Clipper START eyes expansion — Seamless Bay Area

As previously covered on this blog, MTC recently launched an 18-month pilot for a means-based fare discount program called Clipper START. The program launched with only four transit agencies offering discounts: BART, Muni, Caltrain, and Golden Gate Transit. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, MTC is now opening up the program to other interested transit agencies.

To participate in the pilot, agencies must offer a discount of at least 20% to Clipper START riders, with MTC paying for 10% and the transit agency paying for the other 10%. Agencies can also choose to offer a 50% discount, but they have to pay for the additional 30% themselves. Currently, Muni, Caltrain and Golden Gate Transit offer a 50% discount, and BART offers a 20% discount. At its July meeting, MTC approved a one-time funding commitment of $5 million to extend this same 10% subsidy to new transit agencies joining the program, paid for with CARES Act money. Unfortunately, no ongoing funding has yet been identified for this expansion beyond the pilot period.

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, MTC is opening up the Clipper START program to additional transit agencies. (Photo by Akit)

So far, 17 additional agencies have expressed interest in joining Clipper START. If all of these agencies do in fact join the program, 21 of the 27 transit agencies in the Bay Area would offer Clipper START discounts. Most of these agencies would offer a 20% discount, but three of them (Marin Transit, SMART and WETA) would offer a 50% discount. The only agencies that have not taken steps to join Clipper START are VTA, ACE, Capitol Corridor, San Joaquins, and two small city transit agencies (Delta Breeze in Rio Vista, and Readi-Ride in Dixon).

It's very fortunate that these three particular agencies are interested in offering a 50% discount. Currently, ferries operated by Golden Gate Transit (the Sausalito, Tiburon and Larkspur ferries) offer a 50% discount, but ferries operated by WETA (the Vallejo, Richmond, Alameda/Oakland, Harbor Bay and South San Francisco ferries, operating under the San Francisco Bay Ferry brand) offer none. Once WETA also offers a 50% discount, all ferries will offer the same discount, which is easier for riders to understand.

Golden Gate Transit also offers a 50% discount on its buses, but Marin Transit does not yet. These two agencies are very intertwined: Golden Gate Transit operates some of Marin Transit's bus lines, and the two agencies' fares are integrated for trips within Marin County. As a consequence, Golden Gate Transit does not currently offer a Clipper START discount on rides within Marin County. Once Marin Transit also joins Clipper START, riders in Marin County will also get a 50% discount, and Golden Gate Transit's discounts will no longer have a confusing exception for trips within Marin County. Once SMART joins as well, Clipper START riders traveling within, to and from Marin County will get a 50% discount no matter which agency they use.

MTC took an important step in approving this expansion of Clipper START at their August 26 meeting. Next, each individual agency's board will need to approve that agency's participation in the program. Depending on how fast these approvals happen and how well-prepared each agency is, some agencies could be ready to offer discounts as early as November. WETA, for example, published a call for public comment on the proposed discounted fares on September 3, with a WETA Board hearing scheduled for October 1.

This expansion of Clipper START is one of the important steps forward that Seamless Bay Area and partner advocacy groups recommended when the program was first approved. We urged that the program be expanded to more agencies around the region, and that the region take the next step forward toward integrating fares. In addition, a business case study on regional fare coordination and integration is now underway, which could lead to many more opportunities to make fares more streamlined and equitable in the future.