In an unprecedented and rather shocking move, BART is raising the price of parking in certain lots for the second time this year.

Not for everyone, mind you. Just thousands of riders who use five particular stations in one form or another: Glen Park, Rockridge, San Bruno, West Oakland and mine, Walnut Creek. I was still getting used to the sticker shock of the Jan. 1 increase, which took a reserved space from $6 to $7.80. Now, that spot will cost me $9. Nine dollars. 

It’s a busy station, and that’s exactly why they’re doing it — punishing the people who actually use public transportation the most. I thought it was a sick joke when I received an email informing me of the price update Wednesday morning, literally on my way to the station at the bustling intersection of California Boulevard and Ygnacio Valley Road. 

Certainly I was the target of some weird transpo-spam to really get my morning blood boiling? Nope. It was legit. 

“We wanted to provide ample notice that starting July 1, 2026, BART parking rates will be changing at 7 stations, including your station, to reflect demand-based adjustments in line with BART’s Parking Pricing Policy,” the email wrote.

Yeah, sure, that’s ample notice to let my San Francisco managers know that, sorry, but I can’t afford to make our daily morning meeting IRL anymore and I certainly won’t be arriving before 10 a.m. on any of the required in-office days. 

If I can even get a spot anymore, that is. The station is so busy I’m often white-knuckling the steering wheel as I wind my way to the top of the garage looking for parking. The non-reserved daily fee went from $3 to $3.90 to $5 starting in July, but it’s often full by 10:30 a.m. 

In an email to SFGATE, BART spokesperson Alicia Trost explained that the January increase was to get all the stations to the baseline per the parking price policy that BART’s Board of Directors adopted in 2023. She also shared that for two stations with low sales — Union City and Castro Valley — the price of parking will actually decrease.

Yes, you read that right. 

“It is based on if a lot is reaching capacity, then we will increase the price. If the lot is not reaching capacity, the cost will decrease,” Trost wrote. So your anger is valid. BART is penalizing people who use it and rewarding those who do not.

Maybe I should just take a sick day.