Archive for the ‘BART’ Category

BART’s Top 23 Accomplishments of 2023

Saturday, December 30th, 2023
Photos: BART

By BART Communications

2023 has been a big year for BART as we laid the critical groundwork toward a new vision and a better future. It’s a future that features a cleaner, safer, easier-to-use BART that prioritizes all riders – and it’s right around the corner. 

Here are 23 things BART is proud of this year. 

Walnut Creek BART Station. Photo source: BART. Copyright Noah Berger / 2023

We understood travel patterns were changing…so we changed with them. 

1. BART listened to riders clamoring for more comprehensive service outside 9-to-5 work hours. We increased service during nights and weekends, where ridership is growing fastest. From weekend sporting events to evening concerts, BART is dedicated to being the safest, fastest, most reliable way to get where you need to go for fun.  

Walnut Creek BART Station. Photo source: BART. Copyright Noah Berger / 2023

We made historic updates to modernize our system.

 2. We are now running exclusively new trains as part of the base schedule.  

3. We migrated to 100% digital payments, eliminating paper ticket waste, and paving the way for our new state-of-the-art fare gates that will bolster ridership, revenue, and rider safety in 2024. 

4. We rolled out the first gates to the public at West Oakland Station this week, ending the year with yet another upgrade to BART’s public safety infrastructure. 

We doubled down on safety and cleaning. 

5. We released our Safe & Clean Plan to show the progress we have made in making our system cleaner, safer, and more reliable.  

6. Customer on-time performance is at 92%.

7. We doubled the police presence in the system, and we won awards for using unarmed Ambassadors and Crisis Intervention Specialists to increase staff presence in our system and help people in need. 

8. We discontinued the disruptive fare inspections during the morning commute at Embarcadero Station and re-deployed the fare inspectors to ride trains and inspect Clipper cards at more stations. 

9. We started running shorter trains to enhance safety because data shows without a doubt that active spaces are safer spaces. 

10. We launched our “Let’s Talk About Us” campaign about domestic violence and Phase II of our Not One More Girl initiative addressing sexual harassment. We believe using art to change a culture of violence and building community partnerships to make BART safer is important. 

11. We doubled the rate of deep cleaning train cars, and we increased the pressure washing of stations.

We made stations more welcoming. 

12. We made it easier to pay for parking with the new Tap-and-Go feature on the Official BART Mobile App that allows customers to pay for parking with just one tap. 

13. We reopened newly remodeled all-gender restrooms at Embarcadero and Downtown Berkeley stations. We now have six open underground restrooms. 345,000 people used these attended, clean, and safe restrooms in 2023. 

14. We deployed a comprehensive strategy to clean up Civic Center, resulting in a dramatically improved station experience from previous years.   

15. We now have ten brand-new escalators in downtown San Francisco and six new canopies along Market Street.

16. We’re increasing the discount for low-income riders from 20% to 50% with the Clipper START program beginning January 1, 2024.  

We advanced our efforts to build housing on our property. 

17. BART was proud to celebrate the openings of three transit-oriented development projects – Gateway at Millbrae Station, Waymark at Walnut Creek, and Kapuso Upper Yard at Balboa Park, creating over 1,100 new homes, including over 200 new affordable homes.  

18. We advanced two additional projects by signing lease options with our selected developers at West Oakland and Phase I at Lake Merritt. These will bring nearly 1,200 new homes, including more than 400 affordable homes for riders who need them most. 

We focused on responsible long-term planning to secure a thriving BART today and long into the future. 

19. We delivered a balanced budget during the most difficult financial time in the history of American public transit. The Grants team secured nearly $400 million of funds in 2023 to help pay for improvements and reinvestment within the BART system. 

20. We welcomed our new Inspector General and nearly tripled the office’s budget so it can expand and perform even more audits and investigations to identify waste, fraud, and abuse and ensure we are maximizing our efficiency.  

21. And most impactful of all, we successfully advocated to get financial assistance from the state budget that immediately averted an impending fiscal cliff. BART stands to receive 45% of the region’s allocation and we will continue to build the case for long overdue investment.   

Source: BART

We got to know our riders and celebrated transit with our biggest fans. 

22. From our book club to new anime mascots, we activated our stations and trains with fun events to welcome people back to BART.  

We also haven’t lost sight of the future. 

23. The Link21 program was awarded $11.3 million in project development funds from the state, reaffirming the critical role of our efforts to build a second train crossing between Oakland and San Francisco in helping the State achieve their State Rail Plan vision for Northern California. Link21 launched its first 18-member, community-based Equity Advisory Council to advise program on priority population concerns, including anti-displacement, connectivity, access, and service needs.

BART remains the best and the safest way to travel the Bay Area.  

We are proud of what we accomplished in 2023 – from investments in public safety, modernizing our trains and schedules, improving infrastructure, increasing equity, and working toward a secure fiscal future. But we know there’s always more to be done. We can’t wait to show riders what’s in store in 2024 and beyond as we continue driving our vision for the future of Bay Area public transit. 

BART’s low-income fare discount to increase to 50% on Jan. 1

Saturday, December 30th, 2023
Source: BART

BART is helping lower-income riders pay their fare by increasing its Clipper START means-based fare discount from 20% to 50%, beginning Monday, Jan. 1, 2024. This means that Clipper START users will pay half the regular BART fare. 

Clipper START, a pilot program facilitated by the Metropolitan Transportation Commission, offers the discount for Bay Area residents ages 19 to 64 whose incomes are less than 200% of the federal poverty level. Clipper START is accepted by more than 20 regional transit operators. Those who qualify can apply for the program here

BART offers multiple fare discounts in addition to Clipper START, including discounts for youth (50% off with a Youth Clipper card), seniors (62.5% off with a Senior Clipper card), passengers under 65 with qualifying disabilities (62.5% off with an RTC Clipper card ), and a High-Value Discount (adult Clipper users who buy $45 or $60 Clipper cards when autoloadis set up get $48 and $64 worth of value, or a 6.25% discount). 

BARTable This Weekend: Dec 29-31

Thursday, December 28th, 2023
Photo source: BART courtesy of TripSavvy.

Ring in the New Year in San Francisco under fireworks.

We’ve made it to the last weekend of 2023, and it will be an event-FULL one! Dozens of New Year’s Eve celebrations are happening, along with a few “Noon Year’s Eve” events for the kids. Take in a live show, a musical performance, or dance until the clock hits 12 a.m. at the BARTable events below. BART will run special service this weekend with trains running as late as 1 a.m. on New Years Eve.

To view the list of BARTable partner events visit BARTable This Weekend: Dec 29-31 | BARTable.

Find more information about our special service here. Are you hosting an event near a BART station? Visit this page to learn about “what is BARTable.”

Use BART’s Trip Planner for detailed routes and transit options.

BARTable partners with local organizations located near BART stations to shine a light on the incredible diversity of businesses, restaurants and happenings that are easily accessible by transit. Our partners provide special deals and prizes for our weekly giveaways, which you can find on our Contest and Deals page. Interested in becoming a BARTable partner? Learn more here.

More than 1,000 people celebrate BART and the holiday season at SweaterFest ’23

Tuesday, December 12th, 2023
Source: BART

On Sunday, Dec. 10, BART rang in the holiday season with our riders during our inaugural SweaterFest ‘23. More than a thousand of you showed up to Rockridge Station to celebrate with us — a reminder of just how much the Bay Area loves BART.   (See more photos)

We encouraged attendees to wear their BART holiday sweaters – from 2023, 2022, or 2021 (the first year we launched the sweaters) – and pose for a group photo on the steps to the station.

Some BART fans showed up as early as 11am – three hours before the start of the event – to be the first in line to buy a 2023 holiday sweater. By 2pm, the line to purchase BART merch snaked around the Rockridge sign and the plaza. 

“I didn’t know BART had a fashion line,” said one rider passing through the station.  

In addition to selling tons of BART-themed gifts, including the last-remaining 2023 holiday sweaters and beanies, we also launched our BART Stamp Rally with official BART passports, and handed out lots of free BART merch, including number plates and the new BART train plushie.  

Thanks for coming out, Bay Area. Happy Holidays!  

This year, BART sold 3,500 holiday sweaters in total. To help meet the strong demand, we pre-sold 2,370 sweaters earlier in the year. We ordered more than 1,000 additional sweaters to sell during the holiday season and were thrilled when they sold out quickly.  

If you weren’t able to get a sweater before they sold out this year, we encourage you to stay up to date on all things BART by following us on social media, signing up here for our BART News email subscription, and downloading the official BART app.  

Win big prizes when you download BART’s Digital Holiday Passport

Friday, December 8th, 2023

Explore places and adventures near stations

Check-in locations include Walnut Creek BART Station

On Thursday, Dec. 7, BART launched a Digital Holiday Passport to encourage riding BART to explore the region and access holiday fun and adventures. Participants can win big prizes, including a $250 Clipper card and a 2023 Ugly Holiday Sweater and Holiday Beanie.  

BART created the Digital Holiday Passport in partnership with Vibemap, a city discovery app that uses “vibes” to connect users to places, events, and experiences. Vibemapwill join BART at SweaterFest ‘23 on Sunday, Dec. 10, 2pm to 3pm, at Rockridge Station, to promote the challenge and answer questions. Members of the public who attend SweaterFest ‘23 will also be the first to receive the brand-new BART Stamp Passports for the BART Stamp Rally.  

The Digital Holiday Passport challenge will run from Thursday, Dec. 7, 2023, to Monday, Jan. 1, 2024. Seven stations will serve as check-in locations: 

  • Walnut Creek 
  • Downtown Berkeley  
  • Fruitvale  
  • Montgomery 
  • MacArthur  
  • Lake Merritt  
  • West Dublin/Pleasanton  

To participate, download Vibemap on the iOS App Store or the Google Play Store. After downloading, travel within 0.5 miles of one of the seven stations listed above, and you’ll receive a notification to unlock the Digital Holiday Passport. The passport is geofenced so you can’t participate unless you’re physically in the area.   

Participants will earn “Challenge Points” for every nearby activity they do – from checking-in at stations and places around BART, to adding “vibes” and tips to the app. The more points you have, the higher your chances of winning prizes, such as: 

  • $250 Clipper card 
  • 2023 Ugly Holiday Sweater (Size Large), Holiday Beanie 
  • $50 Clipper card
  • $11 Clipper cards + BART swag bag 

After the challenge concludes, Vibemap will host an IRL event for participants to meet and mingle. Date and location TBD. At the event, you can get a special holiday stamp as part of the BART Stamp Rally.  

To learn more about the Digital BART Holiday Passport visit bartable.bart.gov/vibemap.  

Win the 2023 BART ugly holiday sweater!

Wednesday, November 22nd, 2023
Photo by BART.

Entry deadline Monday, Nov. 27

For the third year in a row, we’ve done it again… enter to win the BART 2023 ugly holiday sweater! You’ll be the life of the party when you show up in this beauty that includes the BART map, lights and BART horn. Don’t miss entering for your first or to add to your collection. One winner will take the prize & happy holidays!

How to win: Enter your email address to be entered into the sweepstakes. Winner will be chosen at random on Monday, Nov. 27. 2023 and will be contacted via email. Winner is given 24 hours to respond to prize notification. Prizes cannot be exchanged or combined. To read the complete sweepstakes rules, click here.

You will also be subscribed to BART’s entertainment newsletter BARTable This Week upon opt-in. Already a subscriber? You can enter the sweepstakes with the same email address (don’t worry, you won’t receive duplicate emails). BART won’t share or sell your email address, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

MTC approves $776.2 million emergency transit operations funding plan from Senate Bill 125

Thursday, November 16th, 2023
Photo: Tri Delta Transit

Includes $741,000 for Tri Delta Transit, $352 million for BART

Funding distribution still is subject to state approval

The Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) on Wednesday, Nov. 15, 2023, approved an emergency transit operations funding plan that, if approved by the state, will use state and regional funds for transit operations to address Bay Area transit agencies’ most dire funding shortfalls and help them avoid service cuts. 

Today’s action by the Commission approves the principles informing the funding distribution, the funding distribution framework, and regional accountability measures for funding from the Transit and Intercity Rail Program (TIRCP), Zero-Emission Transit Capital Program (ZETCP), and various regional funding sources according to the guidelines described in Senate Bill (SB) 125. The resolution also makes the transit agency boards’ acceptance of the accountability guidelines a requirement for receiving the funds. The actual distribution of the funds is subject to the submittal of these documents to the California State Transportation Agency (CalSTA) and CalSTA’s approval of the documents.

Distribution amounts will be reassessed annually to respond to changing conditions, and the disbursement of operating funds will be contingent upon transit agencies meeting or making significant progress toward a set of accountability requirements, including customer experience and efficiency enhancements. 

For all agencies receiving emergency operating money, the accountability requirements will include participation in ongoing Transit Transformation Action Plan initiatives, and implementation of schedule coordination and real-time transit data improvements. Other accountability requirements are specific to individual operators and focus on safety and security, fare evasion reduction, and comprehensive service improvements.

Under this plan, MTC will contribute an additional $300 million in regional funds to help address the funding shortfall and to keep transit operational. 

MTC will distribute funds according to the following framework:

MTC will distribute funds according to this framework.
AgencyFY24-25FY25-26Total ($)Total (%)
SFMTA$99,477$209,328$308,80540%
BART$58,211$293,837$352,04845%
AC Transit$4,000$28,569$32,5694%
Caltrain$0$25,449$25,4493%
Golden Gate Transit$2,838$38,263$41,1015%
Other Operators$4,661$9,574$14,2352%
ACE$1,777$1,829$3,605n/a
ECCTA (Tri Delta Transit)$503$238$741n/a
LAVTA$897$1,392$2,289n/a
NVTA$1,485$966$2,450n/a
SolTrans$0$2,036$2,036n/a
WestCAT$0$3,113$3,113n/a
Regional Network Management$2,000$0$2,0000%
Bay Area Total$171,187$605,020$776,207100%

Amounts shown in thousands ($1,000)

In June, Gov. Newsom signed into law California’s fiscal 2023-24 state budget, which includes $1.1 billion in flexible transportation funding to help support transit operations. The state investment will help transit agencies avoid a near-term ‘fiscal cliff’ that has resulted from the COVID-19 pandemic and associated changes in travel patterns and that likely would have led to deep service cuts as early as this year by Muni, BART and other agencies whose fare revenues remain well below pre-pandemic levels.

SB 125 also requires that MTC collect and summarize data from transit operators on a variety of topics, including expenditures on safety, opportunities for enhanced coordination and improvements, and monthly ridership statistics. MTC by June 30, 2026, must submit a Long-Term Financial Plan that demonstrates the implementation of ridership recovery strategies and provides a five-year operating funding outlook.

In order to meet the December 31, 2023, deadline to submit materials to CalSTA, staff will return to the Commission in December to request adoption of the Short-Term Financial Plan. MTC will receive FY2023-24 SB 125 funds no later than April 30, 2024, and will be eligible to receive FY2024-25 funds early in that fiscal year, pending CalSTA’s review of MTC’s allocation package.

BART will no longer accept paper-magstripe tickets beginning Nov 30

Tuesday, October 31st, 2023
Source: BART

Making way for new fare gates

Paper ticket holders will need to seek refund

By Bay Area Rapid Transit District

It is an end of an era.

Beginning November 30, 2023, paper tickets will no longer be accepted at BART. This change is occurring as BART begins to roll out new state of the art fare gates we have ordered which will not accept paper tickets and as Clipper prepares for the launch of the next generation of Clipper. 

Paper tickets balances cannot be transferred onto a Clipper card. BART offers paper ticket refunds for tickets with a remaining value greater than $1.00. It can be multiple tickets that add up to $1 or more. Click here for directions to request a refund

Pay By Phone

Clipper is now available through Apple Pay and Google Pay. Riders can get a new Clipper card on their phones for free (normally $3). Funds added using Apple Pay and Google Pay are immediately available for use.

Set up is easy and can be done on the spot or in advance while you are at home. Every rider needs their own digital card. For families travelling together, multiple cards can be added to an Apple phone, but users must turn off Express Transit mode to toggle between each card when tagging at the fare gate.   

Next Generation Clipper

BART has moved to a Clipper-only fare payment system because the region has prioritized the use of Clipper as the Bay Area’s all-in-one transit card administered by the Metropolitan Transportation Commission. In calendar year 2024, the next generation of Clipper will be rolled out including open payment which provides the option to tag a credit/debit card at a BART fare gate, including Apple Pay or Google Pay, without setting up a card on your phone in advance. The next generation of Clipper also opens the door for new discount programs, promotions, and potentially fare capping for BART riders. 

On Saturday, September 30, 2023, BART ceased the sale of magstripe paper tickets at SFO. Only Clipper cards are available at SFO vending machines and riders will continue to be encouraged to add a Clipper card to their phone for a card-free option. 

BART began offering paper tickets at SFO in October 2022 in response to global supply chain issues impacting the region’s plastic card inventory. The region now has an adequate supply of cards and BART will eliminate the sale of all paper tickets. This includes the sale of red paper tickets at the Customer Service window at Lake Merritt Station for RTC applicants waiting for their Clipper card to arrive and paper tickets for group sales.  

Riders are still able to use the paper tickets they already have on hand, including weekend promotion tickets, to enter and exit through most fare gates until November 30, 2023. 

Refunds

Paper Ticket Refunds

Beginning November 30, 2023, paper tickets will no longer be accepted at BART. This change is occurring as BART begins to roll out new state of the art fare gates which will not accept paper tickets and as Clipper prepares for the launch of the next generation of Clipper. 

Paper tickets balances cannot be transferred onto a Clipper card. BART offers paper ticket refunds for tickets with a remaining value greater than $1.00.

Until November 30, 2023, riders with paper tickets will be able to add enough fare to a paper ticket to exit a station using cash at the Addfare machines located inside the paid area of each station. 

You have 3 options for getting a refund:

  1. A Station Agent can help process a ticket refund request. The agent will have you fill out a form and you will provide the agent with your ticket(s) and the agent will send it to BART Treasury. Treasury will mail you a check. This option helps you avoid paying for postage and is the most secure option. The refund may take 4-6 weeks to process.
  2. You can also visit the Customer Services Center at Lake Merritt Station to drop off tickets in a sealed envelope addressed to BART’s Treasury Department. Please include your name, phone number, and return address and note that you are seeking a refund of paper ticket(s) using this form. A receipt will be provided for dropping off your envelope.
  3. Mail the ticket(s) to BART’s Treasury Department. Include your name, phone number, and return address and note that you are seeking a refund of your paper ticket(s) due to BART’s elimination of paper ticket sales. Station Agents can also provide pre-addressed envelopes to Treasury. Due to observed delivery issues this is a less secure option. It is recommended that items of value be insured when selecting this option.

Mail it to:

BART Finance Department

2150 Webster, 9th floor, Oakland, CA 94612

Attention: Requests

BART’s Treasury Department will then process the refund. You will get a check in the mail at the address you provide. The check may take 4-6 weeks.

Tickets submitted for refund must have been purchased by cash or debit card. Tickets purchased with a credit card (there will be a small “c” on these near the magnetic stripe) will be credited back to the credit card which was used to purchase the ticket.

BART doesn’t offer cash refunds.

BART will also refund full unused paratransit ticket books.

Tickets purchased using pre-tax dollars/Commuter Checks are not refundable due to federal restrictions of the Commuter Check program

For more information, call the BART Treasury at (510) 464-6841.


Clipper Refunds:

Only registered Clipper cards,  are available for refunds. Please contact Clipper Customer Service at 877.878.8883 to request a refund without cancelling your card. 


Ticket Donations (“Tiny Tickets”)

Donations of tickets with unused value of less than $1 can be made to local non-profits. Check with your favorite non-profit or charity organization to see if it accepts these small value tickets. Former Tiny Ticket non-profit organizations can still submit these tickets for refund directly to BART Treasury.

Submit to:

Refunds, BART Treasury Department

2150 Webster St., 9th floor, Oakland, CA 94612

If you have a question, please call (510) 464-6841.


Replacement Tickets:

BART’s Treasury Department will no longer issue replacement tickets in order to reduce the use of tickets in the system. Due to increased Clipper Card use and the corresponding reduction in use of paper tickets, the Ticket Exchange Booth at 12th St Oakland City Center Station has been permanently closed.


Need help?

BART Customer Service is available to help riders with inquiries over the phone at (510)464-7133 or in person at Lake Merritt Station (concourse level).