BART shuttle riders make easy trip across bay despite closure

OAKLAND, Calif. (KGO) -- On Monday morning, BART service should be running again across the San Francisco Bay. It shut down early Saturday morning so crews could work on the Transbay Tube. Drivers were worried about the Bay Bridge being packed all weekend, but it hasn't been busier than usual.

READ MORE: How to get around during Transbay Tube closure

Those looking to cross the bay during the closure found plenty of other alternatives.

By Saturday night, BART shuttles easily made the drive over the Bay Bridge. Traffic for everyone else also eased up a lot, but shuttle riders had an easy trip all day long.

"It was super easy. It only took like 20 minutes, 25 minutes. They've got a whole lane dedicated just to the bus. So everyone that was in traffic in their cars, I kind of feel bad for them because it was so easy and it was free," said rider Matt Spencer, who came into San Francisco from Oakland.

BART dispatched a small army of street guides to direct passengers from trains that stopped in downtown San Francisco to the temporary Transbay Terminal.

They were also in Oakland to make sure passengers got on the right bus.

"Are you going to San Francisco? And then I was like yeah. And they were like, get on this," Richmond resident Marcus Hicks said.

Hicks forgot that trains were not running through the Transbay Tube Sunday, so he and his family got a surprise bus ride.

"It was cool," he said. "It was something different. Instead of me driving, this time I got to look off in the water."

BART crews are replacing aging transition rails between West Oakland station and the Oakland entrance to the Transbay Tube. This is work that will continue through Sunday.

In order to ease as much congestion as possible, BART has some interesting advice to Transbay commuters this weekend.

"So far, our ridership numbers show that's been down by about 50 percent, which is great because we wanted to get the message out that if you don't have to travel across the bay, then please don't do so," BART spokesperson Jim Allison said.

Regular Transbay Tube service will resume Monday morning and another shut down to complete this work will happen Labor Day Weekend.