Local briefs

Bay Area Rapid Transit officials are warning Bay Area travelers that it’s more important than ever to stay away from BART ticket scalpers.

In the past, many scalpers defrauded the system by creating counterfeit tickets, BART spokesman Linton Johnson said Friday.

The thieves simply cut the magnetic strip on the back of the ticket into smaller pieces to create new cards. Those cards were then scalped to commuters for a profit.

Upon learning of the scam, however, BART officials recently reprogrammed their fare gates to recognize the counterfeit tickets.

The scalpers are still trying to sell the worthless tickets at BART stations, Johnson said.

"I’m sure many of the scalpers don’t even know we have the new system in place. Our biggest concern now is that our passengers are going to get caught by them,” Johnson said.

Once a counterfeit ticket is confiscated, its holder is out of luck.

"If they are involved in this scam, we’re going to confiscate the ticket and they’re not going to get their money,” Johnson said. "Scalpers may offer what looks like a great deal, but don’t buy tickets from them. Buy from the machine so you can guarantee the authenticity.”

Johnson estimated that BART loses about $300,000 a year due to counterfeit tickets. The transit service collects $180 million annually in fare box revenue.

BART’s pilot EZ Rider card program has not experienced counterfeit problems due to the complexity of its technology, Johnson said.

The card is tied to the user’s credit card or bank account and is imbedded with microprocessor chips. Passengers touch the card to a circular plate to gain BART admission.

"The technology on the chip is very difficult to counterfeit,” Johnson said. Your run-of-the-mill thief who cuts up the magnetic strip on a BART ticket wouldn’t know how to do it. You pretty much have to be a mastermind.”

San Bruno plans sobriety checkpoint at El Camino Real

A sobriety checkpoint will be conducted at El Camino Real and San Bruno Avenue Thursday, March 15, according to San Bruno police.

The checkpoint will take place 7 p.m. to midnight, police said.

One seriously injured

in Highway 1 collision

One person was seriously injured this evening and a second victim was taken to a hospital following a two-vehicle collision on state Highway 1 in Half Moon Bay, according to a police sergeant.

The crash around 5 p.m. on the highway's intersection with Filbert Street involved a BMW and a pickup, Half Moon Bay police Sgt. Dave Bolster said. One person was flown in an air ambulance for treatment of life-threatening injuries, he said.

Paramedics took another victim to an area hospital, Bolster said.

There were no citations or arrests, he said.

Planning commissioner

plans City Council run

Jerry Deal, a longtime Burlingame planning commissioner, announced his intention this week to run for City Council November 2007.

Deal said he made the decision at the urging of civic leaders and members of the community. Deal ran for council in 1999 and lost by a handful votes to Mike Coffey, who stepped down in June 2005.

Deal will be taking on Mayor Terry Nagel and Councilman Russ Cohen, both incumbents. Businessman Peter Comaroto said he is also running.

Park smoking ban into effect

An ordinance prohibiting smoking in any county park, beach or trail will go into effect Thursday, March 15, according to county officials.

Signs will be placed at entrance gates, kiosks and other visible locations at the county’s 17 separate parks, three regional trails and other county and local trails over 15,680 acres, officials said.

Citations would be a fine of $100 for a first offense, $200 for a second and $500 for each additional violation in a year, officials said.