In Deep Oakland I led off the book with a chapter on the Hayward fault, the prime mover that continually makes our landscape. Yes, the Hayward fault is primed to give us a major earthquake. It’s scary to think about. I said, “I know why people prefer not to think about the fault. Every time I visit it, no matter where, I push down the dread. But once I do that, there is room for wonder and interesting things to see.”

^{Fault creep is damaging Broadway Terrace at the south entrance to Lake Temescal Regional Park}

Yes, I visit the fault and you can too. Some places it’s obscure, and others it’s as plain as can be. From Richmond to Fremont, AC Transit bus lines will take you to the fault’s whole length and safely home again. In this post I will present seven maps showing just where the fault runs within Oakland’s city boundaries and what buses will take you to or near it. The bus stops are labeled with the line that serves them — unlabeled stops are served only by school-bus routes.

Map 1 shows the Claremont Resort by the edge of Berkeley, served by the 36 and E lines. Look for curb offsets and related street repairs on Stonewall and Alvarado roads.

Map 2 shows the Montclair business district, served by the 18 line. Fault features include curb offsets and some warped buildings, and the pond in the park was dug in a natural dip in the terrain: a sag basin.

Map 3 shows the LDS temple area at the top of Lincoln Avenue, accessed by the 31 line. See a few curb offsets and surface cracks here, or venture southward for a look at the historic landslide area.

Map 4 shows how the 54 line serves the Jordan swale, a sag basin east of a shutter ridge, and Redwood Heights. The 39th Avenue crossing at the south end has a classic offset curb.

Map 5 shows the Castlemont hill and Oakland Zoo area, served at each end by the 46L line. You can also walk to the north end from stops on the 57 or 98 lines at MacArthur Boulevard and 82nd Avenue, or to the south end from stops on the 57, 90 or 98 at MacArthur and 98th Avenue. There are bent curbs, aligned landforms and the widely offset course of Arroyo Viejo in this area.

Map 6 shows the lower Chabot Park neighborhood south of the zoo, accessible from the Foothill Square bus stops. The residential area holds a clearly visible sag basin, and multiple trails visit the offset hills and stream valleys to the south.

Map 7 shows the same wildland south of Chabot Park plus Sheffield Village, reachable on the 34 and 35 lines. The spur north of Marlow Drive leads into the wilds, while Revere Avenue at the eastern edge displays street and curb cracks.

Collect them all, by bus or by bicycle or scooter. The U.S. Geological Survey has a KML file for the Hayward fault, to load into Google Earth, that made this post feasible. For the most part, the fault locations are approximate, give or take up to tens of meters.

Let’s get to know the fault while it’s still sleeping (and creeping).

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