Public transit from Marin➡️E Bay? (Oakland, Berkeley: living in, restaurants)

[Airfan72]

Good afternoon all!
I’ve been living in Marin about 5 years now, and recently got a part time job with sites in Berkeley and Oakland. I’ve been a contract worker with this company for about one year. Although it’s not the worst commute, I’d like to stop driving every day for a multitude of reasons.
Is there any effective and dependable public transit from the San Rafael area to Oakland? Even just getting to Richmond BART would help me a lot. If not, are there any communities in the E Bay that are near BART and not completely overrun with crime? I lived in SF for 20 years, so I’m not foreign to the urban environment and miss the convenience of public transit.
Thank you in advance!

[sav858]

Golden Gate Transit has a route (40) that goes from San Rafael to El Cerrito Del Norte BART.

[Ruth4Truth]

Originally Posted by sav858

Golden Gate Transit has a route (40) that goes from San Rafael to El Cerrito Del Norte BART.

Wow, I'm impressed! There you go, OP!

But I must say, you have a rather skewed view of what life in the East Bay is like. "Overrun with crime", really?? You're not concerned with taking your life in your hands, just by taking BART from El Cerrito to Berkeley/Oakland? Is this part-time gig in the East Bay worth risking your life for?

[Ruth4Truth]

On a more helpful note, where in Berkeley is your destination? Some BART stations are better than others...

[davdaven]

Golden Gate Transit runs Route 40 between San Rafael and El Cerrito del Norte BART Station, as noted above. My commute is on this bus when I don't feel like driving, but in the opposite direction, at least until COVID started. (I'm sure I'll be back at it someday.) It's a pretty quick trip, all things considered, and since you live in Marin presumably you're aware of GGT and how nice its buses are.

I am not sure if you've ever been to the East Bay based on your statement, but if you are used to SF, then the East Bay is a walk in the park by comparison. Look into housing in El Cerrito, Albany, and parts of Berkeley if you want to move. Nicer than much of SF, and better restaurants and grocery stores than you can find in Marin.

[Ruth4Truth]

Originally Posted by davdaven

Golden Gate Transit runs Route 40 between San Rafael and El Cerrito del Norte BART Station, as noted above. My commute is on this bus when I don't feel like driving, but in the opposite direction, at least until COVID started. (I'm sure I'll be back at it someday.) It's a pretty quick trip, all things considered, and since you live in Marin presumably you're aware of GGT and how nice its buses are.

I am not sure if you've ever been to the East Bay based on your statement, but if you are used to SF, then the East Bay is a walk in the park by comparison. Look into housing in El Cerrito, Albany, and parts of Berkeley if you want to move. Nicer than much of SF, and better restaurants and grocery stores than you can find in Marin.

OP didn't say he was looking to move. And some of Marin's restaurants are nestled in the redwoods. It's hard to beat Marin, though I'm a fan of parts of the East Bay.

[davdaven]

Originally Posted by Ruth4Truth

OP didn't say he was looking to move. And some of Marin's restaurants are nestled in the redwoods. It's hard to beat Marin, though I'm a fan of parts of the East Bay.

See:

Originally Posted by Airfan72

If not, are there any communities in the E Bay that are near BART and not completely overrun with crime?

Not clear if OP was looking to move, or maybe drive over? If driving, no particular reason not to go all the way.

[Ruth4Truth]

Originally Posted by davdaven

See:


Not clear if OP was looking to move, or maybe drive over? If driving, no particular reason not to go all the way.

Right. Would be nice to get some feedback and clarification from the OP. It's been a few days...