Seamless Bay Area’s Integrated Transit Fare Vision
Under our Fare Vision proposal, riders would be charged the same amount no matter what mode of transit they use or how many times they transfer — providing more predictability for riders while encouraging people to use the fastest route available.
Today, Seamless Bay Area released a map of our Integrated Transit Fare Vision — a fully unified system of transit fares that would enable riders to travel seamlessly across the nine-county Bay Area with a single transit fare and free transfers.
The map divides the Bay Area into a series of 7-mile wide zones, each about the size of San Francisco. Fares are easy to calculate; riders simply count the minimum number of zones required to go between two points on the map, then look up the corresponding fare in the table.
Under the Fare Vision proposal, riders would be charged the same amount no matter what mode of transit they use or how many times they transfer, providing more predictability for riders while encouraging people to use the fastest route available. Daily, weekly, and monthly fare caps would also give riders free additional trips once they take transit at least 2.5 times per day, 9 times a week, or 36 times per month — eliminating the need for riders to decide before they travel whether to buy a high frequency pass. (Want to see how your transit costs could change? Check out our Fare Vision Map Fare Calculator)
“The map aims to demonstrate how a system of integrated transit fares could make transit easier to understand, attract more riders, and expand affordable access to housing and jobs,” said Seamless Bay Area Policy Director Ian Griffiths.
Seamless Bay Area’s Integrated Fare Vision would be a departure from the Bay Area’s current fragmented fare policies, in which riders pay additional fares and are subject to different rules each time they transfer between agencies, which can make both local and regional transit trips involving transfers expensive and confusing. MTC’s 2016 Means-Based Fare study found that low income riders frequently choose more time-consuming transit options to avoid the expense of transferring between providers; in focus groups, these riders expressed a preference for an integrated fare solution that made transfers more affordable and included regional passes that cover trips on different operators.
The Fare Vision Map resembles zone-based fare systems used in other regions—such as Zurich, Copenhagen, and greater Frankfurt— that have resulted in growing and widespread transit use in both urban and suburban areas.
Seamless Bay Area developed the map with the input of dozens of riders, policy experts, and other advocacy groups.
“Effective transportation is a racial justice issue. Affordable and integrated fares are essential to ensuring those who most depend on public transit can get where they need to go,” said TransForm Policy Advocacy Manager Hayley Currier. “The Integrated Fare Vision provides a blueprint for a more just and integrated fare system.”
Funding and governance reforms are needed to realize our Integrated Fare Vision
Over the long-term, fare integration would be an incredibly beneficial investment for the region. Earlier this year, MTC found that integrated fares were one of the most cost-effective projects the Bay Area region could invest in, attracting more people to transit and reducing costs for low income people. Other regions worldwide have found that fare integration provides similar positive impacts for transit ridership and revenue.
Zone-based fare systems in greater Zurich and greater Copenhagen inspired the Seamless Bay Area Integrated Fare Vision Map.
Our own sketch-level financial analysis of the Integrated Fare Vision shows that regional fare revenue levels would remain similar to the pre-COVID status quo, but that the transit system would need additional operating revenue to cover the additional discounts proposed for low income people, which is similar to MTC’s finding in its modeling for Plan Bay Area 2050.
Right now, the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) and the region’s transit agencies are in the midst of a Fare Coordination and Integration Study, which is exploring possible fare integration options and estimating the full costs and benefits of fare integration. Within a few months, we expect the Fare Coordination and Integration Study to produce a thorough financial assessment of multiple regional fare structures, including one that we hope will be inspired by the Integrated Fare Vision.
In addition to funding, transitioning to fully integrated transit fares would also require establishing a central regional authority with the ability to set fare policy, and collect and distribute fare revenue to transit operators across the 9-county region. While MTC runs Clipper, the region’s fare card, MTC has no control over setting fares, which is done separately by 27 transit agency boards. In order to realize the Integrated Fare Vision or a similar integrated fare system, the Bay Area will need to address its fragmented transit governance.
Other regions with zone-based fare systems similar to the Integrated Fare Vision have set up a lead transit “Network Manager” entity that sets fares across the region and distributes revenues fairly to transit operators based on the service they provide. In addition to overseeing fares, a network manager also aligns routes and schedules, and sets standards for branding, data, service, and customer information. (See Seamless’ blog post for more information about different models of network managers from around the world, which are associated with much higher rates of transit use than the Bay Area.)
The path to change, and how you can help
The goal of the Seamless Bay Area Integrated Fare Vision Map is to provide people with an easy-to-understand, visual picture of how a comprehensive system of integrated fares could work. It will take sustained engagement and advocacy from the public to help bring about reforms along these lines for the Bay Area.
Here’s what you can do to help:
Join us on Tuesday, Nov. 10 for a webinar about our Integrated Fare Vision. Hear from Seamless Bay Area co-founder and policy director Ian Griffiths about our Integrated Fare Vision, and find out how you can help us make these changes a reality in our region. It’s free and open to all. RSVP here. (Missed the webinar? Watch the recording and look at our slides.)
Send us your feedback! Tell us what you think about our Integrated Fare Vision by taking this quick survey. In the form, you can indicate whether you're interested in speaking or writing letters in support of Integrated Transit Fares at upcoming public meetings.
Sign the Seamless Transit Principles. If you or your organization haven’t yet signed the Seamless Transit Principles, it’s the easiest way to show your support for an integrated, easy to use, rider-friendly regional transit system. Individuals and groups who sign the Principles will be informed of opportunities to take action in the coming months at regional bodies and transit agencies.
Spread the word on social media. Spread the word about our Integrated Fare Vision on social media and among your networks! And follow Seamless Bay Area on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay up-to-date about developments as they happen.