BART seeks your input on critical issues including fare increases

 

NOTE: The community meetings have now all been completed, and the online research survey closed Friday, March 30, 2012. However, you can always submit your feedback on any issue to BART by using the email comment form.

 

Importante: BART trata de obtener su opinión sobre problemas críticos, entre ellos las opciones para el aumento de tarifas previsto para julio de 2012. Siga leyendo y responda a una encuesta. (.pdf) 重要提示： BART 正在就 2012 年 7 月的票价上涨选择方案等重要事项征询您的意见。阅读本文件并填写调查问卷。 (.pdf) Quan Trọng: BART xin quý vị đóng góp ý kiến về những vấn đề quan trọng, gồm cả những phương cách về việc tăng giá vé trong Tháng Bảy 2012.  Hãy đọc thêm và điền vào mẫu thăm dò. (.pdf) 중요: BART는 2012월 7월 부로 시행할 여러 요금 인상안 등을 포함해 몇 가지 중요한 사안들에 대한 여러분의 의견을 듣고자 합니다. (.pdf)

BART needs your input on these critical issues:

• A proposed fare increase effective July 2012
• The extension of BART’s current inflation-based fare increase program
• Clipper card distribution for seniors and youth
• BART’s draft environmental justice policy

These topics will be discussed at 10 community meetings in March. View meeting schedule.  If you are unable to attend one of these meetings, you may still provide feedback by reviewing the information below then taking an online survey. 

 

Proposed Fare Increase

The BART Board-approved program for small, regular inflation-based fare increases has been key to keeping BART’s service safe and reliable.  In order to continue providing such dependable service to a growing ridership, BART must replace its aging fleet of 669 train cars--most of which have been running since BART began operations in 1972--with new, more reliable cars.

While it will be several years before the first of the new train cars rolls down the rails, work on the project is already underway.  The cost of the long-range replacement plan is estimated at over $3 billion.   The majority of project funding will come from local, regional, state and federal government —with BART contributing 25 percent of the total.

To help fund BART’s contribution, BART is planning a small fare increase effective July 2012 that will raise approximately $5 million in the upcoming Fiscal Year 2013 (FY13).  This revenue will be part of BART’s plans to fund a portion of the train car replacement project and other infrastructure needs, as our system is now almost 40 years old.

Your input is needed on possible fare change options that could generate approximately $5 million next fiscal year.  The table below describes the three options, which include implementing the last of the current Board-approved inflation-based increases, and how you can determine your new fare, regular or 62.5% discount (for seniors, people with disabilities, and youths aged 5-12), under each option:
 

	Option	How to Determine Your New Fare
A.	Implement the last of the current Board-approved inflation-based increases by increasing fares systemwide by 1.4%	Regular:  View fare table. Discount:  View fare table.
B.	Increase fares for trips between the East Bay and San Francisco by $0.10	Regular: Add $0.10 to the current fare for your trip between the East Bay and San Francisco Discount: Reduce increased fare by 62.5%, and round down to nearest nickel
C.	Increase fares systemwide by $0.05	Regular: Add $0.05 to your current fare Discount: Reduce increased fare by 62.5%, and round down to nearest nickel

 
The following table shows sample regular and discount fares for the three options. 

Option	Minimum Fare	Walnut Creek - San Francisco	Hayward - Berkeley	Maximum fare
Current Regular Fares	$1.75	$4.75	$3.25	$10.90
A. 1.4% Inflation-Based Increase to All Regular Fares	$1.75	$4.85	$3.30	$11.05
B. $0.10 Increase to Regular Fares between the East Bay and San Francisco	$1.75	$4.85	$3.25	$11.00
C. $0.05 Increase to All Regular Fares	$1.80	$4.80	$3.30	$10.95
For the 3 Options: Discount Fares	$0.65	$1.80	$1.20	$4.10

 

BART’s Fare Increase Program

BART’s Board-approved fare increase program called for fares to increase by a small, inflation-based amount in 2006, 2008, 2010, and 2012.  As noted above, BART is now gathering the public’s input about implementing the 2012 inflation-based fare increase or raising fares by another amount.  BART is also asking for input on a proposal to continue using the current inflation-based formula in 2014, 2016, 2018, and 2020.  In each of these years, based on inflation projections, the estimated systemwide fare increase would be 3.9%.

By 2020, based on current assumptions, these four increases could add $50 million per year in new fare revenue.  Some of the additional revenue could go toward buying new rail cars as described above.  In addition, these funds could help pay for critical large-scale reinvestment in BART’s physical assets such as stations, the train control system, and the electrical system that powers the trains, which after almost 40 years in operation are wearing out or worn out.  BART is projected to need $7.5 billion more than is currently available to make all the needed system reinvestments, and this huge funding gap is a real challenge.

The formula  BART uses to calculate the amount of the increase averages the changes in national and local inflation over a two-year period, and then subtracts one-half percent to account for improved BART labor and operating efficiencies.  The resulting percentage increase is applied to fares that are then rounded to the nearest nickel.

The table below shows sample fares for 2014 that would result if fares were increased by an inflation-based 1.4% effective July 2012 and by an inflation-based projected 3.9% in 2014.

Option	Minimum Fare	Walnut Creek - San Francisco	Hayward- Berkeley	Maximum fare
Regular Fares	$1.85	$5.00	$3.45	$11.50
62.5% Discount Fares	$0.65	$1.85	$1.25	$4.30

 

View the complete regular fare table.  View the complete discount fare table.

  

Clipper Card Distribution for Seniors and Youth

BART is part of “Clipper,” the regional fare payment system.  Seniors and youth can get their discounted fare automatically by using the discounted Clipper card.  The discounted Clipper card takes the place of red and green BART tickets.  BART wants to ensure that eligible BART customers can readily obtain discounted cards in their communities. Your input is necessary to determine the adequacy of existing locations to obtain Clipper cards and to comment on what would be adequate for you and your community.

 

BART's Draft Environmental Justice Policy

This Draft Environmental Justice Policy will be discussed at 10 community meetings in March. View the meeting schedule.

 

Take a survey to give us your feedback.

BART values your input.

 

 

Updated: 03/07/2012 to reflect five new meetings added to meeting schedule and new flier with dates and locations of five new meetings