Whether commuting by transit or driving, costs are going up on January 1, 2026.

On New Year’s Day, BART fares will increase by 6.2%, averaging about $0.30. This fare hike is intended to cover rising operating costs. Parking fees at BART stations will also rise, with individual station rates varying based on demand.

For Caltrain, Clipper discounts will be discontinued on New Year’s Day. The price of a monthly pass will increase, as it is now calculated using the Clipper fare. The original Clipper discount replaced the 8-ride paper ticket and was mainly for frequent commuters. Now, both BART and SMART use Clipper as their primary payment method, and first-time riders can use Clipper with smartphones or contactless debit or credit cards.

Despite the fare increases, transit agencies face a financial crunch due to the end of the federal COVID subsidy, while still slowly recovering ridership and fare revenue that plummeted at the start of the pandemic. Transit agencies plan to propose a tax for voters to approve in November 2026 to cover the ongoing funding shortfall.

Tolls on all Bay Area toll bridges, except the Golden Gate, will rise by $0.50 starting New Year’s Day. The additional funds will support bridge operations and maintenance. This is the first time since Regional Measure 1 in 1989 that the toll has increased by less than a dollar, made possible by all-electronic tolling.

In addition to bridge tolls, carpool rules will change on January 1 for all bridges except the Bay Bridge and the Golden Gate Bridge. On six bridges, carpools will now require at least three occupants and a FasTrak Flex toll tag set to 3+ to qualify for the toll discount. Carpools with two occupants may use carpool lanes on bridge approaches but will be charged the full toll.