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BART joins the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) and our regional transit partners in celebrating the forthcoming rollout of Next Generation Clipper this December. Clipper, the Bay Area’s electronic fare payment system, is administered by MTC.  

Starting Dec. 10, MTC will begin the eight- to 12-week process of transitioning Clipper card customers to the next generation. The date was set by the Clipper Executive Board, chaired by BART General Manager Bob Powers, at an Oct. 20 meeting.  

With Next Generation Clipper, the nearly two dozen Bay Area transit agencies that accept Clipper will join BART as Tap and Ride systems, meaning riders can pay adult fares using contactless credit and debit cards and mobile payment methods, in addition to Clipper cards. BART became the Bay Area’s first Tap and Ride system on Aug. 20, 2025.  

Other new and improved features, products, and services that will make fare payment faster and more convenient with the rollout of Next Generation Clipper include: 

• Instant value: Clipper's transition to a cloud-based system allows for instant availability of added value or passes on plastic and mobile cards no matter how value is added — eliminating wait time. An improved auto-reload function allows customers to customize both the reloading amount and the schedule or reloading. 

• Free and discounted transfers: Riders who use more than one transit agency in a single trip (e.g., BART to Muni) will only be charged full fare on the first operator. A transfer discount of up to $2.85 will apply on any additional transit agency the rider uses within a two-hour window. This feature will be immediately available for contactless bank cards. Clipper card users must wait for their cards to be upgraded to the new system for this feature to apply, a process customers can initiate (see below).  

• Managing multiple accounts: Clipper's transition to a cloud-based system will enable families to manage multiple registered Clipper cards through the Clipper app. 

• Apply for youth or senior cards online: The new Clipper system will give youth and senior riders the option to apply for their discount program online in addition to applying in person or by mail. 

Because of the eight- to 12-week transition period needed to upgrade individual Clipper cards to the next generation system, not all features will be immediately available to all customers. For faster transition to the new system, customers may initiate the upgrade by logging into the Clipper website, using the Clipper mobile app, or calling the Clipper customer service center to speak with an agent who can start the upgrade process. 

Tap and Ride means you can use mobile cards as well as traditional plastic credit or debit cards in the place of a Clipper card. Clipper will still be accepted regionwide.  

Customers who use a mobile card on an iPhone are advised to turn on the Express Transit feature, and those who use a plastic credit or debit card are advised to remove the card from their wallet or purse before tapping to avoid card clash.  

Since BART became the Bay Area’s first Tap and Ride system, usage of the innovative system has steadily grown. In September, Tap and Ride usage accounted for approximately 8% of total BART trips on weekdays and 12% on weekends, with SFO Station accounting for nearly 30% of all Tap and Ride and trips. 

Find BART’s guide to using Tap and Ride at bart.gov/tapandride.  

Clipper Customer Service 
Weekdays: 7:00 am - 7:00 pm 
Saturdays:7:00 am - 4:00 pm 

Email: [email protected] 
Phone:(877) 878- 8883 
TDD/TTY: 711 or 800.735.2929 

Web: clippercard.com 

BART’s Fleet of the Future trains are now not only carrying riders on all regularly scheduled trips, but the project also is coming in hundreds of millions of dollars under budget thanks to tight project management.
 
Thanks to a revised schedule, and an accelerated monthly delivery rate of new rail cars, the project is expected to cost $394 million less than when the contract was awarded in 2012.
 
“There’s no question the Fleet of the Future project is a success story,” said Project Manager John Garnham. “Riders love the newer, cleaner modern feel of the cars and now we have great budget news for the project.”

The original contract awarded for 775 cars forecast a project cost of $2.584 billion but an October 2023 financial update lowered the forecast by 15%, to $2.190 billion. Over the course of 11 years, BART and the manufacturer, Alstom, have increased the pace of making and delivering the cars, resulting in significant savings.

The original delivery schedule called for the delivery of 10 cars a month, but BART worked with the manufacturer to increase the rate to 16 cars a month, saving more than $100 million.

Another big cost saver was BART’s decision to have its own highly experienced staff do more of the engineering work in house. The project team has included engineers who have successfully completed new rail car projects at other agencies.

The delivery schedule is now faster than ever – 20 cars a month are being delivered to BART – and, as of December 31st, 672 of the 775 cars are on BART property.  

You can learn more about the Fleet of the Future, including what's being done to respond to wheel flats, you can listen to our latest podcast.

September 14th, BART will begin the installation of a second set of Next Generation Fare Gates on the concourse level of 24th Street/Mission Station. This work comes after the first set of new gates was successfully installed at the entrance next to the Station Agent Booth closest to 24th and Mission streets. 

While work happens on installing the second set of Next Generation Fare Gates, the first newly installed set of gates will remain open for riders. There will be signage to direct riders to the open gates. 

A temporary barrier will be installed to provide a safe workspace for the installation team as well as to protect riders from construction. The new array is expected to take up to two weeks to install. BART has also successfully installed Next Generation Fare Gates at Civic Center, Fruitvale, Richmond, and West Oakland stations. 

All BART stations will have new fare gates by the end of 2025. You can learn more about BART’s Next Generation Fare Gate project here. Riders can provide feedback about the new gates at bart.gov/comments.

On Monday, March 17 BART will begin the installation of Next Generation Fare Gates on the concourse level of El Cerrito Plaza Station. The installation work will happen in stages so riders can continue to use the remaining gates while new ones are being installed. There will be additional BART staff as well as signage to direct riders to the open gates. The work to replace all the gates at El Cerrito Plaza Station is expected to take about a month.

A temporary barrier will be installed around each array when it is ready to be removed to provide a safe workspace for the installation team as well as to protect riders from construction. The work will not impact train service, but riders may experience a few extra minutes wait to pass through the fare gates during peak travel hours.

The latest work comes after BART has successfully installed Next Generation Fare Gates at 22 stations across the system. All 50 BART stations will have new fare gates by the end of 2025. You can learn more about BART’s Next Generation Fare Gates project here.

Airport parking can be a hassle and is always expensive, except at BART stations. We offer inexpensive multi-day parking at many stations with easy online reservations. 

Multi-Day Reserved parking is for consecutive overnight stays of up to 20 weekdays (weekends are free). Pay by website or on the official BART app. You will need to provide the license plate of the car you plan to drive and a phone number.

Park in the designated Reserved area. There is no need to print anything in advance or display anything inside your car. 

View our Parking Pricing page with links to parking area maps for each station.  

Millbrae Station is quicker and easier than SFO parking

While you can park at any BART station that offers parking, one great option to get to SFO via BART is to purchase Multi-Day Reserved parking and drive to Millbrae Station then take a quick 4-minute BART ride to SFO, which is faster than the long-term parking provided at SFO. Millbrae is also cheaper at $6/day, plus free weekends. 

The reserved parking area at Millbrae is located on levels 3, 4, and 5 of the parking structure.

Daly City, Colma, South San Francisco and San Bruno also offer parking and have frequent service to SFO served by both the Yellow and Red lines.

Check out our BARTable Holiday Airport Travel Guide 

We’ve put together a complete airport guide to make your trip a seamless one. https://bartable.bart.gov/featured/bartable-holiday-airport-travel-guide

More Details about Parking

Multi-day reserved parking may be purchased up to 60 days in advance, and twenty weekdays of parking may be purchased at a time. Parking on weekends is free. Visit the Parking section for more information.

You may cancel your reservation on the official BART app or the Reserved parking website by clicking on the “cancel” button next to where your active reservation is shown. For single/multi-day parking, you may cancel up to 11:59 p.m. on the night before the reservation. You can elect to cancel the entire reservation or only specific days. You will be assessed a $2 fee for each cancellation action, and the refund (minus the fee) should appear on your payment method within 72 hours. Please note that the transaction cannot be cancelled until it has been settled with your bank, which can take up to 24 hours.

Smiles even bigger than the BARTmobile's famous grin shone from hundreds of faces on Saturday, July 27, when BART hosted a twentieth birthday party for the Bay's beloved transit mascot at Orinda Station. There was face painting, music, carnival games, kettle corn, cupcakes, and lots and lots of BARTmobile rides. 

It's a rare ocassion that the BARTmobile bestows the privilege of a ride to non-BART employees, and BARTy fans of all ages seized their chance to take a short spin in the vehicle (which is actually a long golf cart with a custom "skin" over it). 

In all, the BARTmobile gave 70 rides during the party, traveling more than 11 miles in just three hours. More than 370 people got a ride, including BART boardmembers Mark Foley (vice president of the board), Rebecca Saltzman, and Melissa Hernandez, who came out to toast the mascot. 

At the end of the party, BARTy's handlers, Ricky and Angel, packed him up and put him to bed at the Oakland shops for some much needed rest. 

Enjoy snapshots from the day in the slideshow and stay tuned for more BART events this summer. 

Read how BART’s quirky mascot came to be 20 years ago.

The week of November 17, BART will begin the installation of Next Generation Fare Gates at Warm Springs/South Fremont Station. The first set of gates to be replaced will be the array on the south end of the concourse.  While work happens to install the first set of new gates, the second array of old gates will remain open for riders. There will be signage to direct riders to the open gates. Once the installation of the first set of new gates is complete, work will begin on the second array. 

A temporary barrier will be installed to provide a safe workspace for the installation team as well as to protect riders from construction. Each new array is expected to take up to two weeks to install. While this work will not impact train service, riders may experience a few minutes wait to pass through the old gates during peak travel hours.

The latest work comes after BART has successfully installed Next Generation Fare Gates at ten stations across the system. All BART stations will have new fare gates by the end of 2025. You can learn more about BART’s Next Generation Fare Gate project here. Riders can provide feedback about the new gates at bart.gov/comments.

The week of February 3, BART will begin the installation of Next Generation Fare Gates on the concourse level of Downtown Berkeley Station. The installation work will happen in stages so riders can continue to use the remaining current gates while new ones are being installed. There will be additional BART staff as well as signage to direct riders to the open gates. The installation of each new array is expected to take up to two weeks to complete. The work to replace all six fare gates arrays at Downtown Berkeley Station is anticipated to continue into February.

A temporary barrier will be installed around each array when it is ready to be removed to provide a safe workspace for the installation team as well as to protect riders from construction. The work will not impact train service, but riders may experience a few extra minutes wait to pass through the fare gates during peak travel hours.

The latest work comes after BART has successfully installed Next Generation Fare Gates at 16 stations across the system. All 50 BART stations will have new fare gates by the end of 2025. You can learn more about BART’s Next Generation Fare Gates project here.

On Friday, March 14 BART will begin the installation of Next Generation Fare Gates on the concourse level of Concord Station. The installation work will happen in stages so riders can continue to use the remaining gates while new ones are being installed. There will be additional BART staff as well as signage to direct riders to the open gates. The installation of each new set of gates is expected to take up to two weeks to complete. The work to replace all the gates at Concord Station is expected to continue through the end of April.

A temporary barrier will be installed around each array when it is ready to be removed to provide a safe workspace for the installation team as well as to protect riders from construction. The work will not impact train service, but riders may experience a few extra minutes wait to pass through the fare gates during peak travel hours.

The latest work comes after BART has successfully installed Next Generation Fare Gates at 22 stations across the system. All 50 BART stations will have new fare gates by the end of 2025. You can learn more about BART’s Next Generation Fare Gates project here.

On Wednesday, May 28 BART will begin the installation of Next Generation Fare Gates on the concourse level of Colma Station. The installation work will happen in stages so riders can continue to use the remaining gates while new ones are being installed. There will be additional BART staff as well as signage to direct riders to the open gates. There will also be a service gate available for those riders who would typically use an accessibility gate. The installation of each new set of gates is expected to take up to two weeks to complete. 

A temporary barrier will be installed around each array when it is ready to be removed to provide a safe workspace for the installation team as well as to protect riders from construction. The work will not delay train service, but riders may experience a few extra minutes wait to pass through the fare gates during peak travel hours.

The latest work comes after BART has successfully installed Next Generation Fare Gates at 36 stations across the system. All 50 BART stations will have new fare gates by the end of 2025. You can learn more about BART’s Next Generation Fare Gates project here.