Driving and especially parking in Berkeley can be VERY difficult. Daytime parking at the symposium will be very limited and require permits reserved in advance through the online registration form. We strongly encourage attendees to use alternative transportation whenever possible.
Getting TO Berkeley | Getting AROUND Berkeley
Getting to the conference from Downtown Berkeley
MAPS
Getting TO Berkeley
Planes and Trains
For distant campuses, the SFO and Oakland airports and the Berkeley and Richmond Amtrak stations are connected to the BART and bus systems for quick access to downtown Berkeley.
From the Oakland Airport (OAK):
At the airport take the AirBart Shuttle bus to the Oakland Coliseum BART station. Purchase a ticket of at least $2.35. Board a Richmond-bound BART train and get off at the Downtown Berkeley station. Follow the directions below to walk or take a shuttle into campus, or follow the directions to your lodging.
From the San Francisco Airport (SFO):
Take the airport AirTrain to the in-airport BART station. Purchase a ticket of at least $8.65. Follow the signage and BART conductor’s instructions to board either a Richmond or Pittsburg/Bay Point train to the East Bay (depends on time of day). If you are not on a Richmond train, transfer to a Richmond train when the conductor directs. Exit the train at the Downtown Berkeley station. Follow the directions below to walk or take a shuttle into campus, or follow the directions to your lodging.
Links to local airport shuttles.
From the Berkeley Amtrak station:
Served by the Coast Starlight from the south and the Capitol Corridor from the north. Take the ACTransit 52 bus up University Avenue. Exit at Hearst and LeRoy, and walk down the stairs to the Hearst Mining Circle to the conference center.
From the Richmond Amtrak station:
Served by the Coast Starlight from the south and the Capitol Corridor from the north. Enter the BART station and purchase a ticket of at least $1.75. Get on a Fremont or San Francisco train, exit at Downtown Berkeley station. Follow the directions below to walk or take a shuttle into campus, or follow the directions to your lodging.
Driving directions to Berkeley
If you will be driving to the conference daily, you must purchase parking permits with your online conference registration at a cost of $16 per day. Parking near the Berkeley campus will be very difficult without a special event permit. Parking instructions will be sent with your permit purchase. We encourage those staying overnight to arrange for parking at their lodging and use local transit to the conference.
From San Francisco, the San Francisco airport, and points south on northbound Highway 101:
- Follow U.S. 101 north and then switch to I-80 east, and take it across the San Francisco/Oakland Bay Bridge
- Stay left as you get off the Bay Bridge and take I-80 east heading to Berkeley & Sacramento
- Exit I-80 onto University Avenue
From Oakland, the Oakland airport, Hayward or San Jose on northbound I-880
- Stay in left center lanes on I-880 when you reach downtown Oakland
- Exit I-80 east (to Berkeley)
- Exit I-80 at University Avenue
From the East Bay on westbound I-580
- Exit I-80 East (to Berkeley & Sacramento)
- Exit at University Avenue
Driving directions to the conference venue from the freeway:
- Continue east on University Avenue for approximately 1.5 miles to Oxford Street at the western edge of the campus and turn left
- Turn right on Hearst Ave.
- Turn left on Scenic Ave, and right into the Lower Hearst Parking Structure
Getting AROUND Berkeley
Driving and especially parking in Berkeley can be VERY difficult. We strongly encourage attendees to use alternative transportation whenever possible.
BART trains travel throughout much of the Bay Area. Tickets must be purchased in the BART stations, and fares depend on the distance you travel. Check out a system map and learn more at BART.gov.
AC Transit is the local bus operator. Berkeley is served by many bus lines – including the 51B, which travels between downtown Berkeley and the Berkeley Amtrak train station. Learn more at ACTransit.org.
Getting to the conference from Downtown Berkeley
Walking:
It takes about 15 minutes at a brisk pace to walk up to the bioengineering area of campus from the BART station, hotels, restaurants and bus stops in downtown Berkeley. It is a pleasant walk but is entirely uphill – please be prepared if you plan to walk and consult the Campus Map.
- Walk east on Center Street from Shattuck for 1 block to the campus. Enter campus at Oxford Street and Center Street.
- Take the Path on the right through the Eucalyptus Grove and continue upwards
- Veer left to walk with the Campanile on your right
- Continue all the way to the top of University Drive, where you will find Stanley Hall on your left at the East Gate
Campus Shuttle:
On weekdays UC Berkeley operates a campus shuttle from downtown. You can catch the shuttle downtown on northbound Shattuck near the corner of Addison Street (in front of Scandinavian Designs), and exit at the Hearst Mining Circle (route map). The cost is $1 per ride. Shuttles run every 15 minutes during commute hours, and every half hour at other times.
AC Transit bus:
On Saturday, the options are to walk up the hill, or take the AC Transit line 52 from University and Shattuck, exiting on Hearst Avenue at Leroy (in front of Cory Hall), and walk down the stairs to the Hearst Mining Circle. The bus runs every half hour, and the cost is $2.