SMART, Marin Transit to join the low-income fare program
Organizations plan to offer 50% fare discounts to qualified low-income riders as soon as November
SMART and Marin Transit plan to begin offering 50% fare discounts to qualified low-income riders as soon as November.
“Particularly now with the pandemic causing financial distress,” said Joanne Parker, SMART’s programming and grants manager, “SMART is a community asset enabling people to have access to economic opportunity along the Highway 101 corridor without having the financial hurdle of having to first buy a car to get to a job or the time hurdle of having to spend hours on a bus to get to work.”
The two transit agencies are part of a cohort of 17 Bay Area transit operators seeking to join the discount program, known as Clipper START.
The 18-month pilot program led by the Metropolitan Transportation Commission launched July 15 with four agencies — BART, Golden Gate transit and ferry, Caltrain and San Francisco Muni — providing between 20% to 50% fare discounts. Golden Gate buses and ferries offer a 50% fare discount.
Riders who qualify for the discount must have a wage that is 200% of the federal poverty level or about $75,000 per year for a family of four. After the rider enrolls, the discount is applied through their Clipper card.
The Metropolitan Transportation Commission, or MTC, did not originally intend to expand the program but changed its mind following the economic impacts caused by the coronavirus, greater interest among other agencies and an influx of federal stimulus dollars.
MTC set aside $ 5 million of the $1.3 billion in CARES Act funding it received to expand the Clipper START program, which will be used to subsidize some of the fare discounts. Transit agencies will be expected to absorb some of the lost fare revenue.
However, the dramatic ridership losses since the coronavirus pandemic began are expected to significantly lessen these costs.
Before the pandemic, the Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District, which operates bus and ferry service, estimated the program would result in $500,000 to $1 million in fare losses, of which $300,000 to $500,000 would
be covered by MTC subsidies. Adding the discount to local Marin Transit bus rides would add $22,000 to $40,000 to the total cost.
Under pandemic ridership levels, the revised fare loss estimates are at $ 53,000 to $106,000 per year with the inclusion of Marin Transit expected to add costs ranging from $15,000 to $30,000.
If Marin Transit adopts the discount program, the fare for local bus trips in Marin would drop from $2 to $1 for eligible riders.
SMART had been urging MTC to allow them to join the fare discount program but was initially denied. Before the pandemic, SMART estimated a 50% fare discount could result in an annual $221,497 loss in fare revenues, which could be offset byMTCsubsidies andan increase in new riders. However, Parker said SMART doesnot have an estimate at this time of howmany riders may use the program.
The Golden Gate Bridge board held a public hearing Sept. 18 on adding Marin Transit to the discount program. While no one spoke at themeeting, several written comments expressed support for expanding the discounts.
“GoldenGate transit is the nicest cleanest transit system in the Bay and it should be accessible toworkerswho support the wealthier Marin residents,” Marin resident Susan Nawbary wrote to the district. “Not everyone in Marin is wealthy. There is a segment of lower-income people hidden in the background. Bring those people out of the shadows by helping them in Marin, one of the wealthiest counties in the country.”
David Schonbrunn, the founder of the San Rafaelbased Transportation Solutions Defense and Education Fund organization, wrote that he “strongly supports” the discount program’s expansion.
MTC spokesman John Goodwin saidagencies looking to join the discount program will need to complete several administrative steps including confirming their fare tables and business rules, integrating them into the discount program and undergoing a Title VI analysis in some cases. The transit agencies’ governing bodies would also need to adopt a resolution committing to join the program.