The BART strike is well underway, and causing chaos for a lot of commuters. But those with bikes seem to be faring the best in the BART shutdown. 

If you’re lucky enough to live and work on the same side of the Bay, a bike allows you to get to take control of your commute and get to work without fighting for a spot on overpacked public transit, and it means you can weave in and out of the gridlock on city streets. So pump up those tires, clean off the Playa dust and get rolling.

If you have a cross-Bay commute, a bike can be combined with other transit and help ease the commute. The other transit options are going to be packed, no doubt about it. But a bike will allow you to pedal to and from the station without dealing with another bus or circling for parking.

Here’s what you need to know about combining your bike with other, non-BART transit:

Caltrain has bike-only cars and allows bikes on all trains. The bike space is first come, first serve, and it’s likely to be pretty packed during usual commute hours. If you can adjust your work hours a bit, you might snag a good spot. If you usually commute by BART to the south, try out Caltrain and pedal your bike the last mile or so into work.

Ferries are hopping right now. The San Francisco Bay Ferry has upped their ferry service by 250% so there are a lot more options for getting across the water. Though the waits at the ferry lines are pretty epic, there is space for bikes and judging from the photo above, a lot of people are taking advantage of this boat-and-bike combo. Plus, it’s a pretty gorgeous ride across the water, so that should ease the stress a bit.

Buses: All Muni and AC Transit buses in the East Bay carry two bikes. Just put your bike on the front racks and ride. Be sure to sit near the front of the bus, because bikes have been stolen off the front. You can't bring your bike on Muni underground. 

Bay Bridge Bike Shuttle: This shuttle runs between MacArthur BART and the Transbay Terminal in San Francisco. It runs during commute hours, is first come, first serve and costs only $1. It’s only available for people with bikes.

For more information on how to Bike the Strike, visit sfbike.org/bartstrike. And once the BART strike ends, bikes will be allowed on board at all times of day, including commute hours.