261-Space Commuter Lot Opening Off I-80 In Albany Next Week: MTC

ALBANY, CA — The Metropolitan Transportation Commission is opening two new East Bay Commuter parking lots on Monday, and one of them is in Albany.

Called a "Pivot Point Commuter Hub," the Albany lot will fit 261 cars and is adjacent to Interstate 80 at Buchanan Street in Albany, officials said in a news release. It will be served by the AC Transit Transbay Express' LA line, and can also be used for carpooling and service by employer shuttles.

The hub will be open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday to Friday, and will be gated and staffed by parking attendants. Officials said the MTA will install bike racks, bike lockers and EV chargers, though they may not be available when the lots open.

Parking will be free through Jan. 31, and beginning Feb. 1 will cost $3 per day or $60 per month. Eventually, real-time data on parking availability will be available, officials said.

Another Pivot Point Commuter Hub will open Monday as well, beneath I-880 at Fruitvale Avenue in Oakland. That one will have 89 spaces — though it will ultimately expand to 221, officials said — and will be located near the Fruitvale Hub, which is served by AC Transit Transbay's O line.

Work on the hubs was funded through the voter-approved Regional Measure 2, which raised tolls by $1 on the region's seven state-owned toll bridges to finance "a range of highway and transit improvements," officials said.