I gotta hand it to BART, I thought they were gonna let this unincorporated town down but they stepped up to the plate (baseball pun intended). We have our shiny new entry/exit gates that reduce the risk of fare evasion! They even fixed a gap between the gate access entry and the new gates which I saw someone jump on day one. Now, you gotta really want it to get in and out for free, and frankly, I don't think the fare evasion community has what it takes with these new gates. We are back in the 5 star Yelp game people! read more

BART - Castro Valley Station - Is passive panhandling allowed? Asking for a friend. - Public Transportation Near Me - Castro Valley, California

BART cancelling trains mid day without proper warning is hard on disabled individuals. It happens way too much.. It's a good place though. read more

BART - Castro Valley Station - Photo of signs within the Castro Valley Stations - Public Transportation Near Me - Castro Valley, California

As far as Bart stations go - one of the better stops. Bridge tolls went up - this is one way to avoid them. CA voters approved a series of bridge toll increases one this year and I think one or two more to go. I have a feeling people who have the morning commute and have to cross it everyday voted for the increase in hopes that it would make the commute faster as people would choose other options. If you park your car all day at Bart I would suggest not driving a truck or old Honda or any other popular vehicle. I think a five year old Hyundai would be optimal - nobody would want one of those even for free. As you sit on your Bart train soak in the sights and smells of fellow passengers. I've got one friend who used to use the train every day because it was reliable in getting him to work on time. He suggested putting in ear phones and avoiding eye contact. I really don't take Bart enough to give such insightful advice - I'm more in awe or bewilderment how when the trains go around bends - all the noises - the grinding - its terrible. Its something you would expect from a much lesser country - not the U S of A. read more

My first time using clipper app today at 8:30pm, loaded money a day ago on the app. It wasn't working, I asked questions about the clipper card, the bart agent was cold and didn't really help me to understand . She was idle in the booth and not friendly at all. I ended up buying another new clipper card. This was a very frustrating experience. read more

Annoying. So annoying. Although this is one of the cleanest and safest BART stations I've been to, I got me a story that makes no sense to me. First off, I come here as an alternate station from the Tri Valley due to the ample parking that is still usually available after 9am. That and it's a decently safe neighborhood. I tagged my Clipper card and it told me I needed $0.35. I thought I had autoload on, but I guess it hadn't yet kicked in.  Well, I go to the kiosk, and reach into my normally empty wallet and find a $5 bill.  Oh well.  I stick it in, it credits my card $0.35, and it proceeds to calculate my change. $4.65. Sweet. Then it happens. Ting ting ting ting ting ting...... WTF! It's dropping nickels! NINETY THREE (93) nickels come out like a downtown Las Vegas penny slot. Slightly embarrassing during this morning rush hour. Who the hell is the wise guy that decides to fill the machine with nickels? Quarters, ok, I could get over it.  I almost walk away and considered it a donation to the homeless guy that finds it in there.  But, it's after the holidays, and I spent way too much this past season.  Hey BART ticket machine guy...bite me! read more

I've gone to this station both during the weekday morning commute and on weekend evenings. The platform is located in the middle of a busy freeway, so it is very loud and can get extremely chilly. If you're not waiting in a line, I suggest sitting at one of the benches or waiting a few steps down on the stairwell to block out some of the wind. The station feels fairly safe to me and I've parked there overnight once without any issues. Free parking at any spot after 3pm. The parking lot is sectioned off into a lot of parts and has weird turns everywhere, but the station/platform area is really easy to navigate. There's only 2 escalators available, one going up and the other going down. There's bike racks available both outside of the gates and within the gates after you tag your Clipper card, but the number of bike spaces are more limited within the gates, and it's so annoying when other people double park next to my bike! Overall, the Castro Valley BART station is decent and fairly well-maintained. read more

I parked here December 29- January 2 as I used BART to go to the airport. All was well, it was easy to reserve and pay for parking online, but when I returned I realized there were several large footprints on my hood and windshield. I parked under the street light in the first row of the reserved lot. I did notify BART police because, to me, it looked as if someone stood on my hood and tried to kick in my windshield. Since (luckily) there was no damage, no report was taken (totally understandable) so, otherwise, my experience with this station was positive. read more

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Top station has almost no coverage or wind breakers, so it's cold if it's cold and hot if it's hot. Be prepared. read more

BART - Castro Valley Station - Public Transportation Near Me - Castro Valley, California

I don't usually ride BART but when I have to go to San Francisco I don't mind taking it especially if I can walk to the Castro Valley BART Station. Extra stars for being close to my house. Parking lot is big and ALWAYS has parking available. Don't forget that parking all day is now $3.00 a day and don't forget to pay inside the BART station before getting on to your train. This location also has a bathroom that is clean and monitored throughout the day. The workers here are very nice and helpful. All the machines usually work when I come here. I like that the area is quite and safe. I never feel bad to leave my car here throughout the day. On the weekends, Farmers Market is usually held here from 10-2P.M. come check it out! read more

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My favorite BART station closest to my house. Good amount of parking, clean and safe, and the bathrooms are usable here. When you're coming home from SF late at night, there's no direct Fremont line, so taking the Dublin line saves time, and you don't have to wait outside at Bay Fair. However, my favorite feature of the Castro Valley station is the saxophone man who plays out front! He's almost always there when I come and never fails to bring a smile to my face :) I have to take off a star because the platform is super noisy and awful (I always wait downstairs), and BART itself is an imperfect and expensive system... but what would we do without it?! read more

Small bart station lits of parking spaces. Easy to get in or out. Good option for getting in and out of SF. read more

BART - Castro Valley Station - Public Transportation Near Me - Castro Valley, California

Safe and clean BART station. read more

BART - Castro Valley Station - Public Transportation Near Me - Castro Valley, California

Very quiet. Clean. No bathrooms though. No police neither. A lot of paying stations and a lot of entry/exit bays. Parking(cost) is decent. Taxi available. Pay Phones available. No snack stand. Not the best station but one of the best. read more

BART - Castro Valley Station - Public Transportation Near Me - Castro Valley, California

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Nothing but good experiences at the CV Bart station! Yes, Clint is right the jaywalking is ridiculous, mob rules and the cars never seem to honk...definitely different than the city. Yes, Ashley is right that the parking lot fills up by 7:50 more like 7:30 now a days except for Friday's when you can still expect to find a spot in the parking lot at 8:30. There is free for all parking on the side streets and residential areas near by but be warned that the first two blocks of the residential area now require a permit to park there during the day. No permit = ticket and trust me DO NOT take a gamble on this you WILL get a ticket. Side note, permits are only given to residents. Why I like the CV BART station: 1. No daily parking fee...bonus since all the others close by (Dublin or WC require daily fee of a dollar). Not that I think a dollar a day is steep I just have a hard time remember my parking stall number in my morning fog and it's just easier not to worry about the extra step of paying for parking in the morning 2. Friendly attendants: Unlike Ashely I've only had good experiences with the attendants at CV Bart; unfortunately I don't know their names but the bald guy in the mornings has always been super friendly every time I've deactivated my ticket and need a new one. I once got stuck needing to add fare in order to exit the station, but being the non cash carrying person I am had no money to add fare and the add fare machines don't take cards. ***Note to BART: Make add fare machines accept debit and/or credit cards*** I went to the attendant to explain my dilemma and to my shock he said just go through the side gate and bring me $2.15 (my remaining fare) some other day. I quickly obliged before he changed his mind. 3. Big Ed: Big Ed is the guy selling newspapers every morning at CV Bart. He is quite possibly one of the friendliest people you will ever meet. He'll get to know your name and wish you a personal good morning or good day or some other nice pleasantry when you pass by every day...even if you're not buying a paper that morning. As for BART itself....well, it's cheaper than driving but I swear someone should post some BART etiquette rules. Here's some ideas to get started: 1. Get off the phone!!! No one wants to hear your loud conversation about your night out last night or your sick relative or office gossip or whatever nonsense you are so loudly talking about. Maybe it's just me but I can't believe the things people loudly share on BART for all others to hear. 2. Guys, your johnson (or whatever you'd like to refer to it is) is not that big and you do NOT need to sit with your legs spread so far apart the reach over into the other persons seat. 3. Two fat people don't belong sitting next to each other. Now I'm not the biggest of girls but I'm definitely not the skinniest either so please don't sit next to me if you're bigger than me. I'm not trying to be rude but common sense should tell you that the ride will be more comfortable for everyone if you're not pressed up against someone else's hot body...hence two big people should not sit next to each other. read more

Gotta love BART. But, the Castro Valley BART has a huge flaw...parking. The parking lot is full by 7:50 am. It remains full until around 4pm. If you can't park in the parking lot then you have to park on the street. The first 2 blocks fill up by 8 am. If you're using the CV BART station get there early, carpool, park and walk, or get dropped off. Also, the attendants are always rude. Boo. read more

I actually prefer parking at this station over the other BART stations. The BART police station is located here and it puts my mind more at ease when I leave my car here when I visit the city. Be warned, if you arrive after 8:30 am Monday-Friday, you will not find parking (unless you are really really lucky). read more

This is my favorite BART station. I use it almost daily on my commute to San Francisco. It's very clean and well kept. It's aging though, but I think they do a good job in keeping it safe and decent looking. The only problem in the winter is that the platforms are at the top level; which means when it's windy you'll feel the cold. They hold a small fresh market on Saturdays in their parking lot. read more

This is one of the nicer Bart stations in the East Bay. Unlike the Hayward Bart stations, there are no questionable people lingering around. This Bart is very clean & close to the freeway. Parking fills up quickly on weekdays, but there is ample parking on the weekends. The Bart police station is located in the parking lot, so I feel much safer leaving my car here than at other bart stations. Only downside is the platform is above the freeway so it is cold & noisy. read more

The thing that puzzles me about this BART station, is how bikes are supposed to get to the main area below. There is a walkway for wheelchairs, but it specifically says no bikes allowed. I did not see an elevator, so finally I had to take the illegal way down to the station. read more

For all the BART stations in the vicinity, this is my poison of choice. I've come at all times, from busy times to times where I'm the only person waiting for a train, and it's always been a pleasant experience at this station. Only thing I cannot stand is the platform being surrounded by 580. I've gotten so nauseous just standing there watching the cars zoom by in front and behind me. There's not much sitting area here, so during the busy times, you'll be lucky if you find a seat. Everyone has been super friendly at the station and you don't get haggled for anything here like you may at BayFair or Hayward. However, like any BART station, the parking here costs, and gets filled rather quickly, so try getting dropped off or come early for a spot. read more

What's great about this BART station is that it has a bathroom! Maybe I haven't been paying attention enough, but it seems like most BART stations don't have bathrooms, so this one's special. This BART station also has escalators so you don't have to walk up a set of stairs. Those come in handy all the time. Oh wait, all BART stations have escalators. Never mind. The platform is situated between Interstate 580, so there's some noise pollution while you're waiting for the train. So it goes. Don't know when the next train is arriving? You're in luck! There are these electronic signs hanging overhead and a disembodied voice that display/say the next train arrival time. Mind. Blown. For real though, this station has a huge parking lot and a pretty nice pick-up/drop-off area. Basically, it's your typical BART station, but it's slightly nicer in that it's got bathrooms and a pick-up/drop-off zone. read more

I love this station. This station is one of the newer ones in the system and you can tell by how clean and modern it looks. Minus 1 star because the platform gets VERY cold at night (even during the day sometimes). Please wear a jacket. Now you might be wondering how I ended up at this station if it's usually not my destination or departure station... well let's just say I napped and woke up several times at this station and had to stand in the cold to wait for another train to take me towards SF. $1.00 for parking and ample space although Bayfair and San Leandro fills up slower than this lot. The parking situation should improve once West Dublin/Pleasanton station opens later this year. read more

I will gladly pay $2.50 for parking. I always feel safe in the morning when it's still dark and when I return home in the evening when it's dark again. You will have to get in the lot closest to station before 7am to get a spot. Otherwise you will find yourself walking from afar. Station and lot are clean, no bums or panhandlers. There is a dude playing saxophone in the evening, but it;s a welcome sound after a long day and people rushing to get home. read more

I like this one! It's always laid back and clean and I don't feel terrified to get there and linger around to purchase a ticket or in a hurry to run off to my car when I get there. The people her are always curteous and polite, which is a nice change from some of the other pit stops. CV also has free parking! Always a plus :) read more

It's clean and safe, and I've never had trouble finding a spot to park. Stuff usually seems to be working and the ladies' restroom is surprisingly clean and well-stocked for a public restroom. It's a little weird standing in the middle of 580 to wait for the train, but it's kinda neat/surreal if you're really tired (which I usually am). The other commuters are quiet and polite, and the ride is 35 minutes to Embarcadero. Bonus! During the spring/summer, there's a farmer's market in the parking lot on Saturdays! read more

Didn't stay long just passing through on our way to San Francisco for the Super Bowl Experience with my brother and Danielle. read more

BART - Castro Valley Station - Taking Bart to the City - Public Transportation Near Me - Castro Valley, California

This BART station is only a block from my house so it is super convenient! Thankfully it is one of the nicest stations BART has to offer. Unfortunately, I usually have to stand because way too many people get on at the Dublin/Pleasanton station and there just aren't enough trains during the commute hours. read more

BART - Castro Valley Station - Public Transportation Near Me - Castro Valley, California

What good is the station if there is no parking? Around 7:50 every morning the parking lot is completely full. Very aggravating considering most schools don't open until 8:00. read more

If this station didn't exist in the early 1990's my childhood would have been a hallofalot less exciting. I'm obsessed with you BART. Whoever brought this fantastically convenient transit to the Bay Area deserves the Nobel Peace Prize as far as I'm concerned... how else would we have gotten to all those metal shows in the city when we were kids (and the TOOL show I went to last night, via a North berkeley to Civic Center sprint)? All the A's games since I was born? Giants games since they moved to Pac Bell or [enter bullshit corporate name here] park? All the shopping sprees in the Haight and downtown? OR Castro Halloween adventures (before they cut us off..)? None of this would have been possible for us without the BART station in CV. And now, my hook-up is North Berkeley (Richmond line, WHAT!). And they take 'tiny-tickets' now for whichever organization you wish to donate to. Thank goddess for the piss-smelling, fast-moving, call-dropping, ear-pressure-popping, takes-way-to-long-on-week ends Bay area rapid transit! So tell a friend... don't be skuured! Public transportation is HOTT. read more

A clean and well maintained BART station, there's still plenty of parking when I arrive at the station around 6:45am on weekdays. However even at this early time there're usually no more open seats on the trains - unless you're lucky enough to get a 10 car train! read more

I will be using BART to get to the city for work so I swung by midday to make sure I had the Clipper Card, parking, etc figured out. Lee was working and she was so friendly, helpful and informative that I had to jump on to give her a review. When i walked up she was helping some other BART riders and was so patient with their language barrier. She's absolutely and assert to BART and the whole experience. read more

I tried to add money to my card and the lady attempted to help me. I didn't understand what she was trying to tell me to do so she was rude as f*** to me and treated me like an idiot. I know you get paid obnoxiously well to sit there, and do f*** all so maybe next time you can chill the f*** out and not be so rude to someone asking for assistance. Just because someone doesn't understand something doesn't give you the right to be an a-hole. Maybe YOU are sh** at explaining things, ever think of that? This isn't the first experience either. They're rude as hell at almost every station. I NEED TO GET A F***ING CAR. read more

Just stopped to meet a friend not a bad Bart station I have seen worst. Not afraid to wait around by myself

A bit noisy because it's right in the middle of a highway and it's outdoors and breezy. There are seating areas that are more closed in though. read more

BART - Castro Valley Station - Public Transportation Near Me - Castro Valley, California

I am new to Bart and California so this is a new experience for me. The bart system is great and amazing. I used the Castro valley one because I lived close to this one. I usually walked but I rented a car once and used different bart systems during those days and they were all very efficient cheap to park $3 on weekdays and free on weekends. The trains are usually on time and the announcements are clear and i got around. Really easy. They also have an app and it is very user friendly. read more

Don't rely on PA announcements for accuracy. If you're near the faregates and it says your train is now boarding you've already missed it. Overall I like it. But it's overall design is kind of lame. Part of the sidewalks surrounding the parking lots have strange design features designed to allow plant/shrubbery growth, ultimately leading to blind spots for drivers since it obstructs the view. This is one of those stations that charges you for parking. Although it looks somewhat pretty in overall design it wasn't designed with practicality in mind. Very challenging using their pay phones. Either they'll be broken or out of order or the background noise from the trains will be so loud you won't be able to hear what the person on the other end is saying. And pay phones are expensive. I have a Clipper Card but I hate how you can never view your current balance when at a fare terminal. You have to swipe your card at the faregate and quickly look at the screen to see the balance. You won't always find staff at the booth. Sometimes they've stepped away to the restroom or somewhere and the booth is empty so you can't always find help when you need it. Tip for BART passengers. If you're buying a ticket but it won't recognize/take your card and the screen appears to be hung with a misleading error messages, odds are that you swiped the card wrong, backwards or upside down. Try inserting and removing your plastic again, ensuring you're following the guide and it should work. Also, after your transaction concludes, it'll print you off a short receipt in the change bin. read more

A much better alternative than the Hayward BART station because there are fewer sketchy people around. The downside is that the platform is completely exposed so it can be chilly at night. read more

CV Bart has one of the nicest entrances. Very clean station. One of the only ones I know that actually has garbage cans on the platform. Located in the middle of the freeway so it gets very loud. read more

Plenty of parking and well lit! This place is probably one of the nicer BART stations because it is newer compared to some of the other ones. Especially since you can take a short cut by the CV Library, it makes getting to BART even easier from the other side of town! read more

Close to home, doesn't smell like pee - keep it up, CV BART!