Starting the week of June 8, BART will accelerate its expansion of the number of stations where Clipper is the only fare product available for purchase. Since August of 2019, BART has eliminated the sales of paper tickets at five stations (19th Street/Oakland, Embarcadero, Powell Street, Downtown Berkeley and San Francisco International Airport).
Accelerating this effort is part of BART’s 15-Step Plan to welcome riders back and will help to create a more contactless rider experience in the era of COVID-19.
At stations with parking,one ticket machine will be available for customers who opt to purchase a paper ticket to pay for parking. BART is also working to accelerate efforts to expand the official BART app parking payment feature to all stations (currently available at 5 stations) to offer contactless parking payments.
BART will schedule the stations each month. The following stations will be converted in June:
- Week of June 8 Dublin/Pleasanton Station
- Week of June 15 Coliseum and Oakland International Airport stations
- Week of June 22 Montgomery Street Station
- Week of June 29 Civic Center Station
Touchless Experience
As shelter-in-place orders begin to lift, and customers return to the system, BART is working to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Using Clipper helps this effort by allowing riders to avoid direct contact with fare gates, as the card only needs to be held over the fare gate card reader without touching. Riders can further protect themselves from contact with fare machines by loading funds onto their Clipper card online, allowing up to one day for the balance to post. For registered users, the Autoload feature will automatically replenish their Clipper balance.
While paper tickets will no longer be available for purchase at these stations, riders will still be able to use paper tickets to enter or exit through fare gates. Riders will also be able to add enough fare to a paper ticket to exit the station using add fare machines located inside the paid area.
Clipper Benefits
BART is also moving to a Clipper-only fare payment system because the region has prioritized the use of Clipper as the Bay Area’s all-in-one transit card administered by the Metropolitan Transportation Commission. In addition to being contactless, Clipper has many advantages over paper tickets:
- Clipper saves money. Adult paper tickets have a 50 cents surcharge on every trip, which equals $1.00 per round trip. With a one-time acquisition fee of $3.00 for a Clipper card, it pays for itself in just 3 roundtrips.
- Clipper is reusable and long-lasting, unlike paper tickets that get worn and tattered.
- Clipper is accepted by nearly all transit agencies in the region. Many other agencies offer discounted fares when using Clipper.
- Riders can set up their Clipper card account to reload automatically
- The loaded value on the Clipper card is secure when it’s registered. If you lose the card, the balance can be replaced for a nominal fee.
- The tag in and out system allows Clipper card users to move through fare gates faster.
- Clipper cards can be purchased at every BART station and at many retail outlets throughout the region.
- Paper tickets can jam our fare gates, so Clipper usage means more open fare gates, shorter lines and less fare gate maintenance.
- Clipper usage reduces the paper waste of the magstripe tickets in the BART system.
Customers can use Clipper anonymously. Clipper cards do not require registration. Registration is required for added benefits such as Autoload and balance protection.
To get Clipper online, find in-person locations, or details about obtaining a discount card for Senior, Disabled or Youth 18 and under, please go to www.clippercard.com
See answers to some of the frequently asked questions (FAQ) and the transition to Clipper-only sales here.
For more information, visit bart.gov/clipper
