When Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) riders take the train to Oakland International Airport (OAK) they shuttle from the BART Coliseum/Oakland Airport Station to the airport proper via AirBART busses. Now there is word that the cost to ride those shuttles has just gone up.
A shuttle ride that used to run $2 is now $3. Why? The 40-foot AirBART busses that were built in 1998 have racked up more than 500,000 miles each according to Oakland International Airport officials, and it’s time to buy new ones. Somebody’s got to pay for that.
Officials also say they need more shuttles to meet the growing demand for AirBART. In 2006, the shuttles served some 1.6 million fliers, a 5.7 percent increase over 2005 figures.
Fueling the growth is OAK’s robust discount airline business. The East Bay aerodrome is a focus city for both discount airlines Southwest and JetBlue.
Look for the new shuttles to be environmentally friendly alternative-fuel vehicles.
AirBART operates between OAK and the BART Coliseum Station approximately every ten minutes, until midnight. Service begins at 5am Monday through Saturday, and at 8am on Sundays and holidays. The shuttle stops at Terminals 1 and 2, on the second curbside.
© Cheapflights Ltd Jerry Chandler
