Going Places on Bay Area Public Transit
OAKLAND, CA — Avoid congested thoroughfares and high gas prices in the Bay Area by traveling via public transit. It’s easy with the newly updated Getting There on Transit, a free pocket guide covering the Bay Area’s entire 7,000 square miles, including 9,000 miles of bus routes and 470 miles of rail transit. You won’t want to leave home without it!
Commuters can read or get a head start on business when riding into work on the train or bus. Weekend explorers can visit killer whales at Six Flags Discovery Kingdom in Vallejo, ride a bus across the Golden Gate Bridge or catch the Oakland Raiders in action at McAfee Coliseum – all without the hassle of driving and parking. Tour the 160-room Winchester Mystery House in San Jose or the notorious prison cells of Alcatraz. Climb on a cable car to visit San Francisco’s colorful Chinatown, catch a ferry or ride the rails – it’s fun, practical and easy.
Packed with practical information, Getting There on Transit is a great way to avoid traffic jams and parking fees. It even contains a section with specific information on how to get to and from the Bay Area’s regional airports using public transit.
“Whether you’re a newcomer to the region, a tourist or a weekend explorer, you’ll find everything you need to get around the nine Bay Area counties by bus, train, trolley, cable car and ferry in one handy guide,” said Melanie Crotty, MTC director of traveler coordination and information.
Small enough to tuck into a pocket or purse, this handy guide helps get you where you want to go, whether it’s a daily commute or to experience the Bay Area’s incredible wealth of recreational destinations. The guide features transit route maps (including close-ups of downtown San Francisco, San Jose, Oakland and Berkeley); directions to more than 250 popular destinations; contact information for Bay Area bus, rail and ferry operators; and a directory of paratransit services for riders with disabilities and elderly passengers.
Getting There on Transit is part of the Metropolitan Transportation Commission’s 511 travel information service. People use 411 for telephone information, and now 511 is the resource for getting free transit and traffic information in the Bay Area. Dial 511 or go to 511.org, available 24 hours a day, for up-to-the-minute transit, traffic, rideshare and bicycling information. The Getting There on Transit guide includes hints on how to easily use 511 transit planning resources and get the “lay of the land,” orienting travelers to the region’s diverse transit modes, routes and agencies. Use the trip-planning section at 511.org and take the guide with you for further reference or spontaneous side trips.
MTC is the transportation planning, financing and coordinating agency for the nine-county San Francisco Bay Area.
Contact:
Karin Betts, MTC: (510) 817-5725; Brenda Kahn, MTC: (415) 778-6773