Paying For Buses In Berkeley: A Guide

Berkeley, California, offers a variety of public transportation options, including buses, trains, and rapid transit systems. The primary bus operator within Berkeley is AC Transit, which provides extensive service within the city and connections to other Bay Area destinations. BART, or the Bay Area Rapid Transit, is another crucial component of Berkeley's public transportation network, offering train services through the city and the wider Bay Area. This includes connections to local airports in Oakland and San Francisco. This article will specifically focus on how to pay for buses in Berkeley, providing information on fares, payment methods, and any available discounts or transfers.

Bus fares: $2 for adults, with discounted rates for seniors, disabled people, and children

Bus fares in Berkeley, California, are $2 for adults, with discounted rates for seniors, disabled people, and children. The primary bus operator within Berkeley and the East Bay area is AC Transit, which offers several ways to pay for your ride. You can pay with cash, but contactless payment options are also available, such as Clipper or your mobile device.

Clipper is the Bay Area's all-in-one transit card and is the preferred way to pay for AC Transit fares. With Clipper, riders can load cash or passes onto their card and enjoy discounts on single-ride fares and day passes. You can now load a Clipper card onto your phone with Apple Pay or Google Pay and manage your balance with the Clipper app. To pay, simply tag the Clipper reader with your card or phone when boarding the bus.

If you're paying with cash on an AC Transit bus, please note that exact change is required, and bus operators don't carry change or provide refunds. Seniors aged 65+ and disabled individuals can also pay using a Clipper Card or Clipper Mobile, which offers a monthly pass option with unlimited local rides.

Additionally, AC Transit's mobile payment platform provides a convenient, contactless way to pay on the go. You can use the AC Transit Official app or third-party apps like Token Transit, Transit, Moovit, or Google Maps. The mobile payment platform also offers exclusive access to a range of fare capping options.

For UC Berkeley ("Cal") students and employees, there is also the option of the EasyPass, which provides free service on AC Transit Local and Transbay services. This allows for convenient travel in the Bay Area without a car.

Free shuttle bus services: UC Berkeley provides free shuttle buses around its campus

UC Berkeley provides a free shuttle bus service known as Bear Transit. This service operates in and around the UC Berkeley campus, which is situated on the east side of downtown Berkeley. Bear Transit provides connections to the downtown Berkeley BART station and numerous AC Transit bus routes.

Bear Transit is free for UC Berkeley students and employees with valid ID. All other passengers pay a nominal fare for daytime bus service. Evening shuttles are free for all passengers, regardless of school affiliation.

Bear Transit operates during the day and at night, with the Night Safety Shuttle service providing safe nighttime transit to and from the campus. The Night Safety Shuttle is free for all passengers and runs from 7:30 pm to 3:00 am on weekdays and weekends, with shuttles departing at approximately 30-minute intervals. The Night Safety Shuttle operates on one of two set routes between the campus, BART, Clark Kerr Campus, and residence halls.

Real-time information for the Bear Transit service is available through various mobile apps, including NextBus, TransitApp, Berkeley App, CityMapper, Google Maps, Apple Maps, and Moovit App.

Bus lines: 52, 6, C-LINE, F, and P-LINE are some of the bus lines that service Berkeley

Bus line 52 operates from Mondays through Fridays, excluding holidays. The bus runs from UC Village to UC Campus via University Village, Cedar St., Sacramento St., and University Ave. The bus then loops around the UC Campus via Hearst Ave., Gayley St., Bancroft Way, and Shattuck Ave. (Downtown Berkeley). The bus fare for this route is about $2.25.

Line 6 runs from the Berkeley Marina to the Rockridge BART station via the Gourmet Ghetto restaurant district. This route provides daily bus connections to the Berkeley Marina and the Gourmet Ghetto restaurant district.

The C-LINE, or orange line, operates between Richmond and Fremont, serving Berkeley daily.

The F line, or yellow line, serves San Francisco and SFO. On weekdays, the F line operates between Richmond and Millbrae via San Francisco. On Saturdays, the line ends at Daly City instead of Millbrae. On Sundays and in the evenings, passengers must ride the orange (Fremont) line to the MacArthur station and transfer to the yellow line.

The P-LINE, or red line, operates between Richmond and Millbrae via San Francisco on weekdays. On Saturdays, the line operates between Richmond and Daly City, and on Sundays and in the evenings, passengers must transfer to the yellow line at the MacArthur station.

Public transportation in Berkeley is primarily provided by AC Transit and BART. BART fares vary by distance travelled, and there are no discounts for seniors, children, or the disabled. AC Transit bus fares are $2.00 for adults, with discounted fares for seniors, the disabled, and older children, and free travel for young children.

Bus routes: Routes E, FS, G, H, and J are some of the routes that take passengers to and from San Francisco

How to Pay for Buses in California, Berkeley

Riders can pay for buses in Berkeley, California, in cash onboard. The fare for adults is $2.00, with an additional $0.25 for a transfer pass that can be used on one connecting bus. Seniors, the disabled, and older children receive discounted fares, while young children ride for free.

Alternatively, you can use the Clipper Card, a reloadable transit card that can be used on buses and other forms of public transportation in the Bay Area. You can manage your card and load funds onto it online.

Now, onto the bus routes that will take you to and from San Francisco:

Bus Routes to and from San Francisco

AC Transit provides several bus routes that travel between Berkeley and San Francisco. These include:

• Route E: Serves passengers travelling between Berkeley and San Francisco during peak hours on weekdays.
• Route FS: Operates between Solano Ave. & Colusa Ave. in Berkeley and the SF Transit Center in San Francisco. It serves a maximum of 30 stops and operates from 6:10 am to 7:24 pm, Monday through Friday, with four scheduled trips.
• Route G: A transbay bus route connecting El Cerrito Plaza BART in El Cerrito to the Salesforce Transit Center in San Francisco via Interstate 80.
• Route H: Connects Sacramento St. and University Ave. in Berkeley with the Salesforce Transit Center in San Francisco.
• Route J: Begins at Sacramento St. and University Ave. in Berkeley and ends at the Salesforce Transit Center in San Francisco.

These routes offer convenient travel options for those commuting to and from San Francisco, providing direct connections between the two cities.

Bus passes: Monthly transit passes are available for purchase, with a $10 subsidy for passes over $30

How to Pay for Buses in California, Berkeley

Public transportation in Berkeley is provided by AC Transit and BART. AC Transit is the primary bus operator in Berkeley and the East Bay area. BART is a rapid transit system serving Berkeley and the wider Bay Area.

Bus Passes

Monthly transit passes are available for purchase. UC Berkeley employees are eligible for a $10 monthly subsidy on transit passes over $30. This can be paid for through payroll deduction, with funds loaded directly onto a Clipper card.

AC Transit offers a 31-day Transbay pass, which is valid for 31 consecutive days. This allows riders to take unlimited rides to and from the East Bay, as well as travel on all AC Transit local lines. The 31-day pass can be purchased on Clipper as a prepaid fare, or through AC Transit's mobile payment platform.

Riders can also purchase a 7-day pass or a day pass, which are available as prepaid or fare-capped options for unlimited local rides. The day pass is valid from the time of purchase until 3:00 am the next day.

Other Ways to Pay

Riders have several other options for paying their fares on AC Transit buses. Fares can be paid in cash on board, but contactless payment is encouraged as it reduces bus boarding times. Contactless payment options include Clipper, which is the Bay Area's all-in-one transit card, and mobile payment platforms such as the AC Transit Official app and third-party apps like Token Transit and Google Maps.

Seniors (ages 65+) and disabled riders can pay with a Clipper Card or Clipper Mobile, or with AC Transit Mobile Fares.

Frequently asked questions