Looking for information on different transportation options?
Share a Ride | Take the Bus | Hop on a Bike | Take the Ferry | Connect to BART
Additional Resources
The following websites have additional resources for Bay Area travel.
- 511.org: A comprehensive travel resource for trips in the Bay Area
- AC Transit: Bus service in Alameda and elsewhere
- San Francisco Bay Ferry: Ferry service to and from Alameda
- Alameda County Guaranteed Ride Home: Know that you’ll never be stranded
Options for sharing a ride abound! Carpooling allows for use of HOV lanes on Bay Area highways and at Bay Area bridges, as well as reduced tolls across the Bay Bridge during rush hour.
Dynamic Ride Matching
Through partnership with 511.org, several private ride matching companies can help you find a carpool in real time – no ongoing commitment, and guaranteed ride home included. Partners include Scoop, Carzac, and Duet. Find a ride now!
Traditional Carpooling
511.org also maintains a database of individuals interested in carpooling. You can find others who share similar schedules and commutes and coordinate an ongoing carpool from there. Sign up now!
Casual Carpooling
Casual carpooling is a Bay Area practice of sharing rides from Alameda to downtown San Francisco. Carpool riders line up in designated locations during the AM commute hours, and drivers pick them up, drive them to San Francisco, and drop them off on Fremont Street between Folsom and Howard. Pick-up locations in Alameda are at Webster & Santa Clara outside of Café Jolie, and at Encinal & Park. For more information, click here.
Plan a trip on transit using the 511.org Trip Planner or Google Maps Transit!
Alameda is served by AC Transit buses that provide service across the island, and connections to Downtown Oakland, Rockridge, Fruitvale, and beyond. Routes include:
Local:
19 (To/From Downtown Oakland or Fruitvale via Buena Vista Ave)
20 (To/From Downtown Oakland or Dimond District via Webster / Central / Otis / Shoreline / Park)
21 (To/From Dimond District or Oakland Airport via Park / Otis / Harbor Bay)
96 (To/From Downtown Oakland/Dimond District or Alameda Point via Midway, Main, Lincoln, Webster)
51A (To/From Downtown Oakland/Fruitvale BART via Webster / Santa Clara / Broadway)
314 (Mid-day Shuttle serving West Oakland, Downtown, Alameda, and Hegenberger on Tuesdays and Thursdays)
356 (Mid-day Shuttle serving East Oakland and South Shore on Tuesdays and Thursdays)
All Nighter: 851
Alameda also has service by Ferry. Please see below.
For trips across the island, biking is a great choice! You can travel to or from almost anywhere in Alameda within 30 minutes on a bicycle. Bike Walk Alameda provides a trove of information regarding walking and bicycling on the Island. They provide a Bicycle & Walking Map, as well as a list of Alameda Bicycle Shops.
Concerned about safety? Learn more about bicycling safely here.
Connecting to Oakland from the West End is more difficult. While there is a pathway in the Posey Tube, a more comfortable option is to use AC Transit, which provides bicycle racks on all its vehicles.
Ferry service is provided at the Main Street Ferry Terminal seven days a week, and at the Harbor Bay Ferry Terminal on weekdays during commute hours. The Main Street Ferry provides service to Downtown San Francisco, Jack London Square, Pier 41, and special event service to AT&T Park. The Harbor Bay Ferry also provides service to downtown San Francisco.
Service between San Francisco and the Main Street Ferry Terminal also includes service to Jack London Square in Oakland on most trips. Check schedules for details on the order in which terminals are served.
Schedules
- From Main Street to San Francisco Ferry Building (including service between Main Street and Oakland)
- From San Francisco Ferry Building to Main Street (including service between Main Street and Oakland)
- From Alameda Main Street to South San Francisco (via Oakland)
- From Alameda Main Street to AT&T Park
- From Harbor Bay to San Francisco Ferry Building
- Click for detailed schedules
You can connect to BART at either 12th Street / Downtown Oakland Station or Fruitvale Station by taking an AC Transit bus. For information on BART schedules, visit bart.gov
From Alameda
To 12th Street / Downtown Oakland BART Station
51A toward Rockridge BART
19 toward Downtown Oakland
20 toward Downtown Oakland
96 toward Dimond District
To Fruitvale BART
51A toward Fruitvale BART
19 toward Fruitvale BART
20 toward Dimond District
21 toward Dimond District
To Alameda
From 12th Street / Downtown Oakland BART Station
51A toward Fruitvale BART
19 toward Fruitvale BART
20 toward Fruitvale BART
96 toward Alameda Point
From Fruitvale BART
51A toward Rockridge BART
19 toward Downtown Oakland
20 toward Downtown Oakland
21 toward Oakland Airport
