Fines at West Oakland BART station increase

OAKLAND, Calif. (KTVU) - A parking spot at a BART station can be hard to find so the transit agency wants to crack down on people who are parking in those spots without paying for them. 

The West Oakland BART station is the most expensive BART station to park in. 

Since it is $220 for a monthly permit at that station, BART officials want to make sure the people who spend that amount of money - get what they pay for.

They're cracking down on drivers who park without paying at all...

Beginning Monday if you're caught parking in daily spots, without paying, violators will face a $55 fine.

That's an increase of $20.

The fine for people who park illegally in spaces that require special permits is also going up.

That fine is now $75 - up from $40.

Repeat offenders who rack up five to nine citations will face an additional $100 penalty.

KTVU spoke with one BART rider who parks regularly at the West Oakland station. He thinks the new fees are a good idea because he says it's getting tougher and tougher to find a parking spot at the station.

This is the first time since 2008 the fines for parking illegally have gone up.

They raised the amount because many people were doing the math and figuring out that paying a $35 fee was still cheaper than driving to San Francisco, paying a bridge toll and parking in the city.

BART officials hope the new $55 dollar fee will change that mindset.