Transportation

With a long history as a transportation hub, Oakland links the Bay Area to the nation and the world by ship, air, rail, and six major freeways.

Sea

The Port of Oakland is the fourth busiest container port in the United States and handles 99 percent of all containerized cargo that passes through the Golden Gate. The Port’s annual container throughput exceeded 2.4 million Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units or TEUs in 2006. Nearly $33 billion worth of international trade moves through the Port of Oakland seaport each year. Oakland has the highest percentage of export cargo (62 percent) of any major container port on the West Coast of the United States.

In 2002, the Port installed eight giant new super-Panamax cranes that can load and unload the newer, wider container vessels that now transit the globe. Combined the Port of Oakland has two new marine terminals, 29 post-Panamax size cranes, and a new Joint Intermodal Terminal (JIT). With the expanded terminals, the new JIT, and the giant cranes, the Port of Oakland’s marine facilities have nearly doubled in size. These improvements are expected to lower the time and cost of transporting goods as well as allow the Port of Oakland to remain competitive for years to come.

These facilities are supported by a fully developed network of local roads and interstate freeways, warehouses, and international railyards.

As part of a $700 million expansion plan, the Port will be deepening channels and berths from a depth of 42’ to a depth of 50’ by the middle of the decade. A unique aspect of the harbor-deepening project is its 100 percent beneficial reuse of dredged material for a number of environmental projects, including a large shallow water bay and shoreline habitats and wetlands restoration projects.

Air

Oakland International Airport’s range of modern facilities makes it the most convenient and centrally located airport for travelers and cargo customers in the San Francisco Bay Area. The airport is among the fastest growing airports in the country.

In 2007, more than 14.6 million passengers used Oakland International Airport (OAK) and the facility continues to buck industry trends by reporting steady increases in passenger traffic. The airport has more than 200 daily flights on 14 domestic and international carriers to 39 nonstop destinations. Business travelers will appreciate the non-stop flights to East Coast business destinations such as New York, Washington, D.C., Boston and Atlanta as well as the Midwest business centers of Chicago and Kansas City.

OAK broke ground on its $300 million Terminal Improvement Program in spring 2004. This program includes construction of a new concourse with seven boarding gates and waiting areas; a modern, centralized food, beverage and retail shopping area; expanded ticketing, security and baggage claim facilities and new utilities. A new seven-gate concourse has been completed. The program also includes improvements to the terminal roadway and curbside areas to ease congestion in front of the terminals and reconstruction of the aircraft parking apron. Program completion is expected in 2008. Visit OAK's website for more information.

Oakland International Airport handles more than 49% of all Bay Area domestic air cargo, annually moving more than 647,000 metric tons of air cargo, freight, and mail. The airport’s volume of air cargo ranks among the top three on the West Coast and top 12 in the nation. The major cargo carriers based at Oakland International Airport include FedEx, United Parcel Service, DHL and Ameriflight.

The Port of Oakland dedicated the new Hegenberger Road/98th Avenue Gateway to Oakland International Airport as part of the airport’s 75th anniversary celebration in 2002. On August 24, 2003, the airport opened its interim rental car center. The 15,000-square-foot facility, located at the Airport's historic North Field, will temporarily house the operations of the eight on-airport national rental car companies for the next three to four years.  This facility allows for construction to begin on the airport's terminal expansion project. Plans for Oakland International Airport include building and expanding terminals, hold rooms and gates, parking areas, cargo facilities and a direct link to BART.

Rail

Oakland is the western terminus of the Union Pacific Railroad and the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad lines which connect to most major, national rail destinations.

Highways

U.S. Interstates 80, 580, 880, and 980 come together in Oakland, along with state highways 24, 13, 123, 61, and 112. More than 202,000 vehicles travel westbound and 178,000 vehicles travel eastbound on I-580 past Lakeshore Avenue daily, while more than 214,000 vehicles traverse southbound and 206,000 vehicle travel northbound on I-880 at 29th/Fruitvale Avenues.

Ferry Service

Oakland’s waterfront location allows for frequent commuter service on the Alameda/Oakland ferry to San Francisco’s Ferry Building and PIER 39. Service also runs to Pacific Bell Park and on weekends to Angel Island, a nature lover’s paradise.

Commuter Programs

Car/Van Pooling
The 511 Regional Rideshare Program is a free service that introduces commuters to people who live and work nearby, to carpool, vanpool or even bike to work together. Ridesharing benefits include access to the Bay Area's growing network of carpool lanes, free park-and-ride lots, and a host of commute incentives.

Car Sharing
Thanks to the exceptional transit systems in Oakland, many residents choose not to own a car of their own. Car sharing allows use of a car by making vehicles available on a per use basis without incurring the ownership costs. City CarShare offers car shares at 10 Oakland locations including City Center, Rockridge, Lake Merritt, West Oakland, Downtown, Adams Point, Grand Avenue, Old Oakland and Piedmont Avenue. Flexcar also offers car shares from five locations including Downtown, Lake Merritt, Jack London Square, Rockridge and MacArthur BART. Zipcar offers car shares at three locations including Old Oakland, Adams Point and Rockridge.

Mass Transit

Oakland has an excellent public transit system. Oakland is the hub for the Bay Area Rapid Transit District (BART), the high-speed, regional rail system with 104-miles of track including the 3.6-mile Transbay tube. With eight stations in Oakland, it is easy to jump on a train to downtown Oakland and other Bay Area cities. A trip from City Center in Oakland to downtown San Francisco takes 11 minutes. Other transit services include AC Transit bus service, and Amtrak service with multiple departures daily on three routes linking to the Pacific Northwest, Southern California and the Central Valley including the Capitol Corridor line which is the third-most popluar line in Amtrak's national rail network.

The reach and ease-of-use of these transit systems make commuting to Oakland a quick and affordable option for your employees who live in neighboring cities.

511 is a toll-free phone and Web service that consolidates Bay Area transportation-related information into a one-stop resource. This easy three-digit number provides up-to-the-minute information on traffic conditions and incidents, details on public transportation routes and fares, instant carpool and vanpool referrals, bicycling information and more.