By BART Communications

2023 has been a big year for BART as we laid the critical groundwork toward a new vision and a better future. It’s a future that features a cleaner, safer, easier-to-use BART that prioritizes all riders – and it’s right around the corner.

Here are 23 things BART is proud of this year. 

We understood travel patterns were changing…so we changed with them.

1. BART listened to riders clamoring for more comprehensive service outside 9-to-5 work hours. We increased service during nights and weekends, where ridership is growing fastest. From weekend sporting events to evening concerts, BART is dedicated to being the safest, fastest, most reliable way to get where you need to go for fun.

We made historic updates to modernize our system.

2. We are now running exclusively new trains as part of the base schedule.

3. We migrated to 100% digital payments, eliminating paper ticket waste, and paving the way for our new state-of-the-art fare gates that will bolster ridership, revenue, and rider safety in 2024.
4. We rolled out the first gatesto the public at West Oakland Station this week, ending the year with yet another upgrade to BART’s public safety infrastructure.

We doubled down on safety and cleaning.

5. We released our Safe & Clean Plan to show the progress we have made in making our system cleaner, safer, and more reliable.

6. Customer on-time performance is at 92%.
7. We doubled the police presencein the system, and we won awardsfor using unarmed Ambassadors and Crisis Intervention Specialists to increase staff presence in our system and help people in need.
8. We discontinued the disruptive fare inspections during the morning commute at Embarcadero Station and re-deployed the fare inspectors to ride trains and inspect Clipper cards at more stations.
9. We started running shorter trainsto enhance safety because data shows without a doubt that active spaces are safer spaces.
10. We launched our “Let’s Talk About Us” campaignabout domestic violence and Phase II of our Not One More Girl initiative addressing sexual harassment. We believe using art to change a culture of violence and building community partnerships to make BART safer is important.
11. We doubled the rate of deep cleaning train cars, and we increased the pressure washing of stations.

We made stations more welcoming.

12. We made it easier to pay for parking with the new Tap-and-Gofeature on the Official BART Mobile App that allows customers to pay for parking with just one tap.
13. We reopened newly remodeled all-gender restrooms at Embarcadero and Downtown Berkeley stations. We now have six open underground restrooms. 345,000 people used these attended, clean, and safe restrooms in 2023.
14. We deployed a comprehensive strategy to clean up Civic Center, resulting in a dramatically improved station experience from previous years.
15. We now have ten brand-new escalators in downtown San Franciscoand six new canopies along Market Street.
16. We’re increasing the discount for low-income riders from 20% to 50% with the Clipper START programbeginning January 1, 2024.

We advanced our efforts to build housing on our property. 

17. BART was proud to celebrate the openings of three transit-oriented development projects– Gateway at Millbrae Station, Waymark at Walnut Creek, and Kapuso Upper Yard at Balboa Park, creating over 1,100 new homes, including over 200 new affordable homes.
18. We advanced two additional projects by signing lease options with our selected developers at West Oakland and Phase I at Lake Merritt. These will bring nearly 1,200 new homes, including more than 400 affordable homes for riders who need them most.

We focused on responsible long-term planning to secure a thriving BART today and long into the future. 

19. We delivered a balanced budget during the most difficult financial time in the history of American public transit. The Grants team secured nearly $400 million of fundsin 2023 to help pay for improvements and reinvestment within the BART system.
20. We welcomed our new Inspector Generaland nearly tripled the office’s budgetso it can expand and perform even more audits and investigations to identify waste, fraud, and abuse and ensure we are maximizing our efficiency.
21. And most impactful of all, we successfully advocated to get financial assistance from the state budgetthat immediately averted an impending fiscal cliff. BART stands to receive 45% of the region’s allocation and we will continue to build the case for long overdue investment.

We got to know our riders and celebrated transit with our biggest fans.

22. From our book club to new anime mascots, we activated our stations and trains with fun events to welcome people back to BART.

We also haven’t lost sight of the future.

23. The Link21 program was awarded $11.3 million in project development funds from the state, reaffirming the critical role of our efforts to build a second train crossing between Oakland and San Francisco in helping the State achieve their State Rail Plan vision for Northern California. Link21 launched its first 18-member, community-based Equity Advisory Council to advise program on priority population concerns, including anti-displacement, connectivity, access, and service needs.

BART remains the best and the safest way to travel the Bay Area.

We are proud of what we accomplished in 2023 – from investments in public safety, modernizing our trains and schedules, improving infrastructure, increasing equity, and working toward a secure fiscal future. But we know there’s always more to be done. We can’t wait to show riders what’s in store in 2024 and beyond as we continue driving our vision for the future of Bay Area public transit.

Making way for new fare gates

Paper ticket holders will need to seek refund

By Bay Area Rapid Transit District

It is an end of an era.

Beginning November 30, 2023, paper tickets will no longer be accepted at BART. This change is occurring as BART begins to roll out new state of the art fare gates we have ordered which will not accept paper tickets and as Clipper prepares for the launch of the next generation of Clipper.

Paper tickets balances cannot be transferred onto a Clipper card. BART offers paper ticket refunds for tickets with a remaining value greater than $1.00. It can be multiple tickets that add up to $1 or more. Click here for directions to request a refund.

Pay By Phone

Clipper is now available through Apple Pay and Google Pay. Riders can get a new Clipper card on their phones for free (normally $3). Funds added using Apple Pay and Google Pay are immediately available for use.

Set up is easy and can be done on the spot or in advance while you are at home. Every rider needs their own digital card. For families travelling together, multiple cards can be added to an Apple phone, but users must turn off Express Transit mode to toggle between each card when tagging at the fare gate.

Next Generation Clipper

BART has moved 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 calendar year 2024, the next generation of Clipper will be rolled out including open payment which provides the option to tag a credit/debit card at a BART fare gate, including Apple Pay or Google Pay, without setting up a card on your phone in advance. The next generation of Clipper also opens the door for new discount programs, promotions, and potentially fare capping for BART riders.

On Saturday, September 30, 2023, BART ceased the sale of magstripe paper tickets at SFO. Only Clipper cards are available at SFO vending machines and riders will continue to be encouraged to add a Clipper card to their phone for a card-free option.

BART began offering paper tickets at SFO in October 2022 in response to global supply chain issues impacting the region’s plastic card inventory. The region now has an adequate supply of cards and BART will eliminate the sale of all paper tickets. This includes the sale of red paper tickets at the Customer Service window at Lake Merritt Station for RTC applicants waiting for their Clipper card to arrive and paper tickets for group sales.

Riders are still able to use the paper tickets they already have on hand, including weekend promotion tickets, to enter and exit through most fare gates until November 30, 2023.

Refunds

Paper Ticket Refunds

Beginning November 30, 2023, paper tickets will no longer be accepted at BART. This change is occurring as BART begins to roll out new state of the art fare gates which will not accept paper tickets and as Clipper prepares for the launch of the next generation of Clipper.

Paper tickets balances cannot be transferred onto a Clipper card. BART offers paper ticket refunds for tickets with a remaining value greater than $1.00.

Until November 30, 2023, riders with paper tickets will be able to add enough fare to a paper ticket to exit a station using cash at the Addfare machines located inside the paid area of each station.

You have 3 options for getting a refund:

1. A Station Agent can help process a ticket refund request. The agent will have you fill out a form and you will provide the agent with your ticket(s) and the agent will send it to BART Treasury. Treasury will mail you a check. This option helps you avoid paying for postage and is the most secure option. The refund may take 4-6 weeks to process.
2. You can also visit the Customer Services Center at Lake Merritt Station to drop off tickets in a sealed envelope addressed to BART’s Treasury Department. Please include your name, phone number, and return address and note that you are seeking a refund of paper ticket(s) using this form. A receipt will be provided for dropping off your envelope.
3. Mail the ticket(s) to BART’s Treasury Department. Include your name, phone number, and return address and note that you are seeking a refund of your paper ticket(s) due to BART’s elimination of paper ticket sales. Station Agents can also provide pre-addressed envelopes to Treasury. Due to observed delivery issues this is a less secure option. It is recommended that items of value be insured when selecting this option.

Mail it to:

BART Finance Department

2150 Webster, 9th floor, Oakland, CA 94612

Attention: Requests

BART’s Treasury Department will then process the refund. You will get a check in the mail at the address you provide. The check may take 4-6 weeks.

Tickets submitted for refund must have been purchased by cash or debit card. Tickets purchased with a credit card (there will be a small “c” on these near the magnetic stripe) will be credited back to the credit card which was used to purchase the ticket.

BART doesn’t offer cash refunds.

BART will also refund full unused paratransit ticket books.

Tickets purchased using pre-tax dollars/Commuter Checks are not refundable due to federal restrictions of the Commuter Check program

For more information, call the BART Treasury at (510) 464-6841.

Clipper Refunds:

Only registered Clipper cards,  are available for refunds. Please contact Clipper Customer Service at 877.878.8883 to request a refund without cancelling your card.

Ticket Donations (“Tiny Tickets”)

Donations of tickets with unused value of less than $1 can be made to local non-profits. Check with your favorite non-profit or charity organization to see if it accepts these small value tickets. Former Tiny Ticket non-profit organizations can still submit these tickets for refund directly to BART Treasury.

Submit to:

Refunds, BART Treasury Department

2150 Webster St., 9th floor, Oakland, CA 94612

If you have a question, please call (510) 464-6841.

Replacement Tickets:

BART’s Treasury Department will no longer issue replacement tickets in order to reduce the use of tickets in the system. Due to increased Clipper Card use and the corresponding reduction in use of paper tickets, the Ticket Exchange Booth at 12th St Oakland City Center Station has been permanently closed.

Need help?

BART Customer Service is available to help riders with inquiries over the phone at (510)464-7133 or in person at Lake Merritt Station (concourse level).