This story is archived. Visit bart.gov/news for the latest BART news.

Fares increase January 1, 2018

On January 1, 2018, a number of fare changes will take place as authorized by the BART Board of Directors.

New Fares

  • A fare increase of 2.7% will be applied to all fares, including discounted fares. The minimum fare will increase to $2.00 for Adults, $1 for Youth, and $.75 for Senior/Disabled Clipper® users.
    • This is a standard inflation-based biennial increase that was re-authorized by the BART Board of Directors in 2013. The money generated is dedicated to our highest priority improvements such as the new train cars.
  • 50 cents will be added to the fare for each ride using BART blue tickets. The minimum fare for blue ticket users will increase to $2.50.
    • The extra cost is being added to encourage customers to use Clipper for fare payment. There is no extra cost for Clipper fares. Paper tickets jam our fare gates so moving more riders to Clipper mean less jams and fare gate maintenance.  Clipper has many advantages over paper tickets (see below).
  • The eligible age for a Youth discount has increased to 18. The discount is now 50%.
    • Get a Youth Clipper card for free to avoid the added fare for youth tickets of 25 cents per ride.
    • The Youth discount applies to those ages 5-18. Children 4 and under always ride free.
  • Seniors and people with disabilities will continue to get a 62.5% discount.
    • Get a Senior/Disabled Clipper card free online to get the discount and avoid the added fare for green or red tickets of 19 cents per ride.

Get Clipper

Clipper has many advantages over paper tickets:  

o Clipper is accepted by all transit agencies in the region.

o The loaded value on the Clipper card is secure when you register the card—if you lose the card, the balance can be replaced for a small fee.

o Clipper is reusable and long-lasting, unlike paper tickets that get worn and tattered.

Currently, all BART stations have at least one Clipper card vending machine in the station--some have 2. There are now 56 machines in the system and by 12/31/17 there will be at least 100. These machines will vend standard Adult Clipper cards only. There is a one-time $3.00 fee to get the card.

Clipper and BART will have promotional events to distribute free Clipper cards to  those whom the fee could be a hardship. 

The next events will be:

  • January 8, 2018 Dublin/Pleasanton Station 4pm-7pm

  • January 9, 2018 Bay Fair Station 4pm-7pm

  • January 11, Hayward Station 4pm-7pm

You will still be able to add cash value to Clipper at all BART Ticket Vending Machines using cash or a credit/debit card (including transit benefit cards).

To get Clipper online, find in-person locations, or to find out more about how to get a discount card for Senior/Disabled or Youth, please go to clippercard.com

Once you have your Clipper card, you can add cash value online at clippercard.com or set up Autoload to automatically add value when your card balance is low. You can also register your card for free to ensure your balance is protected if your card is lost or stolen.

Clipper and BART Parking