Getting to ACERA
ACERA Location
ACERA is located in Downtown Oakland adjacent to the Oakland City Center and Oakland City Hall/Frank Ogawa Plaza.
Get directions to ACERA on Google Maps.
ACERA does not validate parking for the City Center Garage. See parking options below.
Getting Here
BART
ACERA’s offices are located steps from the 12th St. BART Station. Your local BART station likely has a parking lot and/or parking garage for you to park in so you can take BART to ACERA. Parking fees are in effect Monday through Friday from 4:00 am to 3:00 pm. Parking is free outside of these times. Visit BART’s parking page for complete information.
Parking at Your Local BART Station Early in the Morning (Typically Before 7 am)
Most of BART’s parking is first-come, first served “Daily Fee” parking which costs $3 at most stations. Pay either at the parking machine inside the station gates, or using BART’s official smartphone app from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store. Depending on the station, it fills up early, often before 7 a.m.)
Parking at Your Local BART Station Before 10 am
BART parking lots tend to fill up early (often before 7 a.m.) with commuters. To secure a spot, you can reserve parking in advance which allows you to park in the “Permit” Reserved Area. You usually must reserve at least the night before the day you want to park. Reserve your spot using BART’s official smartphone app from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store. Your reserved spot is only guaranteed until 10 am.
Parking at Your Local BART Station After 10 am
The majority of permit holders don’t use their Permit Reserved Area spots on a daily basis, leaving hundreds of parking spots open. After 10 a.m. these spots become available to the general public on first come / first served basis, and it’s fairly easy to find a spot. You must pay the daily parking fee for the station at the parking machine once you enter the fair gates at the BART station. Daily fees vary by station, but are usually $3 at most stations.
Driving to ACERA
Street Parking
The cheapest option is to find metered parallel street parking in the blocks surrounding ACERA for $2 per hour for up to 2 hours at a time. Spots either have individual parking meters, or have parking voucher machines that print a voucher you display on your dashboard. Plan on arriving 10-20 minutes ahead of time to find a parking spot. Check 12th St., 11th St., Franklin St., Webster St., Harrison St., and the area around Lafayette Square and Preservation Park. Buy a little more time than you need to ensure you don’t get a parking ticket.
Garage Parking
ACERA does not validate parking. You can search Parkopedia for a parking garage, but garages immediately surrounding ACERA tend to be expensive at $6-8 per hour. You might find garages 5-6 blocks from ACERA for $4 per hour.
AC Transit
AC Transit is Alameda County’s public bus system. Downtown Oakland is a central connection point for many bus lines, and so many bus lines have stops near ACERA including 18, 51A, 72, 72M, 72R. Check the AC Transit Route Map for more details.