BART Fares and Parking Fees Set to Rise

Public transportation costs are set to rise in the Bay Area, a region with some of the most congested freeways and longest commute distances in the country.

Last week, BART directors voted to pass a scheduled increase for ride fares and parking fees. These increases are designed to be small and incremental and to rise with inflation. The first fare hike will happen on January 1st, 2014 and will raise prices by 5.2 percent. That means the average ride will go from $3.59 to $3.78. Further fare increases will be implemented every two years until 2020.

In a BART press release, board president Tom Radulovich said the increases are necessary to keep the system up to date and make improvements going forward.

“These small increases are an important part of BART’s financial health, especially as we face a $10 billion unfunded capital need,” he said. “We want our passengers to know we don’t make decisions like this without great consideration.” ...................(more)

The complete piece is at: http://transportationnation.org/2013/03/07/bart-fares-and-parking-fees-set-to-rise/