El Cerrito Plaza station
| Company type | Rapid transit station |
|---|---|
| Industry | Public transportation |
| Founded | January 29, 1973 |
| Headquarters | El Cerrito, California , United States |
Area served | El Cerrito, Albany, Kensington, Berkeley, Richmond |
| Products | Bay Area Rapid Transit services (Orange and Red lines) |
| Website | www |
El Cerrito Plaza station is a Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) facility located in El Cerrito, California, positioned next to the El Cerrito Plaza shopping center. It provides transit access to southern parts of El Cerrito, northern sections of Albany, Kensington, as well as nearby neighborhoods in Berkeley and Richmond. The station consists of two elevated side platforms with a fare lobby situated beneath the tracks and is served by BART's Orange and Red lines. The Ohlone Greenway passes through the vicinity of the station.
History
In December 1965, the BART Board confirmed the name "El Cerrito Plaza" for the station, which officially commenced operations on January 29, 1973. The station’s escalator walls are adorned with tile mosaics created by artist Alfonso Pardiñas. In 2008, Jorge Liderman, a music professor at UC Berkeley, passed away at this location. Plans aimed at modernizing El Cerrito Plaza along with El Cerrito del Norte were introduced in 2013.
Originally, thirteen BART stations—including El Cerrito Plaza—did not have faregates for elevator users; this was rectified in May 2022 when new faregates were installed as part of a comprehensive system upgrade.
A 2018 memorandum of understanding between BART and the city of El Cerrito set forth plans for transit-oriented development (TOD) to replace existing surface parking lots at the station. By November 2020, a developer was chosen to construct six buildings comprising roughly 750 residential units. In line with urban station policies, BART parking capacity will be reduced from 761 to 145 spaces. The initial building received approval in 2023, with construction anticipated to start in 2025 and reach completion within four years.
Bus connections
Busways located on both sides of the station accommodate several AC Transit services:
- Local routes: 71, 72, 72M, 79
- Transbay route: G
- School routes: 667, 668, 675, 684
Additionally, the busways serve the Bear Transit RFS route. Other AC Transit lines such as rapid 72R, Transbay L and LC routes, along with the All Nighter 800 operate along San Pablo Avenue approximately west of the station.