Four Ways to Commute to the Presidio

By Joe Alexander-Short 

I live in Oakland and recently started a new role at a company located in the Presidio. So I’m now working in a national park site, surrounded by beautiful views, nature, and lots of open space and for my commute I really want to consider cost, my impact on the environment, and convenience. Here are four ways I’ve reached the park so far, each broken down by experience, convenience, and affordability. 

BART to the Presidio GO Shuttle 

This is my go-to option because it’s convenient, affordable, and helps me start the day relaxed and ready to go.  

Experience:

BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) is efficient, clean, and reliable, and the Presidio GO Shuttle experience is easy and relaxing. The park’s shuttles are free and arrive regularly on time. Also, the drivers are friendly and extremely helpful. Until more people discover this option, there’s plenty of space for riders to spread out and enjoy the ride into the park.

Convenience:

BART is close to where I live, making it super convenient. South-bound BART trains run every five minutes or so, and there’s a door at the San Francisco Embarcadero stop that spits you out right at the Presidio GO stop of California & Drummond.  

The Presidio GO schedule is available on the Presidio’s webpage, which is also a great resource for everything Presidio-related – from food to trails to itineraries. Note: the shuttle arrives every 15 minutes around peak commute times and then spaces out. You’ll need to present a Presidio Trust pass if you’re planning to take the shuttle during main commuting hours (before 9:15 a.m. or at more regular intervals after 4:30 p.m).  

Duration: House in Oakland to the Presidio = one hour and 15 minutes. 

Affordability:

The Presidio GO Shuttle is free, and BART is about $4.50 each way depending on your stop. Add a few dollars for parking or taking the bus to BART, and this is a reasonable cost of $13-$15 – which is still cheaper than driving (see below).

Driving

This is the most convenient and flexible option. I can leave whenever I want and bring along extra bags; however, it’s expensive and sitting in traffic can leave me feeling drained. Traffic is also unpredictable. 

Experience:

Sitting in traffic can be a grind – I’m not able to read or relax into another activity like I can on public transit. There’s also the carbon footprint I leave behind.  

Convenience:

This option is the most convenient because it provides maximum flexibility.  

Duration: House to the Presidio = one hour to one hour and 15 minutes, depending on traffic and the route (or the bridge) taken.  

Affordability:

There are two ways to get to the Presidio – the Richmond/Golden Gate Bridge Route or the Bay Bridge, and the cost depends on which route you take to work. Either way, it’s the most expensive option. Some days it makes sense to save time and take the longer Richmond/Golden Gate Bridge route ($10.50 toll) instead of the Bay Bridge ($8.50 toll). Between gas, parking at the Presidio, and these tolls, the cost is between $33 and $44.

Ferry to the Presidio GO Shuttle

This is a pleasant and affordable option, but it takes longer than the other two and is the least flexible.  

Experience:

Floating along the Bay towards the San Francisco skyline at the start of the day fills me with awe and gratitude for this beautiful area I call home. The ferry back to the East Bay during golden hour is particularly magical. 

Convenience:

To catch the Presidio GO in San Francisco I need to take the 8 a.m. or 8:40 a.m. ferry from the Jack London Ferry Building. The Drumm & California Presidio GO stop is about a 5-minute walk from the SF Ferry Building, and both ferries arrive just seven minutes before the shuttle leaves. This means you only have two minutes to spare and need to hustle to make the shuttle. If you don’t make it in time, you’ll have to wait at least 15 minutes for the next shuttle. (Shout out to the Presidio GO driver who was driving away but stopped to let me on when he saw me running!)  

Duration: House to the Presidio = about one hour and 20 minutes.  

Affordability:

The Presidio GO is FREE and so is the parking near the Jack London Ferry Building with validation. The only cost is a $10.20 round trip ticket on the ferry.

Ferry to Bike

This commute takes the longest and is the most strenuous, but it’s a healthy, beautiful, and fun option – if you have the time and energy!  

Experience:

Experientially, this commute is a 10 out of 10. The ferry has plenty of bike storage and they allow all bikers to disembark first upon arrival. The route along the Embarcadero hugs the San Francisco coast-line and provides beautiful views of the Bay and the City skyline. There are bike lanes along most of the route, and there’s only one hill as you approach Fort Scott. Exercising while immersed in nature and the San Francisco cityscape is a wonderful way to start the day and made me really value living and working here.

Convenience:

This route takes some planning.  If you don’t have panniers on your bike, you’ll want to make sure the weight in your backpack is dispersed low and close to your body for balance. Google maps will tell you it takes 24 minutes to bike to the Presidio from the Ferry Building, but my experience was that it took a bit longer. Once you arrive at work you’ll also want to consider a change of clothes and a shower of some kind – luckily I had access to both.  

Duration: House to the Presidio = about one hour and 25 minutes. 

Note: if you don’t have the energy to bike back to the ferry building at the end of the day, you can easily load your bike onto the Presidio GO Shuttle, which drops you just blocks from the ferry building at Drumm & California. 

Affordability:

The only cost is a $10.20 round-trip ticket on the ferry. 

Conclusion: 

Taking any of the public transportation options helps me save money, feel better about my carbon footprint (the Presidio GO Shuttles are electric!), and arrive at work feeling both energized and relaxed. Whichever you choose, know there are several quality options for your commute to the Presidio from the East Bay.