Casual Carpool

Casual carpooling is a grassroots travel option, driven by supply and demand, to commute from the East Bay to downtown San Francisco.

On weekday mornings, people line up as either drivers or passengers at locations in the East Bay. These locations were established through word-of-mouth and experience over decades. Casual carpooling allows cars with three or more people going westbound on the Bay Bridge in the morning to take advantage of the high occupancy vehicle lanes, save time at the toll plaza and get the double bonus of a reduced bridge toll.

Before the COVID pandemic began, more than 20 casual carpool pick-up locations shown on the 511 Interactive Map were well used by commuters. Many of the locations are adjacent to AC Transit stops,  BART stations, or Bay Wheels stations so that riders have a back-up option if drivers do not arrive to pick up passengers. 

To read more about casual carpool's status visit Berkeleyside.  You can also participate in a casual carpool survey available through The Bay Link.

The information provided on this site is subject to the 511 Terms of Use.

View Casual Carpool Location on the Interactive Map

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