When this happens, calling a taxi or using a rideshare like Uber or Lyft to cross the Bay Bridge isn\u2019t an option available to everyone. <\/span><\/p>\n But there\u2019s some good news: When Transbay BART service shuts down, the Bay Area\u2019s public transit network offers a few alternatives to waiting for a crowded shuttle, including the region\u2019s ferry and bus routes \u2014 even if they might not necessarily be the quickest way back across the bay, and require a longer walk from your BART station.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n We\u2019ve rounded up the following list of your alternatives based on which BART station they\u2019re closest to, for you to bookmark and use the next time Transbay service is down. <\/span><\/p>\n Click or tap on the Bay Area region where you\u2019re <\/span>starting <\/span><\/i>your journey to find recommendations nearby.<\/span><\/p>\n San Francisco & the Peninsula BART stations, including:<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n Oakland BART stations, including:<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n Other East Bay BART stations, including: Assuming that BART trains are still running through San Francisco, you can take any train to Montgomery Street station to access the city\u2019s <\/span>Salesforce Transit Center<\/span><\/a> nearby.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n If you\u2019re planning to catch a ferry, you can get off at Embarcadero station.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n If trains are <\/span>not <\/span><\/i>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).<\/span><\/p>\n Taking AC Transit across the Bay Bridge\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n 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 <\/span>NL<\/span><\/a>, <\/span>O<\/span><\/a>, <\/span>F<\/span><\/a>, <\/span>J<\/span><\/a>, <\/span>L<\/span><\/a> and <\/span>W<\/span><\/a> lines will make stops at or near BART stations, while others \u2014 like the <\/span>P<\/span><\/a> \u2014 also cross the bay but will pass through areas not served by BART.<\/span><\/p>\n Taking the San Francisco Bay Ferry across the bay<\/strong><\/p>\n All East Bay-bound ferries set sail from the San Francisco Ferry Building, near the Embarcadero BART\/Muni station.<\/span><\/p>\n 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.<\/span><\/p>\n You can buy an actual ferry ticket in the Ferry Building, pay with your Clipper card or <\/span>tap on and off using a credit or debit card<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n Taking Caltrain south to go around <\/i>the bay<\/strong><\/p>\n A significantly longer option that will require taking the southbound Caltrain to the end of the line at San Jos\u00e9 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.<\/span><\/p>\n This option also assumes <\/span>BART\u2019s orange line<\/span><\/a> \u2014 which connects San Jos\u00e9 with Richmond and offers stops at or further connections to all East Bay stations \u2014 is still running.<\/span><\/p>\n A bonus option for folks starting their commute from South San Francisco<\/strong><\/p>\n The South San Francisco ferry connects the South San Francisco Ferry Terminal to Oakland\u2019s Jack London Square, which is near 12th Street and 19th Street BART stations.<\/span><\/p>\n 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.<\/span><\/p>\n Taking AC Transit across the Bay Bridge<\/strong><\/p>\n Taking the San Francisco Bay Ferry across the bay<\/b><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/cdn.kqed.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2025\/04\/bartnostrike20130804_qed.jpg\")
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I want to cross the Bay from San Francisco or the Peninsula<\/h2>\n
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I want to cross the bay from Oakland<\/h2>\n
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