BART

Description

BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit)  is a light to medium rail system that runs numerous lines though the Bay Area, with terminals in Millbrae, Fremont, Dublin/Pleasanton, Richmond, and Pittsburg. Most readers of this page will be interested in the easy access it provides to San Francisco, Oakland, and Berkeley. The Millbrae station is the closest to Mountain View, and the easiest way to get there is by Caltrain.

Tickets must be purchased before entering the main part of the station. Stations are equipped with kiosks selling tickets; they accept cash and common credit and debit cards. Tickets are loaded with a value at time of purchase. They are swiped upon entry, and again at exit, at which time the appropriate amount is deducted from the ticket. There is a $20 minimum charge for credit cards. Each rider must have their own ticket (sorry, you can't put $20 on a ticket and have four people use it for the same $5 trip).

Main Web Site

http://www.bart.gov/ (One of the few .gov sites that's not part of the Federal Government.)

Coverage

BART has five lines. A map showing the service area can be found here.

Caltrain meets up with BART at Millbrae station. While you can take Caltrain all the way into San Francisco, if you're going to any of the more "touristry" areas, you might be better off switching over to BART. Powell Street station is a couple blocks from Union Square, a couple more from Chinatown, and a nice walk from there to attractions like Coit Tower and North Beach, including Pier 39, Fisherman's Wharf, and Ghirdelli Square. The Downtown Berkeley station is only a block from the Cal campus. BART also runs right into SFO, which isn't of interest to most folks from Ames (unless, for instance, you're living in the East Bay). It also has a connecting shuttle to Oakland Airport, which is likely of more interest.

Routes to Ames

Cost

The price of a fare depends on the how far a rider goes. Traveling from Millbrae to Powell Street in San Francisco costs $4.00. Going all the way to Pittsburg (not a popular tourist destination), is $6.60. A fare calculator can be found here.