New Clipper START Partnership Makes Enrollment Easier

A new partnership between the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) and the California Department of Technology will soon make it much easier for riders to qualify for Clipper START, the region’s 50% fare discount program for low-income riders. This partnership was something Transform specifically called out in our latest report: Fair and Accessible Fares: Economic Justice in Transit.

Making it easier to access discounted fares

Transit riders are more likely than the general population to be low-income. Offering discounted fares makes essential transportation more affordable for the people who need it the most. But barriers, such as excessive paperwork or the need to apply in person, can prevent people with limited time and resources from accessing these benefits.

In our report, we suggested that all transit agencies use existing eligibility verification systems, such as those for Medi-Cal or CalFresh, to automatically verify eligibility for discounted fare programs. California’s Digital Identity gateway makes sharing income information easy and secure. MTC’s partnership with the California Department of Technology (CDT) moves this recommendation forward by simplifying and automating the verification process for CalFresh recipients who apply for Clipper START, which gives income-qualified riders half-price fares across Bay Area transit agencies. The automated process means riders already enrolled in CalFresh don’t have to submit as much information and may be approved for Clipper START as quickly as the same day.

The integration is still ramping up, but the slides from MTC below show a steady uptick in rider enrollments.

More ways to boost ridership and enrollment

In our report, we noted the disappointing rollout of Clipper START. The program had low adoption in its first five years. As we noted in the report, only 57,000 out of 1 million eligible riders enrolled during that time. 

That’s why, in addition to using existing verification systems to reduce friction in the Clipper START application process, Transform continues to recommend additional ways to boost lackluster Clipper START enrollment: 

• Partner with social service providers to promote it to the communities they serve.
• Extend the eligibility term beyond two years so riders don’t have to reapply as often.
• Do outreach at retail locations where riders reload Clipper cards.
• Seek additional funding for the program.

In recent months, however, the MTC has given Clipper START a boost with more ads aimed at transit riders. Now, the program is implementing one of the suggestions from Transform’s report, which should lead to greater uptake of this critical program.