From train interiors to transit centers, street scenery to shuttle vans, these galleries showcase the diverse network of vehicles and highways that make up the Bay Area.
Special Albums
SamTrans 40th Anniversary Celebration10 September 2016: SamTrans celebrated 40 years of its founding this year by bringing in so many buses to the San Mateo Events Center. I took the pleasure of going down to San Mateo to look and feel those older vehicles, many of them decades older than me, and imagined how it'll be like if these buses still operated actual bus routes today.
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San Francisco Giants Parade 2012October 31, 2012: The San Francisco Giants celebrates its second World Series Championship by holding a parade for its loyal fans (including yours truly), and let the pictures do the talking.
Check out my full collection of the Civic Center events here! |
Mass Transit
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These galleries contain images taken from transit agencies around the San Francisco Bay Area. Vehicles include buses, cable cars, ferries, street cars (also light rail vehicles), and trains. While many agencies operate every day, including weekends and holidays, some agencies operate with modified schedules and routings; check individual agency's page for more information.
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Letter Notes:
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Bay Area Transit Agencies
Serving the western portions of Alameda and Contra Costa County, AC Transit provides local and transbay services for the more urbanized part of the East Bay. Also provides services to San Francisco, San Mateo, and Santa Clara Counties, as well as participating as a consortium partner for the Dumbarton Express.
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ACE operates weekday peak period-only rail service between Stockton and San Jose, calling at Santa Clara, Fremont, Pleasanton, and Livermore. This provides an alternative transportation mode for the heavily-congested Interstate 580 corridor through the Altamont Pass.
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Amtrak operates a nationwide rail service, with Amtrak California operating as one of only two franchises operated by a state agency. In the San Francisco Bay Area, Amtrak California operates the Capitol Corridor and San Joaquin regional trains, plus a network of Connector buses for trips further afield, from Arcata to Los Angeles to Reno, NV.
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With five lines, 44 stations, and over 100 miles of track, BART operates as a combination subway and heavy regional rail service in four counties, San Francisco, Alameda, Contra Costa, and San Mateo. Soon, BART will expand its service further to Santa Clara County and serve Milpitas, San Jose, and Santa Clara.
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This privately-owned ferry company operates boat tours and commuter services from San Francisco to many popular attractions, including Sausalito, Tiburon, Angel Island, and Vallejo.
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Caltrain operates heavy rail train service between San Francisco and Gilroy via Millbrae, Palo Alto, and San Jose, with limited train service south of San Jose Diridon.
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Operating within central Contra Costa County, County Connection provides bus service in Concord, Danville, Lafayette, Martinez, Orinda, Pleasant Hill, San Ramon, and Walnut Creek. Additional weekday services are provided to Antioch, Dublin, and Pleasanton.
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This weekday-only service operates via the Dumbarton Bridge between Stanford University and Union City BART. It operates as a consortium of five different transit agencies that split operating costs between each other for this regional service.
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Emery-Go-Round is a free bus service operating every day within the City of Emeryville from MacArthur BART in nearby Oakland.
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This mid-sized agency operates local services within Fairfield, Suisun City, and nearby Cordelia, and commuter services to Vacaville, Davis, Sacramento, Walnut Creek, and El Cerrito.
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With the Golden Gate Bridge being a crowning jewel of the San Francisco Bay Area, the Golden Gate District also operates ferry and bus services that primarily serve San Francisco, Marin, and Sonoma Counties. It also operates daily bus services between Marin and Contra Costa County via Richmond.
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LAVTA operates Wheels, a medium-sized transportation agency that provides services in Livermore, Dublin, and Pleasanton, with peak-period trips to Walnut Creek and Pleasant Hill.
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One of the many Airporter services operating in the region, Marin Airporter operates between Marin County and San Francisco International Airport using modern long-distance coaches.
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Marin Transit, based in San Rafael, operates local fixed-route services using buses and shuttle vans throughout Marin County. All services operated by this agency are contracted out to several operators, each of them operating specific lines and special services.
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First financed by Google, the Mountain View Shuttle is a community shuttle that operates around the City of Mountain View, serving local attractions like the Caltrain Station, San Antonio Shopping Center, and Shoreline Ampitheater.
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VINE operates mainly within Napa County, spanning from Calistoga to the north, down to American Canyon to the south. It also operates limited services to Fairfield, Vallejo, Sonoma, and El Cerrito.
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Petaluma Transit operates local bus services within the City of Petaluma, with its main hubs at Copeland Street Transit Mall and Eastside Transfer Center.
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Despite being a small agency, Delta Breeze operates services around Solano County, focusing on Rio Vista and Isleton. Services also extend to San Joaquin and Contra Costa Counties on the weekday peak periods.
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SamTrans operates bus and shuttle services around San Mateo County, with some lines extended to San Francisco and Palo Alto in Santa Clara County. It also operates bus services to San Francisco International Airport 24 hours a day, every day.
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This ferry service operates multiple routes around the Bay, including San Francisco, Oakland, Alameda, South San Francisco, and Vallejo.
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Commonly known as Muni, it operates a comprehensive mass transit system within the City and County of San Francisco, including conventional coaches, electric trolleybuses, cable cars, historic streetcars, and modern light rail vehicles.
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One of the many school-operated shuttle services, San Francisco State Shuttle mainly operates as a feeder service between San Francisco State University's main campus and Daly City BART.
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Locally known as the VTA, Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority operates bus, shuttle, and light rail services throughout Santa Clara County, with a few lines operating to Fremont in southern Alameda County.
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Santa Rosa City Bus operates localized bus services within the City of Santa Rosa in Sonoma County, with Santa Rosa Transit Mall and Coddingtown Mall being its main hubs.
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Formerly comprised of two separate companies, Vallejo Transit and Benicia Breeze, Soltrans was created in 2011 to integrate both agencies that struggled heavily durimg the 2009 Recession.
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Sonoma County Transit is the primary intra-county bus operator in Sonoma County, serving most cities and towns with fixed-line and shuttle services.
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Commonly called the SMART train, it will start operations in December 2016, initially operating between San Rafael and Sonoma County Airport north of Santa Rosa via Novato, Petaluma, and Rohnert Park.
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This free bus service operates an extensive number of routes around the Stanford University campus and environs, with additional services to Union City and Fremont in the East Bay.
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Tri-Delta Transit operates fixed bus lines in the eastern portion of Contra Costa County, spanning from Concord and Martinez to the west, to Brentwood and Oakley to the east. Pittsburg/Bay Point BART and Hillcrest Park-and-Ride in Antioch serve as its major transit hubs.
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Locally owned by the City of Union City, this small transit agency operates fixed-route and paratransit services within Union City, with two routes operating to neighboring Hayward.
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Managed by the City of Vacaville, City Coach operates six bus lines and paratransit services exclusively within Vacaville, with Vacaville Transportation Center being its main hub.
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WestCAT operates local and express bus services, primarily serving the western part of Contra Costa County between El Cerrito and Rodeo. It also operates LYNX, a commuter bus service, between Hercules and San Francisco weekdays only.
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Intercity Services and Transit Agencies Outside the Bay Area
Greyhound and Bolt BusGreyhound, and its low-cost companion, Bolt Bus, operate intercity services between the San Francisco Bay Area and the rest of California, operating as far north as Eureka and as far south as Tijuana in Mexico.
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MegaBusMegabus operates ultra low-cost, limited-stop services between the San Francisco Bay Area and Los Angeles, competing against Greyhound.
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Northern CaliforniaMy travel experiences within Northern California keeps expanding as I find more time going beyond the nine-county Bay Area, with future excursions by transit to places like Monterey, Sacramento, and Woodland.
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Monterey-Salinas TransitMonterey-Salinas Transit provides local bus services in Monterey County, with onward regional services to Santa Cruz, San Jose, Paso Robles, and Templeton.
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San Joaquin Regional Transit District (RTD)San Joaquin RTD operates local and regional bus services out of Stockton in San Joaquin County, with routes operating as far as Dublin and Sacramento.
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Santa Cruz Metropolitan Transportation District (Metro)Operating services mostly within Santa Cruz County, Santa Cruz Metro provides local, regional, and express services from its hubs in Santa Cruz, Aptos, and Watsonville, as well as UC Santa Cruz shuttle services.
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Unitrans (Davis)Operated and managed by the University of California Davis, Unitrans operates local routes around the City of Davis, with hubs at Silo, Memorial Union, and Davis Amtrak.
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Central CaliforniaWith the Central Valley and the Central Coast, public transportation in Central California offers a stark contrast to the more urban transit options in Northern and Southern California.
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Other Transit Modes
Bay Area Bike ShareThis regional bike sharing service now operates in four cities: San Francisco, Palo Alto, Mountain View, and San Jose. With over 700 bikes available for rent, Bay Area Bike Share allows commuters and tourists to travel home, to work, or to any attraction without the hassle of driving or fighting crowded buses or trains.
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Bikes and PedicabsCycling around the San Francisco Bay Area is a very popular mode of transportation, with thousands of miles of bike lanes and paths criss-crossing the nine-county region.
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Bus Rapid TransitFirst developed in Curitiba, Brazil, Bus Rapid Transit continues to spread and evolve. In the San Francisco Bay Area, BRT systems are being developed and operated by a growing number of agencies, whose main goal is to mimic potential rail services with less cost while carrying even more passengers quickly and efficiently.
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Carsharing and RidesharingFrom Lyft to Sidecar to Uber, carsharing became an institution in the San Francisco Bay Area, with all three companies having their roots in San Francisco and the Silicon Valley.
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Dockless Bike and Scooter ShareDockless bike and electric scooter sharing companies like Bird, Lime, and Spin provide a viable, yet controversial, alternative form of mobility for commuters traveling short distances in large cities like San Francisco and San Jose.
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Ferries and BoatsSan Francisco has had a long, rich history with maritime travel, with ships and ferries crisscrossing the Bay. While the auto ferries have been long gone, modern passenger ferries navigate around San Francisco Bay, transporting people between home, work, and tourist attractions.
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Shuttle ServicesThe Bay Area operates dozens of shuttle services that cater to multiple purposes, from employment to recreation. And many of these services operate during peak periods when employees go in and out of their jobs.
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TaxicabsTaxicabs operate throughout the Bay Area, with San Francisco holding the lion's share of taxi services. While its fares are more expensive than rideshare services, its drivers have years of experience meandering streets around the counties they serve.
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Other Vehicles & Features
Shopping Centers and Malls
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