AirBART

AirBART stop at Oakland International Airport

AirBART is a privately run shuttle bus service that connects the Bay Area Rapid Transit's Coliseum/Oakland Airport station with Oakland International Airport (OAK). Buses stop at street level just outside the BART station and serve both airport terminals with one stop at the airport along the third curb. Buses run every ten minutes Sunday, Monday and Friday - they run every fifteen minutes Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday.

A ride costs $3 ($1 for children 12 years and younger, seniors 65 years and older, and disabled persons). To speed up boarding, AirBART requires exact fare to be paid for boarding the bus, which can be fulfilled with either exact change, one dollar bills, a ticket from the AirBART vending machine (credit card or debit card only) located at the terminal AirBART pickup location, or a $3 BART ticket. Payment is deposited into a standard transit type farebox on board the bus. BART recommends that riders not purchase tickets from strangers as they may be fraudulent. Depending on traffic, the ride takes ten to fifteen minutes (delays caused mostly by Raider game traffic).

As of December 2009, the AirBART fleet consists of five Eldorado Axess buses running on compressed natural gas (CNG).

Alternatives

Trips between the BART station and Oakland Airport can also be made on AC Transit Route 73. AC Transit is cheaper at $2.10, with additional discounts for those transferring. Route 73 runs every 15 minutes every day, which is less frequent than AirBART. Although Route 73 makes several local stops, total trip time is only slightly longer. The airport connection provided by Route 73 is not emphasized; signage and information is provided to the same degree as the other AC Transit routes serving the station.

Passengers traveling from the Coliseum BART to the airport on Route 73 must board in the "Airport" direction; conversely, passengers going from the airport to Coliseum BART board in the "Eastmount Transfer Center" direction, which is the only boarding option at the airport.

Passengers should be aware that AC Transit buses are not designed to accommodate large amounts of luggage.

AC Transit route 805 is also available late at night, after BART service ends. This route provides service to downtown Oakland, where All Nighter connections are available.

Oakland Airport Connector

Main article: Oakland Airport Connector

The Oakland Airport Connector (OAC) is planned as a people mover replacing AirBART. It will be operated by BART, integrated into the BART fare system with standard BART ticket gates located at the entrance to the station at the airport end of the people mover.

The connector’s automated people movers (APMs) will be electrically powered and operate on a fixed, elevated guideway. The APMs will arrive at the Coliseum BART station every four-and-one-half minutes and are designed to transport travelers to the airport in about eight minutes with an on-time performance of more than 99 percent. The project is expected to be completed in Spring 2014.