Commuting from Kensington to San Francisco
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Commuting from Kensington to SF - driving vs. carpool vs. BART
July 2010
I will be commuting to SF starting in August with a new job and need on advice on the best way to go since we just moved here. I will drop my daughters at preschool in Kensington at 8 am. Then I can either drive in, casual carpool in or drive to the nearest BART which I think is El Cerrito and park the car and BART in. Does anyone have experience with how long the commute takes at this time driving solo, driving in a carpool or taking the BART (factoring in finding a parking space, etc). I am most concerned with time not money as once I get into the city I have free parking. My work is close to Embarcadero. If I drop them off at 8, will I be able to get to my job on time at 9? Thanks! Stephanie
The AC Transit bus rocks. Clean, fast, nice views. It cuts a good 20 minutes off of my door-to-door commute compared to BART. You could park your car somewhere along the line all day for free. If you're dropping your daughter in Kensington, you might want to look into the H line, which has stops up and down Arlington, or the G line, which I believe goes up Colusa toward the circle. Only problem is that it only stops at the Transbay Terminal (Mission and Fremont) in SF, so you may have to take local transport once in the city to get to where you're going. http://www.actransit.org/maps/linefinder.htm?PHPSESSID=630d46443285cc6c727d3aa4fc49c0e0#Transbay Happy Bus Commuter
Dear commuter, You want to get a monthly BART parking pass ($63/month) from parkingcarma.com to post in your car - that allows you to park in the ''before 10 am'' spots at El Cerrito BART or at N. Berkeley BART(where there is a casual carpool). Then you get a Clipper pass, which gives you a fast entry to BART, works on SF transit as well, and automatically refills your BART card (never again stand at a BART machine). THEN you can drop your children off in Kensington, drive to the BART station of your choice, casual carpool to SF, and take BART back to your parked car. Happy travels fellow commuter
I currently drop my kids off at day care in El Cerrito and take BART (from the El Cerrito Plaza station) to the Embarcadero station. Parking at the BART station isn't a problem and I make it to work before 9am. In the fall I will also be dropping my older daughter at pre-school in Kensington around 8am and I don't see my commute changing too much. If you're quick, you can make the 8:11 train (transfering @ MacArthur) and be at Embarcadero by 8:40 or you can take the 8:19 (direct) and be at Embarcadero by 8:47. Good luck! Emma
Congratulations on your new job. I live in Kensington and work in SF, near the Ball Park. I catch the AC Transit bus from Arlington Ave and it goes directly to the Transbay Terminal, which is about 10-20 min walk from the Embarcadero (depending where you are on the Embarcadero). You will need to get the H bus, which runs along Arlington and through Berkeley. You can park somewhere close to Arlington and catch the bus from there. The bus is actually cheaper than BART. Go to actransit.org for more details. Fellow commuter
The BART lots tend to fill up by 8:00, but if I were you I would buy a monthly parking pass for either the El Cerrito Plaza or El Cerrito Del Norte BART station. That would guarantee you parking until 10:00 for a relatively low charge ($62 for the Plaza station and $43 for the Del Norte station.) The Bay Bridge at the time of day you're traveling would not be a reliable choice for getting to the Embarcadero by 9:00. Daily commuter
Hello- I take AC Transit Transbay bus which takes you directly to the SF Bus Terminal. I almost always get a seat and it is very comfortable. It is also WIFI capable. I found BART to be overcrowded and I couldn't use my cell phone. Check out the G or H bus @ actransit.org website. Good luck! Shari
I would recommend Bart if you are close to embarcadero. Driving would be cutting it close once the summer is over. With the s-curve on the bridge, I find that it is slow many days even if you picked up a casual carpool. You could also check 511.org as soon as you left childcare and see if you should take Bart or drive depending on the backup on the bridge. Commuter
I have taken the G quite a bit (from its last East Bay stop in West Berkeley) and always found it - and all Transbay lines - very reliable, especially in the morning (going into SF). The last few times I rode (a few months ago) I think there were some delays with the afternoon rides back out to the East Bay, but not sure if those are still an issue. I don't know for sure, but I suspect if you are getting on in Kensington you will have no problem getting a seat. And I can't speak personally to the strength of the wifi, but lots of folks do work from their laptops on the bus.
I love the G! I’ve been commuting from Albany to SF on it 2-3 days a week for about two years. Pretty reliably on schedule (highly recommend the app Transit, which let’s you track the bus in real time) and it’s only failed to show up a handful of times. If you get on near the start of the route you should be able to get a seat. The bus is supposed to have wifi but it’s never worked for me; I just use my cell’s hot spot when I need internet on my laptop.
The H was suspended during COVID. I do not believe it has restarted service.
The G is an option if you are going to be living in what I would call lower Kensington, since it runs from El Cerrito BART and stops along Colusa [e.g., at the Circle].
https://www.actransit.org/bus-lines-schedules/G
I took the G to the City for years, and it was very reliable, but I retired at the end of 2021, so my knowledge is dated.
Your other option is the 7 along The Arlington if you are going to be living closer to one of its stops. You can transfer to BART at Ashby [but may be unlikely to get a seat], or get off at Shattuck & University and walk a couple of blocks to the Downtown Berkeley BART station.
There are not a lot of good options. Kensington and the Berkeley Hills are poorly served by AC Transit, and the bus "schedules" [assuming the bus even comes} are not synched with BART.
Honestly, driving or getting a lift to El Cerrito Plaza BART might be your best option. Let's see how many people disagree with me.
Hi, Lauren. AC Transit cut a lot of Transbay lines during the pandemic, including the H. Service for H hasn't returned, but the G has. The G is reliable and I've always had it show up within 10 minutes of schedule. I've never had the G not show up. AC Transit has a real-time departure app that is accurate. Getting a seat depends on where you are along the route. In general, I'd say if you get on before San Pablo/Marin, you will get a seat. AC Transit advertises WIFi on Transbay buses, but it's spotty so I wouldn't depend on it.
AC Transit is in the process of making a lot of line changes. The most recent final draft has the H line being completely eliminated so perhaps it was already? The G line is staying the same as it is now. I don't ride it myself, so can't speak to its reliability. Google maps gives pretty good real-time information on the buses, so maybe try checking there every weekday for a while at the time you would be taking the bus, and seeing if it is expected around the scheduled time.
BART is also an option if someone can drop you (or uber/lyft) at either North Berkeley or El Cerrito plaza station. For now, you can also park at both of those stations, but that is expected to change in the next couple of years as they are planning to build housing on those parking lots.
The H was suspended during COVID and has not been restored, unfortunately: https://www.actransit.org/ac-transit-temporarily-suspended-bus-line-descriptions#transbay
So your best options are probably the FS or the G. I haven't taken those routes but in general I have found the Transbay buses pretty reliable. They do have WiFi, and you will definitely be able to get a seat these days.