Looking for an alternative to Bart for commuting to the city from the East Bay (Fremont, Newark, Union City). Anybody have any experience with riding the SB transbay line to the city?
Posted Jul 17, 2019, 4:45 PM UTC
I used to take the SB daily from Thornton/Newark Blvd. Depending on where you live, if you have a car I suggest you drive to the park and ride on Horner/UC Blvd, or to the very last pick up at Industrial/Hopkins. You will so so much time as it takes about a 30 mins for the bus to go from Thornton to the Freeway (45 mins from stevenson). Both stops have adequate free parking.
It is a pretty chill ride, pretty clean compared to bart, comfortable seats and you eventually get familiar with all the folks on the bus and the driver as its usually the same crowds. Most folks end up sleeping the entire ride.. constant cell phone signal is also a nice bonus.
It is also a lot cheaper compared to paying for bart and parking. Once in a while, they accidentally set the fare for normal local rides so you'll save even more money.. and sometimes when the transbay station is crowded they will just tell everyone to hop on without paying.
One of the downsides is the last bus out of the city is at 6:55. If you miss it, you have to take BART back, then a local bus or a rideshare to get your car. I've left my car parked on the street over the weekend a few times.
Hey appreciate the response and the tips! So it sounds like regardless where you get on, you’ll get a seat?
I haven't taken it in the last 2 years so it might be different, but I always got a seat from the park and ride. Some folks end up standing from the last stop maybe 1 in 10 days... sometimes people sit on the ground though.
Leaving SF you'll get a seat if you are in line 5 mins before the bus arrives. When I was late, I would just wait for the next bus.
Where do you park near the Newark/Thortnon stop? I'm near Thortnon/Willow so it's a bit far to walk for me
I took a different line, but it was way more enjoyable than taking BART by leaps and bounds. And the view from the super high bus on the Bay Bridge is quite nice.
In my experience it is usually great until it isn’t. A typical ride is way better than taking BART but if there is exceptionally bad traffic or something goes wrong with a bus so the next one has twice as many riders and you end up standing then it can be terrible.