Let’s take a moment to recognize those brave commuters that make the regular trek from Contra Costa to the South Bay. Here’s a quick roundup of South Bay transit news this month.
Caltrain phasing out paper tickets this month
Attention Contra Costa residents holding paper Caltrain passes: this is your last week to redeem your passes. Make that trip to Palo Alto or Gilroy before March 1, when Caltrain will begin only accepting the Clipper regional fare card.
Vending machines will continue selling paper one-way tickets, day passes, and zone upgrades, but starting next Tuesday, eight-ride tickets and monthly passes will only be accepted on Clipper cards. The last paper passes were sold on January 31, giving riders a month to use them. Don’t miss your chance to redeem your paper pass.
Clipper is already accepted by AC Transit, BART, SamTrans, Muni, Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority, and the Golden Gate Transit and Ferry.
Feds Recommend $130 Million to Fremont BART extension
The Federal Transit Administration, in the White House budget released last week, recommended a $130 million grant for the BART extension from Fremont to San Jose.
The entire 16-mile extension was split into two phases. The first phase, expected to cost $2.3 billion for 10.5 miles and open in 2018, received an endorsement from the FTA last year. After a new stop at Warm Springs, the BART line would extend into Santa Clara County with stops at Milpitas and the Berryessa district of San Jose.
The $130 million grant is not a sure bet – Congress has to approve the spending allocation, and Republican lawmakers promise to reduce the $128 billion transportation budget.
Even without Federal funding, the Warm Springs extension is still moving forward with a combination of state, regional, and county funds.
