BART’s Oakland Airport connector to open November 22 in time for Thanksgiving travel
It’s fast, it’s frequent, it’s convenient, and it’s about to open. BART’s new train to plane service, “BART to OAK,” which provides an easy connection to Oakland International Airport, will open in time for Thanksgiving travel on Saturday, November 22, 2014.
To mark this exciting moment in BART’s history, a public celebration will be held on Friday, November 21, to give the community a chance to check out the new stations, the beautiful art work, and to take a free ride before it opens.
The project broke ground in 2010 and construction cost $484 million for the 3.2 mile, automated guideway, or $151.25 million per mile. It was designed and built by the project team of Flatiron, Parsons and Doppelmayer (for more information, click here) which has already won awards for the systems’ innovative engineering and forward use of technology.
The new connector will replace the AirBART buses and is expected to reduce vehicle traffic on the freeways, as it will be easier for travelers to take BART directly to the airport. Ridership is estimated to be between 4,780 to 5,730 riders per day in the first year, doubling the current the number of estimated AirBART riders, and as much as 10,300 to 14,070 riders per day by 2030, according to a 2009 report by Wilbur Smith Associates, which can be viewed here.
Clean, Easy, and Quick Service
BART to OAK – Oakland International Airport (OAK) Station.
Starting on Saturday, November 22, 2014, riders will be able to board one of four three-car automated people movers at either the Coliseum Station or the Oakland International Airport Station and take the eight-minute ride at 30 mph.
“The ride and the experience alone are memorable,” said BART General Manager Grace Crunican. “Riders get a 360 degree view from the windows surrounding the entire car as you travel over the traffic below. It’s a cable propelled system with light-weight and quiet trains, so it’s like gliding through the air.”
Trains arrive every 5 minutes during peak commute hours (weekdays 8am-8pm) and drop off and pick up riders just steps away from both terminals at OAK. BART riders have a quick and easy train to train transfer at the Coliseum station. Riders can use a BART ticket or a Clipper Card. The complete schedule can be found below.
Sample one-way adult fares between the new Oakland International Airport Station and various stations throughout the system include: from Downtown Oakland stations: $7.85; from Downtown San Francisco stations: $10.05; from Downtown Berkeley station $8.50; from Walnut Creek station $9.70; from Fremont $9.85; from Dublin Pleasanton station: $9.80. Fare listings can be found here: http://www.bart.gov/tickets/calculator
As of Saturday, November 22nd, AirBART buses will no longer be in operation.
Get a Sneak Peek, Join the Celebration
A public celebration will take place on Friday, November 21st at the Coliseum Station from 11am-3pm. The festivities include commemoratives and local music. All costs of the celebration have been paid through the generous donations of various sponsors. More details can be found at www.bart.gov/grandopening.
Learn more about the newly installed, original art at the Coliseum Station side of the station here, and the Oakland International Airport Station here. Follow the excitement of the grand opening on our Storify page.
the attachments to this post:
BART to OAK – Oakland International Airport (OAK) Station
BART_OAK_promo
BARTOAKtrains
