SamTrans Board approves participation in Clipper START program

SamTrans will participate in the Clipper START program beginning January 2021. The board of directors approved participation in the Metropolitan Transportation Commission’s (MTC) means-based pilot program on Nov. 4.

The Clipper START pilot program will allow qualifying adult, lower-income SamTrans riders, to receive a 50-percent fare discount off the adult single ride fare. Clipper START participants will pay $1 for a one-way ride and receive free transfers to other SamTrans routes within two hours. The program will be evaluated for possible continuation throughout the 12-month pilot period.

Clipper START uses the Clipper transit fare payment system to discount the cost of one-way rides for adults (ages 19-64) whose household incomes are no more than twice the federal poverty level (for example, $52,400 for a family of four). Clipper START participants receive discounted fares on participating transit services around the Bay Area, including Caltrain and Bay Area Rapid Transit.

For most Bay Area households, transportation is the third-biggest monthly expense — trailing only the cost of housing and food. SamTrans says Clipper START could be a critical program for many families, particularly in the current economic climate.