The latest hike is detailed in a federally required analysis of the equity impact on minority and low-income riders that the BART board of directors is slated to approve Thursday.
The 106-page report, which includes dozens of pages of largely critical comments from people surveyed about the proposed increase earlier this year, concludes that higher fares will have no disparate impact on BART’s substantial number of customers who are people of color or who have lower incomes.
Survey respondents who supported the higher fares said they understand the need, as the agency faces a budget crisis that could lead to service cuts as soon as mid-2026.
“Look, no one wants to have to pay more for things,” one of those surveyed wrote. “But I’d rather BART double fares than cut service. BART is essential to my ability to live, work, and have fun in the Bay Area.”
But those saying they were willing to pay more were outnumbered about two to one by people saying the agency’s fares are high enough.
“The more you increase the prices, the less likely people will want to even ride the BART, which will lower your revenue,” one commenter wrote. “… Y’all are just making Bart less and less accessible at this point.”
Because the BART board elected to phase in the previous inflation-related increase over the past two years, the next hike will mark the third straight year fares have gone up for the first time in the agency’s history.
BART offers a 50% discount for lower-income riders through the regional Clipper Start program. The initiative, which the Metropolitan Transportation Commission launched in 2020, offers reduced fares on more than 20 Bay Area transit operators and is available to those with household income of less than 200% of the region’s federally defined poverty level.
