El Cerrito del Norte station

El Cerrito del Norte station
Company type	Transit station
Industry	Public transportation
Founded	January 29, 1973; 53 years ago in El Cerrito, California, United States
Headquarters	El Cerrito, United States
Area served	Northern Contra Costa County, Solano, Napa, Marin counties
Products	BART rail service, bus connections
Website	www.bart.gov/stations/elcerriton

El Cerrito del Norte station—which translates from Spanish as "The Little Hill of the North"—is a Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) facility located on Cutting Boulevard in El Cerrito, California. It is served by both the Orange and Red lines and acts as a key regional transit center. The station connects local AC Transit bus routes with commuter services from the North Bay counties of Solano, Napa, and Marin, as well as western portions of Contra Costa County. Since its opening in 1973, the station underwent a major renovation between 2017 and 2021 to enhance elevator access, stairways, and lobby capacity.

Parking options are plentiful, featuring multiple surface lots alongside a four-level garage situated on the station’s east side. Cyclists benefit from both secured lockers and open bike racks. The east side also accommodates a kiss-and-ride zone and designated taxi area. The nearby Ohlone Greenway trail runs through the station vicinity.

History

In December 1965, the BART Board officially selected "El Cerrito del Norte" as the station's name. Service commenced on January 29, 1973, initially operating between MacArthur station and Richmond station. Similar to its counterpart at El Cerrito Plaza station, this station features tile mosaic artwork on escalator walls created by Alfonso Pardiñas. The parking structure received seismic strengthening improvements in 2010.

A study conducted in 2004 recommended enlarging the paid fare zone, expanding platform areas, and improving vertical circulation elements such as elevators and stairways to alleviate overcrowding. Preliminary modernization concepts for both El Cerrito stations were unveiled in December 2013. By 2017, daily ridership had grown beyond 9,000 boardings—exceeding initial design limits. Consequently, BART awarded a $33.9 million contract in February 2017 for construction work aimed at completion by May 2019.

The renovation delivered an expanded fare-paid zone, additional elevators and stairs, plus an upgraded bus boarding area by February 2021. The project's second phase concluded on March 29, 2021, adding new restroom facilities and a redesigned busway. This phase also introduced El Cerrito Homes, two porcelain tile murals crafted by artist Kyungmi Shin.

As part of BART’s 2004 station enhancement strategy, efforts were made to establish a transit village surrounding the site. The City of El Cerrito continues to advance transit-oriented development (TOD) initiatives aligned with this vision while maintaining appropriate scale. In 2017, approval was granted for an apartment complex constructed on a former parking lot. Looking ahead to 2028, BART intends to issue requests for proposals from developers.

Bus connections

Serving as the primary northern bus terminal for the Richmond corridor, El Cerrito del Norte is preferred over Richmond BART due to its closer access to Interstate 80. The station features a two-lane busway on its west side complemented by additional stops along San Pablo Avenue and on the east side. These facilities support five public transit providers. Local and express routes are operated by AC Transit, while commuter express services connect western Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, and Solano counties.

AC Transit: 7, 72, 72M, 72R, 76, 376, 667, 800 (All Nighter), L
Golden Gate Transit: 580, 580X, 704 (Early Bird Express)
Napa VINE: 29
SolanoExpress (SolTrans): Red Line, Green Line
WestCAT: JL, JPX, JR, JX

In addition to regional transit providers, intercity service by Flixbus and an employee shuttle operated by the California Department of Public Health also utilize this station.

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