The surrounding neighborhood is mostly low-density residential, making MacArthur station primarily a commuting hub.

[13][14] BART and the City of Oakland began planning in 1993 for transit-oriented development (TOD) to replace the surface parking lot east of the station.

[15] Construction of a 450-space BART parking garage at the southern end of the site began in mid-2011; it opened on September 15, 2014.

[22] The final phase of TOD – a 24-story, 403-unit residential tower with 13,000 square feet (1,200 m2) of retail space – was completed in early 2021.

[19][20]: 7  As of 2024[update], BART does not anticipate development on a smaller agency-owned parcel on the west side of SR 24 until the 2030s.

Connections between the lines are timed for southbound passengers, while 19th Street Oakland is the transfer point for northbound service.

MacArthur tends to be crowded in the morning due to high transfer volume between two lines where only a few people get off while many are trying to board.