BART's 3.4 percent fare hike goes into effect

Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) on Jan. 1 increased its fares by 3.4 percent to help pay for improvement projects.

Revenue from the fares will go toward the agency's "top priority" projects, such as new passenger cars, a new train control system and a maintenance facility in Hayward, Calif., BART officials said in a press release.

The projects are aimed at increasing passenger capacity, the number and frequency of rush-hour trains, and the reliability of the system as a whole, according to BART.

BART announced the plan to increase fares in April 2015.