July 7, 2020

AC Transit Proposed Service Reductions

Due to Covid-19, AC Transit is considering a bus network redesign to reduce service levels by 15% to 30% to match expected reduced revenues, which will be discussed initially on Wednesday, July 8, at 5 p.m., as stated in the AC Transit Board Agenda item #6D here.

Zoom meeting link https://actransit.zoom.us/j/95195950039
Phone (669) 900-6833
Webinar ID: 951 9595 0039

Submit eComment for Item #6D here

 

Timeline
AC Transit staff is considering implementing the service reductions in Summer 2021:

  • Fall 2020: Call for Public Hearing and Conduct Public Engagement and Communications
  • January 2021: Hold Public Hearing and Adjust Plan Based on Feedback
  • February 2021: Request Board Approval
  • June 2021: Implement New Network

Summary for Alameda of Initial AC Transit Proposal
The AC Transit proposals included within this plan are draft proposals and reflect an initial attempt to minimize impacts on disadvantaged communities, people of color, and those of low income. AC Transit’s summary is provided along with the map below showing existing and proposed routes:

  • Eliminate:
    • Line 19: Line would go away and there would be no replacement service along Buena Vista. Passengers could walk to frequent service on Santa Clara Avenue
    • O: Duplicative service with 51A, transfer options for Transbay passengers to BART and low ridership on the east end
    • OX: Discontinued due to low ridership on Bay Farm Island with the most productive segment along Park St served by the reconfigured W line. Bay Farm Island also has a ferry service to San Francisco and very high car ownership compared to other areas with Transbay service
  • Modify:
    • Line 51A: Line merged with modified Line 51B at Rockridge BART. Lines 51A and 51B were historically a single line with a significant amount of riders travelling through College Ave. Merging these lines together eliminates the inconvenient transfer that occurs today for passengers that require both lines. Line O eliminated and new 51R overlaid on the Alameda segment of the current 51A between Fruitvale and downtown Oakland. Frequency improvements in 15% scenario
    • 96: Segment between Alameda Point and Willie Stargell Avenue covered by modified Line 88 (every 30 weekday/36 weekends); Alameda Landing served by modified Line 20 (every 31 weekday/50 weekends
    • 21: Line will no longer operate east of Island Drive, eliminating service to the Oakland Airport. Line will be re-routed along Island Drive and Mecartney and terminate at the Harbor Bay Ferry Terminal. Service will no longer run along Aughinbaugh Way and Robert Davey Junior Drive. Service will also no longer run along Fruitvale Avenue. Fruitvale Avenue will continue to be served by Line 20​
    • 20: Reduced weekend frequency and added loop around Alameda Landing. Weekend service reduced to 36 minutes in 15% scenario and 50 minutes in 30% scenario
    • W: Truncate at Park St and extend to cover OX line segment. Reverse direction to start at Park Street

Reductions in Transbay lines will be significant in that “Transbay riders as a whole have higher income levels than local service riders and have much higher car-ownership rates.” Transbay riders have access to not only higher rates of car-ownership but also local bus service to BART as well as Alameda’s ferry terminals.

Reductions in crosstown routes such as eliminating Line 19 so as to “preserve the utility of more productive crosstown service nearby and avoid a network of purely hourly service running crosstown. Ultimately this means some residents may walk further but will have access to more frequent service than if all crosstown lines were preserved at a lower frequency.”

Longer and potentially less reliable transit lines which preserve frequency and coverage. Some lines on major corridors – Lines 51A and B for example – are proposed to be combined to make longer lines to preserve as much frequency as possible.

Gail Payne, Senior Transportation Coordinator, City of Alameda
510-747-6892, gpayne@alamedaca.gov