April, tapping a mixture of funding sources, including state and federal money. The new gates will roll out to more stations throughout next year, with a goal to complete work by the end of 2025.

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