Higher Fare For Clipper Card-Carrying Golden Gate Ferry Riders

SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS) -- Golden Gate Ferry riders who had been getting a discount because they use the Clipper Card will now have to pay a little bit more.

The 10 percent increase is actually much smaller than what district officials first proposed and goes into effect Sunday.

The 10 percent Clipper hike is a compromise. An early proposal called for a nearly 32 percent increase.

The Clipper system still provides a big discount over the cash one-way fare of $8.25.

KCBS' Chris Filippi Reports:

But with the increase, the one-way Clipper fares on the Sausalito ferry increase from $4.40 to $4.85 and on the Larkspur ferry it goes up from $5.15 to $5.70.

Golden Gate District Spokesperson Mary Currie said this is just one step they're taking to fill an $89 million, five-year deficit.

"We've done things like a salary freeze for employees for about a two-year-period. We've instituted a car pool toll at the Golden Gate Bridge and we've reduced some bus service," she said, adding that more fare increases are on the way.

"For buses and ferries, coming up on July 1st there'll be the annual fare increase that we institute to help keep pace with inflating costs it takes to operate the system," said Currie.

That increase is usually in the three to five percent range and covers all fares according to Currie.

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