BART To Cease Offering Paper Tickets At Balboa Park Station

BART will no longer offer paper tickets at Balboa Park Station as part of the transit agency's bid to promote Clipper.

Alex Mullaney Aug 5, 2020

Interior of Balboa Park BART Station — BART is removing paper ticket capabilities from Balboa Park Station. Photograph by Alex Mullaney/The Ingleside Light

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As part of its effort to eliminate the use of paper tickets, Bay Area Rapid Transit will cease using them at Balboa Park Station soon and at all of its stations by year’s end.

Riders will still be able to use paper tickets to enter or exit through fare gates as fare machines will continue to be located inside the paid areas.

The fare product change is described as a way “to create a more contactless rider experience in the era of COVID-19,” according to an announcement from BART. However the real reason is to prioritize the Clipper fare payment system, which allows riders to simply tap their Clipper Card for exit and entry into stations.

“Crews are currently working to complete the transition to Clipper at the Balboa Park BART Station as the district expands the number of stations where the only fare product available for purchase is the reusable, reloadable and regionally accepted Clipper card,” according to BART.

Clipper, which is administered by the Metropolitan Transportation Commission, saves money by paying for itself in three trips; can be reloaded automatically and used anonymously; reduced paper waste; and is accepted by most Bay Area transit agencies.