The Mission bus takes almost an hour to travel downtown from Geneva, according to Muni’s schedule. BART from Balboa station to Embarcadero takes about 15 minutes. Why would anyone from the Excelsior choose to spend 45 extra minutes lurching on a bus instead zipping underground?

Money. The $45 adult Fast Pass can be used on BART for free within San Francisco. But seniors, youth (ages 5 to 17), and disabled riders who have discounted Fast Passes are shut out of this benefit and face a choice: pay again ($1.45 each way from Balboa to Embarcadero) or take a slow ride down Mission Street instead of under it.

Discounted Fast Passes cost $10 a month, $35 less than the standard adult pass. Just 13 round trips downtown, however, would push the cost to these pass holders over $45. The $35 Lifeline Pass available to some low-income riders is also not honored on BART.

The 14-Mission is the longest trolley route in the city at 7.8 miles, and the Mission buses compete with the Geary lines for highest ridership numbers. One reason buses downtown are already full when they crest the hill at southern Bernal Heights is the large number of riders who find it too expensive to take BART instead.

The discrepancy in Fast Pass access came up in last fall’s race for BART board director. Candidate Emily Drennen pressed the issue in her campaign against incumbent Ted Fang in the City’s west side.

“I want to raise the issue of why seniors, youth, and people with disabilities aren’t allowed to ride BART within San Francisco using their Fast Passes,” Drennen said in a letter to supporters. “I was shocked to learn about the inequities and injustices inherent in a fare structure that gives a benefit to people who can most afford to pay for transit, and withholds that same benefit to our most vulnerable residents: our seniors, youth, and people with disabilities.”

The Republican incumbent won, however, and the issue died down.

The current agreement has its genesis in the early 1980s, when Muni contracted with BART to honor the adult Fast Pass for rides totally within the City. This setup predated the federal Americans with Disabilities Act, which was passed in 1990. Because disabled riders do have access—they just may not be able to afford it—the ADA may not technically apply anyway.

In the 1990s, when Emilio Cruz was Willie Brown’s choice to head Muni, BART threatened to end the agreement and refuse to honor Fast Passes altogether, but public outcry beat back the takeaway. Bob Planthold of Senior Action Network, a disability advocate, thinks no one is happy with the current arrangement.

“Both BART and Muni feel they are at economic disadvantage with the current adult contract. BART feels it doesn’t get properly and fully reimbursed for its service and for the accounting processing. Muni feels it pays more than it can afford,” he said.

Though BART cites machine retooling costs and fears of cheating as reasons not to extend the agreement to youth, seniors, and disabled riders, Planthold points out that BART is already installing new ticket vending machines and accessible faregates, and adults have been known to cheat as well.

Marisa Espinosa of the Municipal Transportation Agency says an analysis now under way is asking how many riders would use BART with a discounted pass and what the costs would be. BART and the MTA are partners, and any change would be up to the boards of both, according to Espinosa.

Supervisor Jake McGoldrick has floated the idea of a transitional fare for young adults between 18 and 24, to ease the pain of suddenly having to pay more than four times more for transportation just by turning 18, when riders’ earning power is often nil and new expenses for higher education kick in. The issue has stirred comment on both sides. Some say Muni’s finances can’t take another such hit, while others stress that young people need help even after they turn 18, and encouraging them to stick with public transportation benefits everyone.

Meanwhile, action to end BART’s refusal to accept the discounted Muni passes is uncertain.

“MTA has requested substantial funding for a trial period to pay BART to honor other Fast Pass categories,” Planthold said. “Unfortunately, there’s no word yet from the mayor’s budget staff whether they will honor that MTA recommendation. So all the rest of the Fast Pass users remain in the dark.”

Fran Taylor can be reached at ftaylor@cmp.com or 415/947-6497.

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