How to Get to Work or SFO During BART Strike

With the BART strike hitting its fourth day — and the first Monday — commuters are having to get up early and fight heavy traffic to get to work.

The Metropolitan Transportation Commission, which oversees the regional transit system, is advising those who are opting to get behind the wheel that bridges and roadways will be congested.

In an attempt to alleviate the crowded roadways, carpool lanes will have expanded hours starting at 5 a.m. Carpooling, along with casual carpool pick-ups, is encouraged.

Parking lots at 33 BART stations will remain open during the strike and will be free to use. However, some parts of the parking facilities, such as elevators, may be closed because of the strike.

San Francisco Municipal Railway service will be beefed up on "high priority corridors" which includes the 14-Mission bus lines and buses along the Caltrain station near Fourth and Townsend, and in the downtown and Financial District area, and on the J-Church Metro line.

 Additional taxi stands will go up at four locations: the Temporary Transbay Terminal; on Folsom Street between Main and Spear streets; in front of the Ferry Building on the Embarcadero; and at the San Francisco Caltrain Station.

At San Francisco International Airport, free shuttles will take passengers between the SFO BART station at the International terminal and the Millbrae Caltrain station and the San Francisco Bay Ferry dock in South San Francisco. SamTrans will continue to run buses that will take passengers from the San Francisco Temporary Transbay Terminal to SFO.

Here are your transit alternatives:

Caltrain

Regular Caltrain commuters will tell you that many trains are already at capacity during the commute.  Caltrain will monitor travel patterns and may add some service as train and crew availability permit.

SamTrans

SamTrans buses will stop at BART stations but won't enter the stations, requiring the following adjustments:

San Bruno BART Station: Route 38, 43, 133, 140 and 141 buses will serve a temporary stop on Sneath Lane & Huntington Avenue.

Colma BART Station:  Routes 38, 112, 118,120, 121, 122, 130 and ECR will serve temporary stops located at the SamTrans Colma Park and Ride lot, located behind the station.

Daly City BART Station: Buses will stop on De Long Street, adjacent to the station.

South San Francisco BART Station: Routes 122, 130 (northbound, high school side & southbound, station side) and 133 will serve temporary stops on Old Mission Road & Evergreen Drive. Route 132 will serve temporary stops on Evergreen Drive.

Millbrae Intermodal Station: Route ECR will remain on El Camino Real. Southbound passengers getting off at Linden Avenue or Hillcrest Avenue can cross El Camino Real at Victoria Avenue at the crosswalk.

Routes 359 and 397 will stop on the west side of the station, at a temporary bus stop on California Avenue near the Caltrain station.

The SFO shuttle to San Francisco International Airport will serve the west side of the Millbrae Transit Center near the Caltrain station.

 

Casual Carpooling

BART commuters are encouraged to join carpools, rather than drive solo. You may meet your carpool at Park & Ride or BART parking lots, or take advantage of casual carpool pickup locations. and, don't forget, once you get to San Francisco, you have to pay for parking. Visit alert.511.org  to find casual carpool locations and to book a parking space.