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El Cerrito del Norte station

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El Cerrito del Norte station (Spanish for "The Little Hill of the North") is a Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) station located on Cutting Boulevard in El Cerrito, California. The station is served by the Orange and Red lines. Located near San Pablo Avenue and Interstate 80, it serves as a regional transit hub for local AC Transit bus services, and for commuter feeder services from Solano, Napa, and Marin Counties in the North Bay plus western Contra Costa County. Opened in 1973, the station was renovated in 2017–2021 to add additional elevators, stairs, and lobby space.

El Cerrito del Norte
Bay Area Rapid Transit
A elevated concrete and glass railway station seen from below
El Cerrito del Norte station in March 2021
General information
Location6400 Cutting Boulevard
El Cerrito, California
Coordinates37°55′31″N 122°19′01″W / 37.925183°N 122.316939°W / 37.925183; -122.316939
Line(s)BART R-Line
Platforms2 side platforms
Tracks2
ConnectionsBus transport AC Transit
Bus transport Golden Gate Transit
Bus transport SolTrans
Bus transport VINE
Bus transport WestCAT
Construction
Structure typeElevated
Parking2,198 spaces
Bicycle facilities28 lockers
AccessibleYes
ArchitectDeMars & Wells[1]
Architectural styleBrutalist
History
OpenedJanuary 29, 1973
Rebuilt2017–March 29, 2021
Passengers
20243,384 (weekday average)[2]
Services
Preceding station Bay Area Rapid Transit Following station
El Cerrito Plaza
toward Berryessa/​North San José
 Orange Line Richmond
Terminus
El Cerrito Plaza
toward Millbrae
 Red Line
Location
Map

The station features large parking areas throughout, including surface parking and a four-story parking garage on the east side. There are also reserved bicycle lockers and open air racks available.[3] There is a kiss and ride and taxi zone on the east side of the station.[3] The Ohlone Greenway runs through the station area.

History

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Steelwork for new elevators and stairs seen in March 2019

The BART Board approved the name "El Cerrito del Norte" in December 1965.[4] El Cerrito del Norte station opened on January 29, 1973 when service began between MacArthur station and Richmond station.[5] As with El Cerrito Plaza station, the escalator walls feature tile mosaics by Alfonso Pardiñas.[6] Seismic retrofitting of the parking garage took place in 2010.[7][8]

A 2004 study recommending expanding the station paid area, platforms, and vertical logistics (more stairs and elevators within the paid area) to allow more passengers to use the station and decrease dwelling times during congested alighting times.[3] Conceptual plans for modernization of the two El Cerrito stations were released in December 2013.[9] By 2017 the station had more than 9,000 passengers boarding per weekday, exceeding its design capacity. BART awarded the construction contract for the $33.9 million station expansion that February, with an expected completion in May 2019.[10]

The expanded paid area, new elevators and stairs, and updated bus boarding area were completed in February 2021.[11] The second phase of the renovation, which included new restrooms and a new busway, was completed on March 29, 2021.[12] It also included the installation of El Cerrito Homes, two porcelain tile murals by artist Kyungmi Shin.[13]

BART developed a station improvement plan in 2004 to create a transit village in the surrounding area.[3] The city of El Cerrito is additionally planning and searching for funds to develop the area around the station as a transit oriented development (TOD) similar to other transit villages,[14] with the reservation that the development must be appropriately scaled.[3] An apartment complex to be built on a former parking area was approved in 2017.[15] As of 2024, BART anticipates soliciting developer proposals by 2028.[16]

Bus connections

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SolanoExpress bus at the station

El Cerrito del Norte station serves as the primary northern bus terminal for the Richmond branch due to its proximity to I-80 (compared to the Richmond BART station).[17] A two-lane busway on the west side of the station, plus additional stops on San Pablo Avenue and on the east side of the station, as are used by five public transit agencies. AC Transit provides both local and express service, while the other agencies provide commuter-oriented express service from western Contra Costa County, Marin County, Napa County, and Solano County.[18][19]

Flixbus intercity bus service and a California Department of Public Health employee shuttle also serve the station.[18]

References

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  1. ^ Cerny, Susan Dinkelspiel (2007). An Architectural Guidebook to San Francisco and the Bay Area (1st ed.). Layton, UT: Gibbs Smith. pp. 501–502. ISBN 978-1-58685-432-4. OCLC 85623396.
  2. ^ "Monthly Ridership Reports". San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District. June 2024.
  3. ^ a b c d e "Comprehensive Station Plan El Cerrito del Norte" (PDF). BART. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 17, 2008. Retrieved May 31, 2017.
  4. ^ "Names Approved for 38 Rapid Transit Stations Around Bay". Oakland Tribune. December 10, 1965. p. 10 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ "BART Chronology January 1947 – March 2009" (PDF). San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District. March 2009. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 13, 2013.
  6. ^ Weinstein, Dave. "How BART got ART". CA-Modern. Eichler Network. p. 6.
  7. ^ "Earthquake Safety Program Construction Updates (archive)". San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District. 2009.
  8. ^ "Part of El Cerrito del Norte parking garage closing Feb. 9 for repairs" (Press release). San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District. February 8, 2010.
  9. ^ El Cerrito Plaza and Del Norte Stations Modernization Concept Plans - Final Report (PDF). San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District. December 13, 2013.
  10. ^ "BART Board approves El Cerrito del Norte Station modernization" (Press release). San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District. February 9, 2017.
  11. ^ "Major milestone reached in El Cerrito del Norte Station Modernization Project" (Press release). San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District. February 3, 2021.
  12. ^ "El Cerrito del Norte Station Modernization Project complete with major improvements" (Press release). San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District. March 29, 2021.
  13. ^ "Murals for the "City of Homes": Artist Kyungmi Shin discuss her upcoming artwork at El Cerrito del Norte Station" (Press release). San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District. February 24, 2021.
  14. ^ El Cerrito del Norte station access plan Archived 2007-09-26 at the Wayback Machine, BART, retrieved August 9, 2007
  15. ^ Radin, Rick (August 7, 2017). "El Cerrito residential projects along San Pablo earn design approval". East Bay Times. Retrieved August 13, 2017.
  16. ^ BART Transit-Oriented Development Program Work Plan: 2024 Update (PDF). San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District. March 2024. p. 16.
  17. ^ "Transit Routes: El Cerrito del Norte Station". Metropolitan Transportation Commission. April 8, 2024.
  18. ^ a b "Transit Stops: El Cerrito del Norte Station". Metropolitan Transportation Commission. April 8, 2024.
  19. ^ "Schedules & Fares: El Cerrito del Norte Station". Metropolitan Transportation Commission. May 8, 2024.
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  Media related to El Cerrito del Norte station at Wikimedia Commons

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