Why BART isn't offering free NYE rides when other transit systems are

Commuters and train riders at the Concord/Martinez BART station at nighttime. Commuters and train riders at the Concord/Martinez BART station at nighttime. Photo: Mardis Coers/Moment Editorial/Getty Images Photo: Mardis Coers/Moment Editorial/Getty Images Image 1 of / 20 Caption Close Why BART isn't offering free NYE rides when other transit systems are 1 / 20 Back to Gallery

When it comes to finding a free ride home after the clock strikes midnight — or much, much later — your bases are fairly covered.

This year, Muni will provide free service from 8 p.m. until 5 a.m. Wednesday morning. Same goes for Caltrain — the last train leaves San Francisco at 2 a.m. — with additional pre- and post-fireworks trains. SamTrans will also waive its fees for the night.

But those hitching a ride on BART will need to remember to bring their Clipper card along to the festivities.

The popular mode of public transit is extending its service until 3 a.m., but free rides are a no-go as they were in past years. BART spokeswoman Alicia Trost explained to SFGATE it’s because BART doesn’t get subsidized to the extent of other transit systems.

“We rely 2/3 of our operations from the fares we collect,” she said in an e-mail. “In other words, we can’t operate the system without the fares.”

This isn’t exactly new information. But BART’s director Janice Li hopes to see improvements with the pending implementation of a new Clipper system in 2022. Li said the system currently in place makes it difficult to accommodate dynamic pricing and special fare programs on the back end.

At a Nov. 21 board meeting discussing BART’s plummeting weekend ridership and quality of service, Li brought up how she had earlier asked the Metropolitan Transportation Commission — which operates Clipper, not BART — why an account-based system needed to be in place in order to consider such rates.

“Honestly, the only reason I got from MTC staff was, ‘It’s hard to explain, our current system is very complicated,’” she said at the time. “I mean, I get that it’s complicated but I would continue to urge BART to work with MTC to see whether there’s any relief — discounts or otherwise — we can provide.”

Li added she also brought the idea up a few months before, and that “there seemed to be a lot of support” from her fellow directors. She called the wait for the new system a frustrating one.

“I encourage BART staff to think about any programmatic efforts and any other fare ideas you have to implement (...) We need to give back to those who are sticking with us,” she said.

While these comments were made in the context of weekend ridership, it’s possible the transit system could offer discounts on other special dates in the future. For now though, you’ll need to pay up.

After 8 p.m. on New Year’s Eve, Antioch and Richmond line trains headed into San Francisco won’t stop at Embarcadero Station. Your best bet is to get off at Montgomery Station if you want to watch the fireworks.

On the contrary, if you’re taking the Dublin/Pleasanton or South Fremont/Warm Spring lines, you won’t be able to stop at Montgomery Station. Instead, riders will need to depart at Embarcadero Station. Trains coming from Millbrae, Daly City and SFO will stop at all San Francisco stations.

Need an alternative? Lexna, a ride hailing service from Los Angeles, is reportedly teaming up with Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) to give riders in San Francisco, Sacramento, Daly City, Palo Alto and San Jose a free lift after they ring in the New Year. They can be reached at (800) 395-3962.

Or — gasp! — just stay in. We've rounded up the perfect list of New Year's Eve movies for you to watch.

Amanda Bartlett is an SFGATE associate digital reporter. Email: amanda.bartlett@sfgate.com | Twitter: @byabartlett