How Can I Cross the Bay When BART Is Down?

Dealing with a BART shutdown anywhere is not a good way to start the day. Or end it. Or really spend any portion of it. 

According to the transit agency’s own data, hundreds of thousands of commuters depend on BART to get from one side of the bay to the other.

So when the Transbay Tube shuts down — meaning that no trains can cross the bay from San Francisco to the East Bay, or vice versa — the impact on how folks move around the region is massive.

And it’s not a super-rare issue. BART riders have already seen two TransBay tunnel closures this year, leaving would-be passengers waiting for hours for service to resume. 

When this happens, calling a taxi or using a rideshare like Uber or Lyft to cross the Bay Bridge isn’t an option available to everyone.

But there’s some good news: When Transbay BART service shuts down, the Bay Area’s public transit network offers a few alternatives to waiting for a crowded shuttle, including the region’s ferry and bus routes — even if they might not necessarily be the quickest way back across the bay, and require a longer walk from your BART station. 

We’ve rounded up the following list of your alternatives based on which BART station they’re closest to, for you to bookmark and use the next time Transbay service is down.

Click or tap on the Bay Area region where you’re starting your journey to find recommendations nearby.

San Francisco & the Peninsula BART stations, including:

• Embarcadero
• Powell Street
• 24th Street Mission
• Daly City

Oakland BART stations, including:

• MacArthur
• Rockridge
• 19th Street and 12th Street stations
• Lake Merritt
• West Oakland

Other East Bay BART stations, including:

• Richmond
• El Cerrito stations 
• Downtown Berkeley
• San Leandro
• Hayward
• Fremont

I want to cross the Bay from San Francisco or the Peninsula

Assuming that BART trains are still running through San Francisco, you can take any train to Montgomery Street station to access the city’s Salesforce Transit Center nearby. 

If you’re planning to catch a ferry, you can get off at Embarcadero station. 

If trains are not running through the city, you can hop on a 14, 14R or 49 bus that connects most BART stations in San Francisco (to make roughly the same journey within the city that you would have done using BART, to get you to one of the connecting transit agencies below).

Taking AC Transit across the Bay Bridge 

While San Francisco-bound AC Transit buses will have different starting points, all East Bay-bound routes will start at Salesforce Transit Center. The Transbay NL, O, F, J, L and W lines will make stops at or near BART stations, while others — like the P — also cross the bay but will pass through areas not served by BART.

Taking the San Francisco Bay Ferry across the bay

All East Bay-bound ferries set sail from the San Francisco Ferry Building, near the Embarcadero BART/Muni station.

On all days of the week, there are ferries that can take you to the Oakland Ferry Terminal in Jack London Square, a 20-minute walk from 12th Street station and roughly a 25-minute walk from 19th Street station. Other destinations are Richmond, Vallejo and Alameda Island.

You can buy an actual ferry ticket in the Ferry Building, pay with your Clipper card or tap on and off using a credit or debit card.

Taking Caltrain south to go around the bay

A significantly longer option that will require taking the southbound Caltrain to the end of the line at San José Diridon station. From there, you can hop on the 500 Rapid VTA bus line that goes straight to Berryessa BART, usually a 20-minute ride.

This option also assumes BART’s orange line — which connects San José with Richmond and offers stops at or further connections to all East Bay stations — is still running.

A bonus option for folks starting their commute from South San Francisco

The South San Francisco ferry connects the South San Francisco Ferry Terminal to Oakland’s Jack London Square, which is near 12th Street and 19th Street BART stations.

South San Francisco ferry service is only available on weekdays, with three ferries scheduled for the morning and one in the afternoon. You can ride the 130 SamTrans bus from South San Francisco BART to the Ferry Terminal.

I want to cross the bay from Oakland

Taking AC Transit across the Bay Bridge

• NL line: An option for commuters waiting at 12th Street and 19th Street stations. Runs from early mornings till past midnight, seven days a week.
• O line: An option for commuters waiting at Fruitvale and Lake Merritt stations. Runs from early mornings till past midnight, seven days a week.
• W line: An option for commuters waiting at Lake Merritt and 12th Street stations. Note: Only runs on weekdays during morning and evening commute times.
• 800 All Nighter line: an option for late-night commuters waiting at Richmond, El Cerrito del Norte, El Cerrito Plaza, Downtown Berkeley, Ashby, MacArthur, 19th Street, 12th Street and West Oakland stations. This route actually starts at Richmond station around the same time that the last BART train leaves and moves through multiple East Bay cities while BART stops running overnight. Runs until early mornings, seven days a week.

Taking the San Francisco Bay Ferry across the bay

Oakland & Alameda ferry: An option for commuters waiting at 12th Street and 19th Street Oakland stations. Ferries depart every 30 minutes from the Oakland Ferry Terminal in Jack London Square, which is a 20-minute walk from the 12th Street BART station and roughly a 25-minute walk from the 19th Street BART station. You can also ride the 72, 72L or 72M AC Transit bus from either BART station to Jack London Square for a faster journey. This ferry is available seven days a week.

Alameda Seaplane ferry: A  weekdays-only option for commuters waiting at 12th Street and Lake Merritt stations. Ferries leave the Seaplane Lagoon Ferry Terminal in Alameda from 6:30 a.m. to 8:25 p.m. The 96 AC Transit bus stops at both 12th Street and Lake Merritt stations before heading to the ferry terminal.

South San Francisco ferry: an option for commuters waiting at 12th Street and 19th Street stations trying to reach South San Francisco, and vice versa. Service in both directions is much more limited, with three ferries scheduled for the morning and only one in the afternoon. You can walk from the downtown Oakland stations or ride the 72, 72L or 72M bus for a quicker journey. This ferry is available only on weekdays.

I want to cross the bay from other East Bay BART stations

Taking AC Transit across the Bay Bridge

• F line: An option for commuters waiting at Downtown Berkeley and Ashby stations. Runs from early mornings till past midnight, seven days a week.
• J line: Another option for commuters waiting at Downtown Berkeley and Ashby stations. Only runs on weekdays during morning and evening commute times.
• L line: An option for those at El Cerrito del Norte and El Cerrito Plaza stations (and a potential option for commuters waiting at Richmond, as this bus route is a 10-minute drive or 45-minute walk from that station). Note: Only runs on weekdays during morning and evening commute times.
• 800 line: An option for late-night commuters at Richmond, El Cerrito del Norte, El Cerrito Plaza, Downtown Berkeley, Ashby, MacArthur, 19th Street, 12th Street and West Oakland stations. This route actually starts at Richmond station around the same time that the last BART train leaves and moves through multiple East Bay cities while BART stops running overnight. Runs until early mornings, seven days a week.

San Francisco Bay Ferry

While not located super close to the Richmond BART station, the Richmond Ferry Terminal is where San Francisco-bound ferries are available 6:30 a.m.–8:40 p.m on weekdays only. You can reach the Richmond Ferry from BART by riding the 74 AC Transit, which should take between 10 and 15 minutes. 

Golden Gate Transit from El Cerrito del Norte BART

A suggestion from KQED’s Dan Brekke for those who are more adventurous. At El Cerrito del Norte station, there’s also a stop for the Golden Gate Transit 580 bus, which moves through Richmond before crossing the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge. After a roughly 40-minute ride, the bus will reach the San Rafael Transit Center, where you can transfer to the San Francisco-bound Golden Gate Transit 101 bus.

Once in San Francisco, the 101 makes frequent stops along the city’s Lombard, Van Ness and Mission streets as it approaches the Salesforce Transit Center, its final destination.

Taking BART south to Caltrain to get around the bay

Confirm with BART staff that the Berryessa-bound orange line is currently running. If so, ride the southbound train to Berryessa BART. From there, you can hop on the 500 Rapid VTA bus line that goes straight to San José Diridon station, usually a 20-minute ride. You can then take Caltrain all the way up to most cities in the peninsula and San Francisco.

KQED’s Dan Brekke contributed to this report.