SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) — Bay Area Rapid Transit District officials said “the end of an era” is happening on November 30, when paper tickets will no longer be accepted as payment from riders.
Paper tickets are disappearing and Clipper cards are taking over the transit system.
“This change is occurring as BART begins to roll out new state of the art fare gates, which will not accept paper tickets,” BART officials wrote. “The slot for paper tickets will be covered up.”
New fare gates are being installed in BART’s 50 stations as part of its “Safe And Clean” Plan with hopes to attracting more riders. The new fare gates will be taller and stronger to preveting fare evaders from hopping over them.
West Oakland’s BART station will be the first station with new gates installed. More than 700 gates will be installed systemwide by the end of 2025.
BART officials said the new Clipper-only fare payment system “opens the door for new discount programs, promotions, and potentially fare capping for BART riders.”
Paper tickets’ balances cannot be transferred onto a Clipper card. Until November 30, 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.
BART is encouraging riders to put a Clipper card on their mobile phones instead of obtaining plastic Clipper cards because of global supply chain issues.
Fares are based on distance traveled. BART trains connect the San Francisco Peninsula with communities in the East Bay and South Bay with 131 miles of track.
