BART To Oakland Airport Service Connector Opens Saturday In Time For Holiday Travel
OAKLAND (KCBS) -- "BART to OAK" the automated, frequent-running service connector between the Coliseum Station and Oakland International Airport, will officially open Saturday ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday.
A grand-opening celebration with a ribbon cutting was held Friday at Coliseum Station with East Bay Congresswoman Barbara Lee in attendance. Many talked about how the 3.2- mile connector had been 30-years in the making and took about four years to construct.
The old AirBART bus route took roughly 15 minutes and cost $3. According to the BART.gov website, sample fares include; $7.85 from Downtown Oakland Stations and $10.05 from Downtown San Francisco stations. The new people mover shaves the riding time down to about 8.5 minutes.
Service is expected to run every five minutes during peak weekday hours, dropping down to every 10-20 minutes on non-peak hours and weekends. The connector runs from 5 a.m. to midnight on weekdays, 6 a.m. to midnight Saturday, and 8 a.m. to midnight on Sundays.
Construction for the project cost $484 million.
While many of the public rode for free Friday afternoon, it opens Saturday to the general public.
AirBART service ceases on Saturday, when the new BART to OAK opens to the public.
