Bay Area commuters will ring in the New Year with higher fares.
BART is raising fares by 6.2% on Jan. 1, along with higher parking rates at some stations, as the agency faces a projected $376 million deficit by 2027. Tolls also will jump by 50 cents on seven state-owned Bay Area bridges.
The hikes come as BART experienced multiple service disruptions in 2025, due in part to aging infrastructure and power failures, even as ridership remains on the rise post-pandemic. The system registered more than 51.7 million total rides over the past year, peaking in October with over 5 million paid exits, according to data published by the transit agency.
BART asserts the increases are necessary to keep pace with inflation, fund ongoing operations and stabilize finances.
On average, fares will climb 30 cents, from $4.88 to $5.18. Short trips, such as Downtown Berkeley to 19th St./Oakland, will increase 15 cents, while longer journeys, including Antioch to Montgomery, will rise 55 cents.
Daily parking rates will go up 40 cents at most stations, with high-demand locations – including Glen Park, MacArthur, Rockridge and Walnut Creek – jumping 30%. Monthly parking rates are set to rise by more than $30 at hubs such as Millbrae, San Bruno and Walnut Creek, while dropping over $11 at several lower-demand stations.
BART Board President Mark Foley said the increases are necessary to maintain and improve service amid the looming fiscal cliff.
“As we ask the region for greater investments and support for BART while also making internal cuts to reduce costs, we also must ask our riders to contribute more towards their trips,” Foley said. “We will continue our commitment to enhance efficiencies and implement strict cost controls.”
BART dealt with multiple service disruptions in 2025, including outages caused by power issues and fires.
To save money next year, the agency plans to “institute cost savings and deferrals of $108 million to maintain current service levels and produce a balanced budget,” according to a press release. It also has been running shorter trains “to save millions of dollars on energy costs, adjust the service schedule to better match ridership, implement a strategic hiring freeze, target reductions across departments, renegotiate union agreements to reduce near-term retiree healthcare costs, and lock in low energy prices through long-term contracts.”
BART warns that failing to address the shrinking budget could force drastic cuts to train service. Potential cutbacks could include reduced trip frequencies, 9 p.m. closures, station and line shutdowns, no weekend service, mass layoffs, increased traffic congestion, setbacks to state climate goals, or even a complete halt to BART service.
Earlier this year, another Bay Area commuter rail system, Caltrain, warned it may have to cut service if it cannot close its budget shortfall by 2027.
In October, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Senate Bill 63 that allows a regional transit sales tax measure to be placed on the November 2026 ballot. The measure could generate about $1 billion annually over 14 years for Bay Area transit agencies, with BART expected to receive the bulk – roughly $330 million by 2031, according to the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC), the Bay Area’s regional transportation planning agency.
It would levy a half-cent sales tax in most counties and a full-cent tax in San Francisco and, if enacted, would fund BART, Muni, Caltrain, AC Transit, VTA, SamTrans and other systems across Alameda, Contra Costa, San Francisco, San Mateo and Santa Clara counties.
Meanwhile, the tolls will increase on the San Francisco-Oakland Bay, Antioch, Benicia-Martinez, Carquinez, Dumbarton, Richmond-San Rafael and San Mateo-Hayward bridges, according to the MTC. Two-axle cars and trucks will pay $8.50, up from $8, while larger commercial vehicles could see hikes of up to $3.50, depending on the number of axles. Carpools during peak hours will rise 25 cents, to $4.25. Tolls for the Golden Gate Bridge, which are administered by a separate district, are not included in this increase.
For detailed information on fares, parking rates and tolls, visit BART and Bay Area FasTrak’s websites.
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