BART will raise fares by 6.2% on New Year’s Day, citing inflation and long-term financial pressures, even as ridership continues to climb across much of the transit system, the transit agency said.
The fare increase will lift the average ride by 30 cents, from $4.88 to $5.18, based on inflation recorded in 2023 and 2024. A short trip like Downtown Berkeley to 19th Street/Oakland station will rise by 15 cents, while longer journeys — including the 45-mile Antioch-to-Montgomery Street trip — will cost 55 cents more.
BART expects the increase to generate $15.6 million in 2026. Parking prices will also change on Jan. 1, though details were not specified.
In November, the transit agency recorded an 11.6% rise in overall ridership from a year earlier, with riders taking more than 4.4 million trips, BART said. Growth was especially strong at many stations, including Downtown Berkeley station, where exits climbed nearly 20%, and 19th Street/Oakland and 12th Street/Oakland City Center stations, both of which saw increases of more than 20%. West Oakland and Embarcadero stations also posted gains of 24% and 17%, respectively.
Despite the momentum, BART says ridership would need to more than double to close its budget gap through fares alone. The transit agency still projects a deficit of around $375 million, highlighting what its officials describe as an outdated funding model that relies heavily on passenger fares in an era of remote and hybrid work.
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