SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS RADIO) – For the second September in a row, BART will charge half-price fares for riders using their Clipper cards.
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The agency announced the promotion on Wednesday, saying it will coincide with the 50th anniversary of its Sept. 11, 1972 opening. BART's 50% discount will also apply to already discounted fare, according to officials.
Last September, BART offered half-off fares in an effort to increase ridership as the agency continued to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. BART ridership remains far below pre-pandemic levels, even as offices across its service area have welcomed workers back on at least a part-time basis.
So far this month, weekday ridership has hovered between 30% and 35% of BART's pre-pandemic baseline. Last weekend, BART ridership was at 51% of its baseline on Saturday and 47% on Sunday.
There have been some BART bright spots, with May 30 ridership reaching 66% of what the agency would expect for a Sunday in May. The agency's 67,613 riders that day were the most in a single Sunday since March 2020, and its 90,998 riders on May 14 were the most for a Saturday during that time.
In another boost to bid ridership, BART will host a 50th anniversary celebration at Lake Merritt Station on Sept. 10 from 11 a.m. until 4 p.m. Agency officials said the free event will include the opening of a time capsule, as well as food trucks, games, music and prizes.
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