Budget Travel - Don't Like BART Fare Increase to SFO? New Employee Bus Offers Alternative

Because of the outrageous BART fare to SFO from all points instituted on July 1, 2009, the Airport started a free employee bus meeting every BART arrival at Millbrae - even the evening/weekend BART trains that go to Millbrae via the Airport. The bus is a standard transit model painted baby blue. It departs from Millbrae bus bay #6 at 5 minutes after each scheduled BART arrival, returning from outside the Airport BART station, International Terminal Departures Level, about 8 minutes after that (schedule posted at the doorway outside the BART station). ID is not checked, and the bus is used by the full gamut of airport and airline employees ranging from maintenance workers to pilots, often carrying luggage.

Thanks for this info. I wish I had found this a week early. It is quite ridiculous to pay $7.60 to go from Daly City to SFO.

Won't they notice if you're not in uniform?

Won't they notice if you're not in uniform?
Not if you can pass as a non-rev traveler or commuter (i.e. don't pack too much, don't have wild hairstyles that wouldn't fit a professional position, etc.). Plenty of employees fly out of uniform for all sorts of valid reasons. Just don't stand out of the crowd, and look like you know what you're doing. (That's the secret to getting pretty much anywhere in life...)

Thanks for this info. I wish I had found this a week early. It is quite ridiculous to pay $7.60 to go from Daly City to SFO.

I didn't expect to hear this. So why the fare has been increase due to operations cost. So it will try to boost more economy to be more recovered. I didn't realize know why the reasonable fare has gone up. I am not aware of BART from SFO to downtown San Francisco. So it will try to reductions the price in the future if they will have enough financial costly. It will might little bit more expensive to take on the trains.

So why the fare has been increase due to operations cost.

The airport surcharge was raised from $1.50 to $4 for each arrival/departure at the SFO station, along with a 10% across the board increase, because of a budget shortfall (basically, less riders this year). One of the Board members was quoted that it was easier to assess the fee at the airport because most of those travelers come from out of town. I paid $10 one way to get there today from Walnut Creek, a trip that was about $7 before.

I'm not expecting a reduction if the economy improves.

I'm not expecting a reduction if the economy improves.

I am strongly agree with you. If the globalization economy will be more improvement and if they will have more recoverable in 2010 timelines. I'll guaranteed that if they will comeback into the business and if they will have enough financial costly.

Not if you can pass as a non-rev traveler or commuter (i.e. don't pack too much, don't have wild hairstyles that wouldn't fit a professional position, etc.). Plenty of employees fly out of uniform for all sorts of valid reasons. Just don't stand out of the crowd, and look like you know what you're doing. (That's the secret to getting pretty much anywhere in life...)

So true ;)

Dang... quite a hike though for those who utilize BART :td: Its a decent system... but getting $$$!

For a family of 4... guess they'll be renting a car and parking cheap in Chinatown!

The lowest paid bart employee gets $136,000 a year.

The lowest paid bart employee gets $136,000 a year.

I'd sure like to see a source for that information. Train operators make around $62,000 a year in base salary.
http://www.contracostatimes.com/ci_12682351

Here's a flyer on the BART web site for entry level police officer at $48,000 a year:
https://jobs.bart.gov/psc/JOBS/EMPLOYEE/HRMS/c/HRS_HRAM.HRS_CE.GBL

I'd sure like to see a source for that information. Train operators make around $62,000 a year in base salary.
http://www.contracostatimes.com/ci_12682351


Here's a flyer on the BART web site for entry level police officer at $48,000 a year:
https://jobs.bart.gov/psc/JOBS/EMPLOYEE/HRMS/c/HRS_HRAM.HRS_CE.GBL

Just scroll down in the salary database to the bottom. My statement is true according the public record to which you supplied the link. No one makes just a base salary.

Just scroll down in the salary database to the bottom. My statement is true according the public record to which you supplied the link. No one makes just a base salary.

Wow! I never realized BART was like Wall Street. Bonuses up to 100% of their base?

But perhaps this database only shows the richer of the BART employees. There may be other train operators who don't make the list and are only at base.

Wow! I never realized BART was like Wall Street. Bonuses up to 100% of their base?

But perhaps this database only shows the richer of the BART employees. There may be other train operators who don't make the list and are only at base.

The list is the entire list of 3,200 Bartites. But Bart is not like Wall street. You don't have to go to college to work for Bart.

Wow! I never realized BART was like Wall Street. Bonuses up to 100% of their base?

But perhaps this database only shows the richer of the BART employees. There may be other train operators who don't make the list and are only at base.

On the web page, it looks like all employee salaries are listed!!! No wonder it's so expensive.

The lowest paid bart employee gets $136,000 a year.

Just scroll down in the salary database to the bottom. My statement is true according the public record to which you supplied the link. No one makes just a base salary.
The last page (229) shows employees with total pay under $100. LINK (http://www.contracostatimes.com/ci_12682351?appSession=480206974167864&RecordID=&PageID=2&PrevPageID=&cpipage=229&CPISortType=&CPIorderBy=)

I don't see what you're seeing. I looked through a lot of train operator total salaries, with overtime and other pay, and see the $62,000 base salary and lots with overtime (two I looked at had $10,000-$20,000 in overtime pay), and that just does not add up to $136,000. You're saying that their lowest paid employee made $136,000? I don't see it.

Look at this page (http://www.contracostatimes.com/ci_12682351?appSession=480206974167864&RecordID=&PageID=2&PrevPageID=&cpipage=50&CPISortType=&CPIorderBy=), for instance, with employees, after overtime, in the $90,000 range. See any there over $136,000?

Overtime is going to vary based on special events and vacancies. Any place with shift work is going to have overtime. I worked with someone that made more in overtime each year than he did in base salary (of course, he just about lived in the building). Someone had to work the overtime or I, or other employees, would be ordered.

A system service worker (janitor) makes $51,000 a year. I see one of them with $7,000 of overtime and other pay (could be night differential). That doesn't add up to $136,000 either.

Wow! I never realized BART was like Wall Street. Bonuses up to 100% of their base?

What positions get 100% bonuses?

You don't have to go to college to work for Bart.

BART's engineering staff may be surprised about this.

On the web page, it looks like all employee salaries are listed!!! No wonder it's so expensive.

It looks like I just clicked the link above without doing an additional search. The lowest pay is indeed $136k.

Once I do a search, I can see people with salaries below $100k.

You're right, I didn't go down the list far enough.

What positions get 100% bonuses?

Sorry. I was mistaken. I just did a cursory look. It's the overtime column I was looking at. As many have pointed out, the database link I followed was not complete and there are many others who make less than $100k. That database is sort of slow for me so it's a pain to navigate through.