BART may offer TSA priority line access to boost SFO ridership

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- Nearly 13,000 passengers ride BART to San Francisco International on an average weekday. A proposal is in the works to boost that number, not just to increase revenue, but also to address congestion issues from private vehicles.

The incentive is to give Clipper Card users access to TSA's priority security lines. A handheld scanner would verify that they used BART to get to the airport.

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Steve McNutt hails from Texas. He uses BART whenever he's here.

"I think it's a great idea," he said. "Public transportation is obviously a good way for the community to keep people moving along and good for the environment, too."

Tim Horrigan is visiting from Ireland where trains to the airport are favored over taxis and private cars.

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"If you incentivize, after a while it becomes the norm, and then you're ok after that," he said.

BART has developed trip verification software, which will confirm that the passengers passed through a BART SFO station fare gate. It will also collect and store the Clipper Card's serial number.

However, the information collected will not be shared, unless legally required. Data may be saved by BART for up to four and a half years. The reason for that was not provided in documents provided by BART.

Passengers often complain about delays at security checkpoints, especially during busy periods. So if there's a way to speed up getting to their planes, they embrace it.

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"I think it's a good idea," said Vacaville resident Martin Santos. "It helps out traffic. It helps out the entryway of people. More easier to get into the terminal."

"The proposal is still in its early stages, and there's some talk that other transit agencies besides BART might get involved.

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