Alameda has a wealth of transportation options - high quality bus and ferry service to Oakland and San Francisco, sidewalks on almost all streets, and bikeways across town and next to the water. The 25 mile per hour speed limit on most streets makes it attractive for people of all ages to walk and bike.
Use these pages to find out more about transportation in Alameda.
Visit 511.org to plan your trip and find an overview of all transportation options in the Bay Area.
New in July 2024! A free service connecting Jack London Square (in Oakland) and Alameda Landing (in Alameda). More info on the project web page.
Bus: Alameda is served by AC Transit (including express bus service to and from San Francisco)
"Island Hopper" Shuttle [Not currently in operation]: The free Island Hopper land shuttle operated from Summer 2024 through December 8, 2024. Future service is unknown. Find more info here.
Business Shuttles: There are two business-operated land shuttles that are free and open to the public:
- The Harbor Bay Business Park Shuttle to BART, which runs from the Coliseum BART Station to the Harbor Bay Ferry Terminal with stops in the business park along the way, and is operated by the Harbor Bay Business Park Association.
- The Alameda Landing Express, runs on weekdays between Target and 12th Street BART in Downtown Oakland, and is operated by Alameda Landing.
BART: There are no BART stations in Alameda, but there are three stations in Oakland, not too far away (12th Street, Fruitvale and Lake Merritt).
Maps: Find your way around using the Bicycle and Walking Map of Alameda published by Bike Walk Alameda. Hard copies of the latest map can be found at many locations around town. And, the map is also online here. Find a route using Google bikeways map. Plan a ride on the Bay Trail here.
Education: Increase your bicycling safety skills with a FREE class or workshop, targeted to adults, teens and families offered by Bike East Bay.
E-Bikes: People who live in Alameda have three potential electric bike ("e-bike") rebate or incentive programs for which they may qualify:
- Your community-owned electric utility (Alameda Municipal Power) offers an electric bicycle rebate of $100 and up to $300 for income-qualified customers, to purchase a new electric bicycle.
- Additionally, all members of the Alameda Transportation Management Association (residents and employees) are eligible for an additional rebate of $300! This includes residents in Alameda Point, Mulberry, Marina Shores, Alta Star Harbor (Del Monte) and Alameda Marina.
- The State of California will launch its first e-bike incentive program application window on December 18, 2024. This is a statewide incentive program that provides point-of-sale voucher incentives for the purchase of e-bikes to residents in disadvantaged communities, low-income communities, and low-income households with an annual household income of less than 300% of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL). Eligible applicants can receive up to $2,000 in incentives. There will be a series of applications windows. Note that people must apply and be approved prior to purchasing an e-bike. No reimbursement for the purchase of an e-bike will be made prior to being approved for a voucher.
- Find out more about e-bike rebates across the Bay Area and beyond here.
Parking at Lockers: On-demand, shared-use bicycle lockers are available around the city, as listed below. These very low-cost lockers use the BikeLink system and cost $0.05 per hour. Access the lockers in one of three ways:
Alameda lockers (map):
Parking at BART Bike Station: At the Fruitvale BART Station in Oakland, secure parking can be found at the Fruitvale Bike Station, which also has a full-service bike repair shop.
Parking at Racks : There are many bike racks around town. If you'd like to see one added somewhere, submit a See Click Fix request and the location will be added to a rolling list.
Bicycle theft: Reduce the chances of your bike being stolen by using these simple tips (lots more detail here):
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Use a strong, high-quality lock. Do not rely just on cable locks which are easily cut. A newer U-lock, plus a thick cable, work well together. Spending $40 or more on a lock may seem like a lot, but it’s cheaper than replacing an entire bike.
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Lock your frame and at least one wheel to the rack. The best lock in the world will not save your bike if you only lock your wheel to the rack. Look for racks in locations with good visibility.
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Register your bike now at the free registry, Bike Index, via Bike East Bay, to help you retrieve your bike if it’s ever stolen.
Alameda has three ferry terminals that link the city to central San Francisco in about 20 minutes, to high tech jobs in South San Francisco, and to Oakland via a “Short Hop” where you can connect to downtown Oakland via bike or AC Transit. The service is operated by San Francisco Bay Ferry.
Seaplane Lagoon has direct service to Downtown San Francisco. There are many options to get to the terminal:
Main Street has direct service to Jack London Square in Oakland (called the Short Hop); and to Downtown San Francisco and South San Francisco. Service is offered midday, evenings and on weekends. There is also game-day service to Chase Center and Oracle Park.
Harbor Bay provides direct service to the San Francisco Ferry Building. There are many options to get to the terminal:
Walking, bicycling, taking transit and carpooling are all great ways to get to school in a healthy and sustainable way. Follow these safety tips(PDF, 247KB) as you plan how you and your family will get to school, no matter how you choose to travel there.
Suggested Routes Maps for each school are below. Review the best route for your child to walk or bike to school.
Academy of Alameda(PDF, 557KB)
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Edison(PDF, 205KB)
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Love(PDF, 1MB)
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Paden(PDF, 463KB)
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ACLC(PDF, 550KB)
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Encinal(PDF, 3MB)
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Maya Lin(PDF, 2MB)
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Ruby Bridges(PDF, 434KB)
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Amelia Earhart(PDF, 445KB)
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Franklin(PDF, 1MB)
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Nea(PDF, 551KB)
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Wood(PDF, 3MB) |
Bay Farm(PDF, 410KB)
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Lincoln(PDF, 2MB) |
Otis(PDF, 233KB)
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School Bus Routes operated by AC Transit (links to all lines here):
- Line 631: Serves Bay Farm School, Amelia Earhart Elementary, Lincoln Middle, Alameda High, St. Joseph's, Nea, Alameda Community Learning Center, Academy of Alameda, Island High, Encinal Junior and Senior High.
- Line 663: Serves Alameda High, Wood Middle, Academy of Alameda, Nea, Alameda Community Learning Center, Island High and Encinal Junior and Senior High.
- Line 687: Serves Lincoln Middle, Bay Farm School, and Amelia Earhart Elementary.
Driving: If you're driving yourself or your child, please do so safely, following the safety tips below.
How to Drive Safely in School Zones: English(PDF, 429KB) | Spanish(PDF, 200KB) | Chinese(PDF, 241KB)
East Bay Paratransit provides public transit services for people who are unable to use regular buses or trains because of a disability or a disabling health condition - click here for more info. The City of Alameda also has a paratransit coordinator who helps meet community member transportation needs - find more info here. You can also read FAQs about auto parking for people with disabilities.
Options for getting around keep expanding - there are multiple carsharing services in Alameda, you can use a smart carpooling service, and there are smart phone apps to help you plan your trip.
Automated/smart carpooling services: Lyft Line, uberPOOL, Scoop and Waze
Carsharing: Getaround carshare service operates in Alameda and provides car rental options for short periods. Another option is Turo.
Smart phone apps can help you navigate getting around, no matter what mode you use.
Bike & Scooter Share: The City does not currently have a bike or scooter share program, but will be working to bring both to Alameda. In the past, there was an Alameda Bikeshare Program.
Find your way around using the Bicycle and Walking Map of Alameda map published by Bike Walk Alameda.
For any employee working in Alameda County, the Guaranteed Ride Home (GRH) program will pay for a free ride home for those who use transit, walking, bicycling, carpooling or vanpooling to get to work, in the event of unexpected circumstances such as illness, family crisis or unscheduled overtime. Pre-registration with the program is required.
Learn about auto parking for visitors and regular users here.
There are five drawbridges over the Oakland-Alameda Estuary, used to get to and from Alameda. Each bridge has its own rules for when and how they're opened. Find out more here.
Alameda is striving for a cleaner, zero-greenhouse gas emission future. Alameda Municipal Power (AMP), the city-owned electric utility, has programs to encourage and incentivize electric vehicle use. And, the City is making it easier for community members and businesses to install EV chargers.