The bus is important to people who rely on public transit to get to work and school. The Alameda County Contra Costa Transit (AC Transit) board of directors held a hearing on Oct. 14 to get public feedback on their contingency plan.
The plan is considered a “worst-case scenario.” It would be implemented if the agency doesn’t secure a long-term funding source by December. If they don’t, the changes would be implemented by June 2027.
An AC Transit press release said the contingency plan is a 16% cut on overall bus service. This means buses would arrive less frequently, there would be inconvenient route changes, and as many as 300 jobs would be at risk for people who rely on buses to commute to work. The city can reach an annual deficit of $53 million.
One San Leandro resident said he needs line 34 and 35 to get to two libraries in San Leandro. Others have said students who take night classes at Chabot College would not have a ride home if bus service ends at 7pm.
A bus driver for AC Transit says her family relies on the 97 line from Union Landing to the Union City BART station. “So, the elimination of the 97 that my kids currently use to pick up their little sister, and to get home that is not currently going to, well, won’t be currently going to the BART station. There’s no alternative for them to use other than the Union City transit, which does not accept their dependent pass.”
Voters have the opportunity to decide on a public transit ballot measure this November. Regional Transit Measure is a sales tax that if passed, would make $1 billion a year overall for transit agencies in five Bay Area counties.
