Word to the Wise: Not just Paper Passes, No More Paper Transfers from BART to VTA as well

Word to the Wise: My own version of that includes every VTA day pass and BART transfers to be paper-free, so why that change? The inspiration of anyone heading out to take transit on Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) buses can now be more difficult for Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) riders who want to ride VTA, as I have learned in the past few days several weeks after I wrote my first blog on VTA paper day passes. As I first mentioned in a blog involving the issue of paper day passes, VTA has stated clearly on board their "VTA Take One" paper flyer, all buses, and ticket vending machines noting the major changes coming to the transit agency. I first said long before anyone else that VTA plans to discontinue paper day passes on VTA. The Clipper card and the Bay Area's Metropolitan Transportation Commission never mentioned on their websites nor their social media pages the awareness of VTA putting away the day passes and replacing both the day pass and monthly pass with a feature added to Clipper cards - which both pass transition phases are about to be completed.

The video that VTA spokesperson Brandi Childress said about Levi's Stadium for riders who transfer from the Mountain View Station or Fremont BART station is about to get more difficult in 2016, as I believed technology advances have made the Clipper card one of the more reliable all-in-one smart cards that eventually lead VTA to the paper-free day pass and BART transfers. When the first day of 2016 arrives, there will be no more paper day passes sold at VTA buses or light rail ticket vending machines (TVM). This could send shockwaves for most of VTA riders who is a transfer rider from other Bay Area transit agencies or from regular VTA riders who are unaware of the major changes implemented by VTA. For those who were not familiar with the monthly pass change to Clipper, VTA produced a video on YouTube in 2012 that strongly advised riders to obtain a Clipper card. This now also applies to both paper day passes and BART transfers.

For BART riders, this could be a major headache for those who regularly pay cash to transfer from BART to VTA. According to the VTA website, VTA plans to get rid of all transfers for both the youth and seniors/disabled, and wants to levy only a 50 cent transfer from BART to VTA. At the same time, VTA is not only getting rid of paper day passes, but also paper transfers from the Fremont BART station. AC Transit, however, will for now honor paper transfers from BART, but may soon elect to make major changes to the fare and transfer structure. The major transfer change from BART to VTA is the result of an inconsistent fare transfer policy between many Bay Area transit agencies, with a wide variation of confusion among customers who use the Clipper card to ride transit around the Bay Area.

Many transit agencies are already accepting the Clipper card as fare payment, with more to come in 2016. As County Connection, Tri-Delta Transit, WestCAT, and WHEELS are now accepting the Clipper card, those transit agencies has yet to react to the plans that VTA is already implementing. Other transit agencies who currently accept the Clipper card may have seen VTA's example of the major changes, as VTA is now becoming the first transit agency to eliminate both paper transfers from BART and paper day passes for use on both bus and light rail.

On the Clipper side, those riders who will ride VTA will be lucky, but if cash remains an option to any rider who transfers from BART, Caltrain, or SamTrans and wants to ride VTA buses or light rail, those riders will pay for every ride including Express routes, with no opportunity for any day passes.

Original Work: Kyle Chak
E-mail: chak595301@gmail.com
Twitter: @KyleSChak