Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) announced it will discontinue its production of paper tickets and will be replacing them with Clipper cards beginning on Nov. 30.
BART started selling paper tickets at the San Francisco International Airport station (SFO) in October of 2022 and sold paper tickets because of global supply chains' consequential effects on the local plastic card inventory, according to the BART website.
Since the region now has a substantial supply of cards, BART will be eliminating the sale of all paper tickets, including the sale of red paper tickets at customer service windows, according to the same source.
Every other station besides SFO has physical Clipper cards available to purchase at vending kiosks. This will be discontinued after the November deadline, according to the same source.
BART is trying to introduce the “Next Generation Clipper” system, according to its website.
The “Next Generation Clipper” system is an “all-in-one” transit card with the option to tag a credit or debit card at the BART fare gate and create a Clipper system that can be accessible with Apple Pay or Google Pay, according to an Oct. 27 BART webpage.
BART is aiming to fully transition to this system by 2024, according to the same webpage.
“I don't like the switch to Clipper cards only,” BART rider Francesca Wilson said. “Anyone who rides infrequently has to buy a whole card, which they might throw away. A waste of even more resources than paper cards. I’m against this change.”
Wilson said she isn’t the only one who would benefit from lowering fares or make other environmental changes.
She said recycling paper tickets is better for the environment than producing plastic cards.
“I would bring in plants and trees, make other environmentally friendly changes,” Wilson said.
Neeraj Chandra Penumaka, a San José State computer science junior and BART rider, said his convenience is the top priority for him.
“I feel really happy about paper tickets being removed from BART because it reduces the stress of buying new tickets each time you run out and we also save paper in that manner,” Penumaka said.
He said uprooting the ticket system makes it easier for travelers because it eliminates the process of printing several tickets.
Penumaka said it may also reduce long lines and clutter.
“The Clipper card can be used several times by adding money from credit or debit cards and it can be easily replaced if it is not functioning properly,” Penumaka said.
He said as a result, the strenuous part of getting a new ticket on each trip is reduced.
Penumaka said if he could change one thing on BART, he would provide internet access, so travelers could work while riding in the train cars.
“I have never used a ticket myself, but I have seen others use them adding the correct amount of money,” Penumaka said.
Penumaka said purchasing a new ticket each time they get off at a stop tends to become an unnecessary source of frustration.
Saanvi Madhura, Santa Clara County resident and frequent BART rider said there are both pros and cons to the change.
“I think it’s a good thing because with paper tickets you have the risk of losing them,” Madhura said. “If it’s digital then there’s no risk of losing your ticket.”
Madhura said this upgrade is the best thing that could have happened to BART and its passengers because it shows BART officials are thinking about the future and the environment.
“I think the pros, like I said, is that there is no risk of losing (the tickets),” Madhura said. “Most people have a smartphone. You can have the app and it’s really convenient. You can track your balance. You can plan ahead if you need to put money in your account.”
Madhura said her biggest concern is if somebody doesn’t have a smartphone, and therefore cannot access the Clipper app.
Madhura said the biggest element that riders are looking forward to is the convenience of having your ticket on your phone and ditching the line.
She said the average rider can reload their card, check his or her balance and know exactly how much money is needed whether they are going to the next city or on an excursion around the Bay Area.
Madhura said however, BART innovators should spend less time making ticketing more convenient and try to change other aspects of BART.
She said the first thing that should be addressed is safety.
“I think safety is one thing that would really be my concern,” Madhura said. “How are they trying to enforce that and keep the riders safe? Certain stations used to have a lot of grab-and-go, people taking laptops and running out before the train closed.”
Her other concern is enforcing security to make sure people don’t get a free ride without actually paying for it.
Madhura said BART used to run on an honor-based system.
“They expect everybody’s paying and giving their due,” Madhura said. “That’s not always the case. If there are not enough funds, they cut all the services, which impacts the people that are actually paying and riding regularly.”
Madhura also said this change is a good thing because with paper tickets you can easily lose them to theft versus always having it on your phone.
However, Madhura’s stance on this change remains supported by her experience using similar light rails in multiple countries.
“Personally, I like it,” Madhura said. “It’s very convenient.”
