East Bay BART Station Trades Half Its Parking Spaces For New Housing

OAKLAND, CA — Construction begins Monday to transform hundreds of parking spaces at the West Oakland BART station into a massive housing project.

BART officials are nudging commuters to park at other stations, including nearby Fruitvale, as the first phase of a project to bring 721 residential units, including 240 for affordable housing, begins.

Once complete, the development project will tower over the West Oakland station at 31 stories high. It's expected to bring retail and office space, helping revitalize a part of the city that has staggered for years after homes were demolished decades ago to build elevated BART tracks.

But to make it happen, it'll mean giving up 240 parking spaces at the station. That'll leave drivers competing for about 200 spaces.

While construction is underway, bicycle parking has been moved from the south side of the station on Fifth Street to the north side on Seventh Street, officials said.

AC transit buses will also now stop about a block away at Seventh and Mandela Parkway. At the same time, pickups and drop-offs have been relocated to Seventh and Chester streets for drivers heading south and Seventh and Center for those heading west, BART officials said.