Clipper contractor gives itself May 30 deadline to fix app issues for frustrated riders

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) — What was supposed to make paying for transit easier is instead causing headaches for some Bay Area riders.

The rollout of Clipper 2.0, the region’s updated transit payment system, has been plagued by technical issues since its launch in December, leading to missed rides, billing problems and confusion for commuters.

Now, the company behind the issue has given itself a May 30 deadline to fix them.

“I think not detecting the card was the biggest issue,” said rider James Ferrigno. “You couldn’t get into the account to add money. I had to have them open the gate and let me in.”

The updated system, developed by Cubic Transportation Systems, allows riders to pay with credit cards, debit cards and mobile wallets in addition to traditional Clipper cards. But on launch day, the system went down for hours, and transit leaders say problems have continued in the months since.

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At a recent meeting, the Clipper executive board — made up of transit officials from across the region — acknowledged ongoing issues.

“I see problems getting resolved and new problems coming up,” said Christy Wegener with the Livermore Amador Valley Transit Authority.

Among the most common complaints are transit passes not working and money disappearing from accounts.

“People aren’t using passes anymore because the passes weren’t working,” one speaker said during public comment.

Another transit official described adding money to their account on the Clipper phone app, only for it to vanish.

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“My bank card showed me the money was pulled, and now I can’t find the $20,” Sal Llamas with Alameda-Contra Costa Transit District said.

ABC7 Eyewitness News also encountered problems firsthand while trying to use the system at Daly City station, where one ticket machine was out of order and another would not accept cash, debit or credit cards.

The issues are driving a surge in calls for help. Officials say the Clipper customer service center handled more than 35,000 calls last month as riders sought assistance.

Cubic acknowledged the problems this week.

“Some riders are not having the experiences they expect,” said Cynthia Erg, vice president and senior manager for the company. “We take that very seriously.”

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The Metropolitan Transportation Commission, which oversees the Clipper program, says the issues stem in part from the complexity of transitioning to a new system while keeping the old one running.

“In simple terms, one are the difficulties of operating two fare payment systems in parallel with one another,” said MTC spokesperson John Goodwin.

Currently, both the legacy Clipper system and Clipper 2.0 are operating at the same time. Out of roughly 15 million Clipper cards in circulation, fewer than 1.5 million have fully transitioned to the new system.

The challenge is further complicated by the number of transit agencies in the region, each with its own fare rules and policies.

“All of these different ingredients need to be backed into the Clipper cake,” Goodwin said. “It’s a really, really complicated recipe.”

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Cubic says it is working to resolve the issues and has set a target of May 30 to fix critical problems and move forward with broader system migration.

The timing is critical for transit systems like Bay Area Rapid Transit.

The ABC7 Eyewitness News Data Team found BART ridership is up nearly 8% compared to last year, but it remains more than 50% below pre-pandemic levels. That drop in ridership has contributed to ongoing financial challenges for transit agencies.

Transit advocates are now working to secure new funding, including a push to gather signatures for a potential ballot measure that would support transit systems like Bay Area Rapid Transit.

But some worry ongoing technical problems could undermine public confidence at a time when agencies are asking riders to buy back in.

“I’ve lived in Europe,” one rider said. “Comparing Europe to the tech capital, I don’t know what’s happening. It should be more advanced.”

MTC has contracted Cubic since 2018 on a 10-year contract totaling about $500 million.