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SFO, BART At Odds Over Airport Surcharge

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Jul 3, 2009 2:41 pm US/Pacific

SFO, BART At Odds Over Airport Surcharge

MILLBRAE (CBS 5 / KCBS) ―

Click to enlarge 1 of 1: The international terminal at San Francisco International Airport.
AP

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The additional surcharge BART leaders tacked on to the ride to SFO has pitted the transit agency against the airport. One side describes it as a bargain, while the other claims it's an unfair charge.

The surcharge on the BART to SFO line went up by $2.50, bringing the total surcharge for that line to $4. According to BART chief spokesman Linton Johnson, there are concerns for those who use it on a regular basis. "We are concerned about making sure that that trip is affordable, which is why we've offered the airport a 25% discount," he said.

Mike McCarron, spokesman for San Francisco International, said airport officials would like BART to remove the additional surcharge for airport workers, altogether. "For someone who's making barely above minimum wage as it is, to pay $8 a day in addition to the normal fare, you're looking at people riding from Daly City at around $15 each day for travel on BART," he said.

A shuttle service is now in place from the Millbrae BART station to the airport, at no cost to airport employees.

Johnson claims no airport worker has to suffer financially. "These hard working, low paid folks who deserve to have an affordable ride now have a deal in front of their employer that would allow them to get to the airport on BART, cost-effectively."