More commuter parking opens to ease Bay Bridge traffic

OAKLAND, Calif. - As more and more Bay Area residents return to the office, the Metropolitan Transportation Commission is launching two new commuter parking lots in the hopes of cutting down on traffic across the Bay Bridge as the number of drivers is approaching pre-pandemic levels.

The first lot is located below I-80 in Albany on Buchanan street, and the second is in Oakland below I-880 at Fruitvale Avenue. 

Both will be served by AC Transit’s Transbay Express Bus route and the hope is that employers will also use them as a shuttle pickup area too. 

At least two drivers thought more parking is a good idea. 

"Yeah I would consider that for sure," said Jeff Sacramento in Albany. "Because of traffic, it’s starting to become unreasonable. It would take me 17 minutes to get to my work at San Francisco General Hospital. These days it would take me upwards of 50 minutes to an hour."

"It might be a good idea to get people to take baby steps towards getting out of cars and taking mass transit when they can," said Claire Maxfield in Albany.

Last month, more than 3.5 million drivers passed through the Bay Bridge’s tolls, a nearly 10 percent increase in bridge traffic from this time last year, and just 300,000 drivers shy of pre-pandemic levels in November 2019.  

The parking lots open ahead of next month’s planned $1 toll hike at seven state-owned Bay Area bridges. 

The MTC says rates at both lots will start at $3 s a day, and $60 for a month.

Both lots are scheduled to open Monday at 6 a.m. 

The MTC says commuters will be able to park in them for free from December through the end of January.