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Heading to Hardly Strictly at Golden Gate Park this weekend? Public transit is your best bet there and back, and BART and Muni are here to help!

BART riders heading to Hardly Strictly from the East Bay can take a train to Powell Station. Transfer to a Muni 5 Fulton bus or 5R Fulton Rapid on Market Street and ride to Golden Park. 

BART riders coming up from San Mateo County or San Francisco can take a train to Civic Center Station and transfer to a Muni N Judah train on the upper level of the station. The N Judah train will run near Golden Gate Park on Irving and Judah Streets.

Rider Tips

Parking is free at all BART stations except Milpitas and Berryessa (which are operated by VTA) on Saturday, September 30 and Sunday, October 1. Pay for parking easily on the BART app.

Before you leave home put a Clipper card on your cellphone through either Apple Pay or Google Pay. Clipper is waiving the $3 new-card fee for riders who add either of the mobile options. Please ensure you have sufficient funds for a round trip. Plan at the cost of your trip in advance.

Real-time departures and train alerts can be found at bart.gov/eta or on the BART app. 

Hardly Strictly is only of many amazing events happening in the Bay Area this weekend! Learn more at BARTable This Weekend here!

BART’s effort to rebuild its aging infrastructure is on track and is delivering results by improving the system’s reliability and overall safety. That’s the main conclusion from a new annual report issued by the independent panel of experts overseeing the Measure RR rebuilding program. The report will be presented to the BART Board of Directors at its meeting today, August 24.

The independent Bond Oversight Committee’s new Annual Report says through March 2023 $1.57 billion of Measure RR funds had been invested in rebuilding the backbone of BART. There are now 152 RR-supported projects that are in planning, design, construction, or have been completed. A total of 48 projects are complete, up from 36 when the committee issued its previous annual report in 2022.
 
46% of all anticipated Measure RR work has already been completed. The Bond Oversight Committee wrote the progress is ahead of projections made by BART in 2016 when Measure RR was put before BART District voters. The committee wrote it “believes BART is delivering rebuilding projects in a timely manner and that the work is improving the reliability and safety of the system.”

Significant accomplishments in the last year include:

*Substantial completion of the 34.5kV (kilovolt) traction power cable replacement work in downtown San Francisco.
*Completed trackway demolition and restoration for the Transbay Tube retrofit.
*Station modernization projects completed at Powell Street Station in downtown San Francisco and 19th Street Station in downtown Oakland.
*The number of service delays due to rail-related issues dropped from 217 in 2021 to 95 in 2022.
*Issuance of $700 million in climate-certified Green Bonds to ensure uninterrupted funding of RR projects.

Bond Oversight Committee members have unrestricted access to BART documents, hold quarterly public meetings to review the progress of the Measure RR rebuilding program, and are focused on ensuring BART is spending bond money in a manner consistent with what was promised to voters. You can learn more about the committee at bart.gov/bondoversight.

Measure RR is a $3.5 billion bond measure that was approved by voters in Alameda, Contra Costa, and San Francisco counties in 2016. The Bond Oversight Committee is comprised of seven members who represent a diversity of expertise. The organizations represented on the committee include the American Society of Civil Engineers, the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers, the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, the Association for Budgeting and Financial Management section of the American Society for Public Administration, the Project Management Institute, and the League of Women Voters.

Update: The survey is now closed.

BART is seeking the public’s input on a proposed January 2026 less-than-inflation fare increase.  

BART’s current funding model relies on passenger fares to run safe, clean, and reliable service and to help pay for key improvement projects. BART has a fare increase program that calls for small, regular, less-than-inflation increases every two years, with the next increase of 6.2% scheduled for January 1, 2026. For a short trip like Downtown Berkeley to 19th St./Oakland, the regular fare is estimated to increase by $0.15, and for a longer trip like Antioch to Montgomery, it’s estimated to increase by $0.55. 

This proposed increase will help minimize the risk of service cuts while BART explores a long-term funding solution to restore financial stability, as some riders are taking fewer trips than before. Fares continue to be an important funding source to continue to meet the needs of riders who rely on BART. 

Your feedback is important! Learn more and share your opinions by taking the survey online at bart.gov/faresurvey2025 or in-station at the locations listed below. The survey closes March 18. Respondents may choose to enter to win a $50 Clipper card at the end of the survey. It is available in multiple languages. 

In-station survey locations: 

• Lake Merritt | Tuesday, March 4, 7am – 9:30am 

• Pittsburg/Bay Point | Thursday, March 6, 3pm – 6pm 

• Fruitvale | Monday, March 10, 7am – 9:30am 

• El Cerrito del Norte | Wednesday, March 12, 3pm – 6pm 

• Montgomery St | Thursday, March 13, 7am – 9:30am 

BART offers the following fare discount programs: 

• Low-income adults earning 200% or less of the federal poverty level get 50% off through the regional Clipper START program.  

• Youth 5-18 years old get 50% off with a Youth Clipper card. 4 years and younger ride free.  

• Seniors 65 and over get 62.5% off with a Senior Clipper card.  

• The RTC Clipper card is a version of Clipper created for passengers under 65 with qualifying disabilities to provide 62.5% off.  

• BART offers a “High-value Discount.” Adult Clipper cards get a 6.25% discount on cash value rides by buying $48 worth of value for $45 or $64 worth of value for $60 when autoload is set up with your registered Clipper card.  

• Monthly “A” Adult Fast Pass + BART within San Francisco: Unlimited rides on all Muni vehicles and on BART within San Francisco (trips outside of these stations are charged full fare). Available for sale from the 17th of the prior month through the 16th of the month. 

• Students on a school-sponsored field trip for an educational purpose are eligible for a 62.5% discount fare when purchased in advance through Group Sales. 

All discounts are set up in advance through Clipper: clippercard.com/discounts  

The BART Board of Directors annual workshop will be held Thursday, February 8, 2024, and for the first time, it will include a lively panel discussion with transit advocates, policy experts, and key stakeholders to discuss what is needed to develop and successfully pass a regional transportation funding measure to provide long-term funding for BART and all Bay Area transit agencies.

The panel discussion is free and open to the public and will take place from 9am-noon in the BART boardroom (2150 Webster Street, Oakland) and on Zoom. This is an exciting opportunity for the BART board, BART employees, news media, and members of the public to hear a variety of perspectives about what transit operators need to do in the next 30 months to achieve a successful transportation measure in 2026, including improvements to the customer experience and policy reforms. 

In addition to the experts on the panel, Rebecca Long from the Metropolitan Transportation Commission will help us set the stage for the discussion, as they are leading the effort to secure long term funding for transit.

Public comment related to the panel topic will be taken at the end of the panel discussion. 

The second half of the Board Workshop will include informational staff presentations on BART’s operating budget projections and BART’s capital program to fund and deliver projects that ensure safe, reliable, and frequent service. Staff will also introduce a new customer commitment and review the changes underway to improve the customer experience. 

View the agenda and presentations.

Panel Details

Moderator: Karen Philbrick, PhD, Mineta Transportation Institute, San Jose State University

Panelists:

• Alicia John-Baptiste, President and CEO, SPUR

• Darrell Owens, Policy and Data Analyst and Advocate, East Bay Transit Riders Union

• Emily Loper, Vice President of Public Policy, Bay Area Council

• Ian Griffiths, Co-Founder and Policy Director, Seamless Bay Area

• Jeff Shaffer, President/Business Agent, Local 1277, Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU)

When: February 8th, 9am-noon

Where: In person in the BART Boardroom, 2150 Webster Street, Oakland, or via Zoom by calling

833-548-0282 and entering access code 822 5984 8450 or logging in to Zoom.com and entering

access code 822 5984 8450.

A modest fare increase and a deeper discount on fares for qualifying lower-income riders will both go into effect on Monday, January 1, 2024.

The Clipper START means-based fare discount for BART will increase from 20% to 50%, meaning low-income riders will pay half the regular fare. The Metropolitan Transportation Commission pilot program offers discounts for Bay Area residents aged 19-64 earning under 200% of the federal poverty level. Clipper START is accepted by more than 20 regional transit operators in addition to BART.

Fares will increase by 5.5% beginning January 1, raising the average fare by 23 cents to $4.43. A 12-mile trip from Downtown Berkeley to Embarcadero, for example, will increase by 25 cents to $4.75. For a 45-mile trip from Antioch to Montgomery Street, the fare will increase by 40 cents to $8.60.

The fare increase was approved by BART’s Board of Directors during the June 8, 2023, budget vote. The Board decided to deviate from its policy of approving a fare increase every two years. BART’s Inflation-Based Fare Increase Program, which has been in place since 2003, would have required an 11% fare increase in January 2024. To cushion the economic impact on riders, the Board directed staff to instead raise fares 5.5% in January 2024 and again at the same rate in January 2025.

BART’s Trip Planner and online Fare Calculator have been updated with the new fares. Riders can look up their new fare by selecting a date of January 1, 2024, or beyond. New fare chart decals will be posted at vending machines.

Fares Fund Operations

The fare increases are expected to bring in an additional $26 million in operating funds through FY25. 

Historically, BART relies on rider fares to fund safe, reliable, and clean service – more so than most other transit systems. This requires small but frequent fare increases to keep up with the cost of inflation. 

New Fare Gates Being Deployed

Because our riders are directly responsible for funding our operations, BART is rolling out new fare gates in 2024 to protect against fare evasion and self-enforce fare payments. 

Low-Income Riders Will Pay Less in 2024

Even with the fare increase, low-income riders will pay less for BART because the Clipper START discount is being increased to 50%.

BART Discounts

• Youth 5-18 years old get 50% off with a Youth Clipper card.
• Seniors 65 and over get 62.5% off with a Senior Clipper card.
• Low-income riders get 50% off starting Jan. 1, 2024, through the regional Clipper START program, available to adult riders earning 200% or less of the federal poverty level.
• The RTC Clipper card is a version of Clipper created for passengers under 65 with qualifying disabilities for 62.5% off fares.  
• BART offers a “High-Value Discount.” Adult Clipper cards get a 6.25% discount on cash value rides by buying $48 worth of value for $45 or $64 worth of value for $60 when autoload is set up. 

BART’s work to install state-of-the-art Next Generation Fare Gates at all 50 of its stations by the end of this year has achieved a significant goal. With the recent completion of work at San Bruno Station, new gates have now been installed at all six BART stations in San Mateo County. Next Generation Fare Gates are now in service at 48 stations, putting the project on track to reach its goal of full installation across the five counties BART serves by the end of 2025. 

“The installation of these game-changing fare gates is the result of a collaborative effort. I’m proud to say we have hit the reset button on the relationship between San Mateo County and BART,” said San Mateo County Board of Supervisors President David Canepa. “BART and San Mateo County share the goal of increasing ridership through making stations safer and cleaner. These gates represent a critical step in what will be an ongoing partnership to put riders first.” 

Next Generation Fare Gates feature clear swing barriers that are much more difficult to push through or jump over compared to the old gates BART had used for decades. The new gates are bolstered by a one-of-its-kind locking mechanism designed to boost their resilience. The gates also improve access for paying riders. They have LED lighting on the swing barriers and are equipped with 3D sensors that can detect if someone is in a wheelchair or has a bike, stroller, or luggage with them. 

“We carry approximately 25 percent of transit boardings among all operators in San Mateo County,” said BART General Manager Bob Powers. “I think even more people in San Mateo County will ride BART because of these fare gates and how they are changing the station environment by serving as a deterrent against unwanted behavior.” 

The new gates are getting mostly positive reviews from riders. A survey of riders indicated the number of those who reported seeing someone fare evade dropped by nearly 1/3 from just a year ago as new gates have been installed in more stations.  

The installation of Next Generation Fare Gates at the five non-airport stations in San Mateo County was fully funded by the San Mateo County Transportation Authority through voter-approved Measure W. SFO funded the new gates at San Francisco International Airport Station. 

Learn more about the Next Generation Fare Gates project here. 

BART will provide four trains with limited stops before regular BART service begins for Bay to Breakers on Sunday, May 18, 2025. The special service will get race participants to Embarcadero around 7am. 

The special early morning trains will pick up passengers for an Embarcadero arrival with limited service from the following stations: 16th St. Mission, Bay Fair, Daly City, El Cerrito del Norte, Dublin/Pleasanton, MacArthur, Millbrae, Pleasant Hill/City Center, and West Oakland. 

These four trains will go out of service once they drop riders off at Embarcadero. Riders cannot board a train at Embarcadero.  

Caltrain will be running two limited-stop, pre-race trains to San Francisco that will arrive before the start of the race (more info here), and SF Muni is providing pre- and post-race express service on several rail lines and bus routes (more info here).

Plan your trip using the BART Trip Planner. 

Special Service Details 

• One train will leave Millbrae at 6:30am, Daly City at 6:42am, 16th St./Mission at 6:52am, and then arrive at Embarcadero at 6:57am. No other stops will be made along the line.  

• A second train will leave Pleasant Hill/Contra Costa Centre at 6:23am, MacArthur at 6:43am, West Oakland at 6:52am, and then arrive at Embarcadero at 6:58am. No other stops will be made along the line. 

• A third train will leave Dublin/Pleasanton at 6:18am, Bay Fair at 6:35am, West Oakland at 6:56am, and arrive at Embarcadero at 7:01am. No other stops will be made along the line. 

• A fourth train will leave El Cerrito del Norte at 6:34am, MacArthur at 6:47am, West Oakland at 6:56am, and arrive at Embarcadero at 7:02am. No other stops will be made along the line. 

Regular systemwide BART service starts at around 8am. 

Tips 

BART parking is free on Sundays. People driving to BART to take the train should park at one of these stations being served: Pleasant Hill, El Cerrito del Norte, MacArthur, Bay Fair, West Oakland, Daly City, Dublin/Pleasanton, and Millbrae. 16th Street Mission does not have a BART parking lot. 

BART has loaded these event trains as special service into BART Trip Planner. The service is demarcated with "-> Limited Stop to Embarcadero" in the planner.  

Once on the platform, these four trains will be labelled as: “Limited Stop to Embarcadero.” 

Load your Clipper card in advance with enough funds for your full trip.  

If you don’t have a Clipper card, add one for free ($3 savings) to your phone’s wallet in advance and use Google Pay or Apple Pay. 

*This article was posted on April 30, 2025.

BART offers alternative bus service called the Early Bird Express for weekday service before BART opens.

Due to low bus ridership on several routes, limited funding, and increasing demand for bus drivers from partner agencies, BART will make a series of service reductions to the Early Bird Express service in 2024. BART will retain eight trips that serve 90% of riders and will eliminate seven trips, impacting 10% of riders. 

The changes will impact fewer than 20 riders.

The first change occurred on April 28, 2024 and June 16, 2024 and then again on August 12, 2024.

The full details of service changes, maps, and suggested alternatives can be found on the Early Bird Express page.

BART and partner bus agencies will do targeted outreach about these upcoming changes.

*This article was originally posted on March 13, 2024 and is being kept up to date.