Clipper transition delayed for some transit districts

Some San Francisco Bay Area transit districts may have to wait an extra year before joining the regional Clipper card program because the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (CA) does not have enough card readers. The agencies already integrated into the program carry 95% of the region’s transit ridership: Bay Area Rapid Transit, AC Transit, San Francisco Muni, Caltrain, San Mateo County Transit, Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority, and Golden Gate Transit. But the remaining 20 agencies are proving to be a challenge for MTC, which oversees the Clipper program. “Everything about the project has taken longer than anticipated and cost more,” said MTC spokesman John Goodwin. MTC has divided the smaller transit districts into four groups: East Bay, Highway 101 corridor, ferries, and Solano and Napa counties. MTC announced plans to extend Clipper to the ferry services by the end of January, but the rest of the rollout still has to be determined. Solano and Napa will probably follow a few months later because MTC has enough card readers for all the buses in those districts. But systems in the East Bay and Highway 101 corridor will likely have to wait another year until MTC can order more card readers from the manufacturer. Link to full story in Contra Costa Times.

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