Find Your AC Transit Options During BART Disruption
News Articles
11/22/2013
Update, 8:10 a.m., Friday, November 22: BART reports that they are operating partial service today after recovering from a major computer problem. This information was prepared for the strike earlier this year, but alternative AC Transit options listed here are still correct. One difference between the strike and this disruption is that bus stops on BART property will not be moved today.
AC Transit is running its regular service—in the East Bay, to San Francisco, and to the Peninsula–during the BART disruption. We have some additional seating capacity on our existing local and transbay lines. We will supplement transbay lines to San Francisco with extra service to the extent possible*, depending on bus and operator availability. We offer the following suggestions to make your traveling easier:
Finding the bus you need:
Get full information on commuting to San Francisco (selected links also appear below):
- Overview Map of Transbay Service
- Map of the location of the Transbay Temporary Terminal in San Francisco
- Transbay Lines in East Bay Neighborhoods
- Transbay lines serving park & ride lots
- Descriptions of all AC Transit bus lines
- Printable Transbay Bus Service Overview and Bus Lines by Community, a brief flyer on non-commute AC Transit bus services, and a list of commute-hour bus lines that may be less crowded than the all-day F and NL lines.
- A printable flyer on other alternatives to BART service.
- Printable timetables and maps for many AC Transit lines, including all Transbay lines
- A printable page of scheduled departures from the Transbay Temporary Terminal
- Detailed map of all Transbay bus lines (2 megabyte PDF file)
- Map of stops at the Transbay Temporary Terminal
Detailed charts are available of alternative routes:
- From inner East Bay BART stations to San Francisco
- From San Francisco to inner East Bay BART stations
- From inner East Bay BART stations to Downtown Oakland
- From Downtown Oakland to inner East Bay BART stations
- From inner East Bay BART stations to Downtown Berkeley
- From Downtown Berkeley to inner East Bay BART stations
Other transit information resources:
- A great way to figure out the bus you need is to use the 511.org online trip planner. (Note that you will need to exclude BART under the “Additional Options” button to get your alternative trip plan.)
- Use the AC Transit system map to find your origin and destination. When you know the bus you want, find the schedule and line map.
- Use mobile apps on your smartphone or tablet to get trip plans or find other information on AC Transit.
- A sheet with alternative transit services to areas of the outer East Bay not served by AC Transit. (More complete information can be found on the Transit Options page at alert.511.org.)
- A small poster with the URL for this page, including a QR code.
Paying your fare:
- Fares may be paid with Clipper, the Bay Area’s smart card for transit, or in cash (bills & coins). With heavy passenger loads, paying with Clipper or coins rather than bills will speed boarding and help keep the buses moving.
- AC Transit buses accept exact fare only. (Drivers do not make change.)
Cash Fares (effective August 1, 2011) | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Adult (19-64) | Youth (5-18) | Seniors (65+) & Persons with Disabilities | Transfers | |
Local (within the East Bay) | $2.10 | $1.05 | $1.05 | $0.25 |
Transbay | $4.20 | $2.10 | $2.10 | Free |
If you are paying cash, and plan on first riding a local AC Transit line and then transferring to a Transbay line, tell the bus operator on the first bus that you want to ride Transbay. Then, pay the full Transbay fare on the local bus. You can then receive a free transfer to the Transbay bus. (This is one more way that using a Clipper card is easier because it does all this automatically!)
Riding tips:
- Get to your bus stop early.
- Have your fare ready before boarding.
- Allow extra time to get to your destination.
- Offer any assistance you can to your fellow riders.
For more information:
Call 511 and say “AC Transit” for personal trip-planning assistance**. During the strike, our Telephone Information Center hours are Monday-Friday, 6am-7pm; weekends & holidays, 9am-5pm.
Visit alert.511.org for updates about BART service.
…and finally:
Some buses will be overloaded while others may have room. Use the hashtag #actransit on Twitter and other social media to share information about conditions on your bus.
Help us get the word out by forwarding this page to your colleagues, friends, and family. We appreciate it!
**In the event that 511 is not working (due to regional call overload) call (510) 839-2931.
Article originally posted 10/11/13.