BART ridership continues growth in January
BART ridership growth is starting the new year on a positive note, with January counts showing continued growth, including several weekdays that surpassed 200,000 trips. While ridership continues to bounce back, BART is still far off from its pre-pandemic ridership, largely due to hybrid work patterns.
The January 2026 Monthly Ridership Snapshot reports nearly 4.6 million paid exits, a 10.7% increase compared with January 2025. Average weekday ridership reached 182,487 trips, reflecting consistent demand and building on the gradual recovery seen over the past years.
BART also saw significant ridership increases during major events, including on January 17 for the Bob Weir public memorial at Civic Center and the TWICE concert at the Oakland Arena, for which BART ran longer trains.
January highlights
- Total exits: 4.6 million
- Average weekday: 182,487
- Year-over-year growth: +10.7%
- Busiest day: Jan. 28 with 207,343 trips
Tap and Ride and Clipper START usage increase
Tap and Ride usage grew 15.5% in January compared to December, as more riders used contactless bank cards or mobile wallets to pay at the fare gates. In all, 14% of total BART trips were taken using Tap and Ride in January.
Usage of Clipper START, the 50% fare discount for low-income riders, rose 32.6% year over year in January.
Ridership growth alone can’t close BART's funding gap
Even with encouraging ridership gains, fare revenue is not enough on its own to stabilize BART’s finances. Like many transit agencies nationwide, BART faces a structural budget deficit as remote and hybrid work patterns reduce weekday commute trips, which is historically the system’s largest source of fare revenue. While individual riders have returned to BART, they are riding less frequently.
Learn more about BART’s funding deficit at bart.gov/financials. Find additional ridership info at bart.gov/about/reports/ridership.