BART fares to increase come January as agency increases gate security

WALNUT CREEK, Calif. - Fares are increasing for Bay Area Rapid Transportation, and the transit agency says it is also making changes to ensure people pay their fares.

Fares on average will increase by about $0.20 for BART starting in the new year. It could have been a lot more, but BART's board members all opted to change that. 
Through its inflation-based fare increase program, fares on trains would usually go up every two years if officials continue to follow that program. 
Come January, prices would have gone up 11%, but back in June, BART decided to shy away from that plan.

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You'll only see a 5.5% increase in January and another 5.5% increase in 2025. BART says this is expected to bring in an additional $26 million in operations funds. 
All of which will help pay for new fare gates at each of their stations. Construction on one of those stations was expected to start yesterday, but by Tuesday morning it did not appear that the work had been started. 

BART says that it will serve as a prototype for the rest of the transit system and is expected to be installed by January. The remaining stations will have their gates installed over the course of the next two years.

Now, the security gate panes are expected to be installed tightly together to prevent people who don't pay for fares from hopping over the gates and getting on the trains.

If you discounted rate, that includes any kids who are under 18 or any seniors over the age of 65 or anyone part of the Clipper start program, then you only have to worry about paying for about 50% of those fares. It used to be a 20% discount, but that will be part of another change in January.