transportation | 511 Contra Costa

Tag: transportation

New California Transportation Laws for 2024

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With the start of the new year, a number of new laws go into effect. We’ve selected the most significant ones affecting pedestrians, motorists, and cyclists from the California Highway Patrol’s review of new transportation laws:

Increasing Visibility Around Crosswalks (AB 413): Vehicles are prohibited from stopping or parking a vehicle within 20 feet of an intersection or crosswalk, or within 15 feet of any crosswalk where a curb extension is present. The law is intended to increase visibility for all road users to see oncoming traffic.

Cyclists Crossing with Bicycle or Pedestrian Signals (AB 1909): Whenever a traffic signal with different colored bicycle symbols exists in the same location as traffic signals for cars or pedestrians, a cyclist must obey the bicycle traffic signal. If no bicycle traffic signal is present, cyclists are allowed to cross when the pedestrian walk signal is lit, even if the traffic signal for cars is red.

Speed Camera Pilot Program (AB 645): As part of a five-year pilot program, Oakland and San Francisco can install a limited number of speed cameras on local streets where there are safety concerns. The cameras will automatically take a picture of a speeding car’s license plate and deliver a notice of violation to the registered owner through the mail.

Crackdown on Catalytic Converter Theft (SB 55): To help combat theft, motor vehicle dealers are required to ensure a catalytic converter has been permanently marked with a vehicle’s identification number (VIN) before selling that vehicle.

Traffic Stops (AB 2773): Requires a peace officer making a traffic or pedestrian stop to state the reason for the stop before asking any questions.

Driver’s Licenses Can No Longer Be Impounded (AB 1125): Courts no longer have the authority to impound a person’s driver’s license if they fail to make payments for bail or a fine. The law is intended to reduce the harm caused to people with low incomes who need to drive to work or access essential services.

To read more on these and other new transportation laws, read the California Highway Patrol press release.

Additional Reading:

New California Transportation Laws for 2023

New California Transportation Laws for 2022

New California Transportation Laws for 2021

Free Test Drives of EVs & E-Bikes at DVC’s Pleasant Hill Campus on October 25

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If you’ve been considering getting an electric vehicle, bicycle, or scooter, Diablo Valley College (DVC) is the place to be on Monday, October 25.

The DVC Pleasant Hill Campus will be hosting a test drive event, giving attendees the opportunity to test drive new and used EVs, and test ride e-bikes and e-scooters.

The event also offers:

  • Free food from the DVC Culinary Department for the first 100 test drivers.
  • Information on credits, rebates, grants and loans which help make EVs and e-bikes more affordable.
  • The opportunity to talk with local EV drivers and e-bike riders.

People looking to test ride bikes and scooters can simply visit the Ridepanda E-bike Showcase and Test Ride Zone to try them out. Attendees interested in driving EVs need to select a 30-minute test drive time slot when registering. Note: Individuals must be 21 or over and have a current drivers license and proof of vaccination to drive an EV.

E-Bike Buyer Bonus: Event attendees will receive a promo code for a $100 credit at Ridepanda.com good toward the purchase of a new e-bike. This offer will be valid for the first 5 Contra Costa residents who use the code before November 8. You can learn more about this bonus offer at the event.

All attendees are asked to register. If you’re planning on taking a test drive, you’ll want to register now and lock in your time slot before they’re all gone.

Event Registration & More Information


This event is sponsored by 511 Contra Costa, DVC Sustainability Committee, Charge Across Town, Drive Clean Bay Area, and Ridepanda.

Going Electric: Webinars About EV Ownership & Incentives

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If you’re considering making the switch to driving electric, Drive Clean Bay Area hosts a series of virtual events to help you find the right electric vehicle for your budget and lifestyle. These events are online, free, and open to the public.

Click any link below to see upcoming events in that series of webinars:

If you have questions and can’t make it to one of these Zoom webinars, email Drive Clean Bay Area at info@drivecleanbayarea.org.

E-Bike Rebate: If you purchase an e-bike or have an e-bike conversion kit professionally installed, be sure to apply for a rebate from 511 Contra Costa. Rebates of up to $300 are available while supplies last. Learn more at 511cc.org/rebate.

Presidents’ Day 2021 Transit Service (Monday, Feb. 15)

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On Presidents’ Day (Monday, February 15), some transit agencies will provide regular weekday service while others will run on modified schedules. Below, we’ve collected information on Contra Costa holiday transit service for easy reference.

Click any link below for additional schedule information.

Veterans Day 2020 Transit Service (Wednesday, Nov. 11)

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On Veterans Day (Wednesday, Nov. 11), most transit agencies serving Contra Costa will run on regular weekday schedules. Tri Delta Transit, WestCAT, SolTrans, and FAST Transit will operate on modified schedules. We’ve collected service information for all transit providers for easy reference.

Click any link for additional information.

Modified/Holiday Service

  • Tri Delta Transit: Routes 392, 393, 394, 395 & 396 on a Sunday schedule
  • WestCAT:
    JX & Lynx – Regular Service
    JL/JR, DAR, Local (11, 19) – Saturday Service
    30Z, JPX, C3 – No Service
  • Fairfield & Suisun Transit:
    Local Routes – Saturday Service
    Blue Line – Saturday Service
    GX Line – No Service
  • Solano Transit: Saturday Service

Regular Weekday Service

511CC & the Miles App: Get Rewarded for Your Commute

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511 Contra Costa and the Miles app have teamed up to help you get the most out of your commute!

Download the Miles app, and you’ll start earning points called ‘miles’ anytime you walk, bike, ride transit or take the ferry, or drive in Contra Costa and beyond. The greener your mode of travel, the more points you’ll earn!

Your miles can be converted into rewards which you choose, selecting from a wide range of products and services. A sample of companies offering Miles rewards appears at the bottom of the page.

Click either download button to get started. For more information about how the Miles app rewards points for travel, visit the Miles website.

Summer Youth Pass 2019: $35 for Unlimited Bus Rides

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Kids don’t want to be stuck at home for the summer, and parents don’t want to be stuck driving everywhere. Give your kids their own set of wheels with a Summer Youth Bus Pass.

For only $35*, youth 6-18 can take unlimited bus rides from June 1 through Aug. 31, 2019 – one of the best summertime bargains for getting around Contra Costa County!

New for 2019: The Summer Youth Pass is now valid for unlimited rides on local and express routes operated by County Connection, Tri Delta Transit, and WestCAT‡.

*Regular price is $60. Advertised price reflects a $25 supplement provided by 511CC. Passes receiving the 511CC supplement are limited and available while supplies last.
‡Excludes Paratransit and Transbay service

Seniors: Free Clipper Cards & Transportation Options – April 28, 2015 in Livermore

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Senior Clipper CardSeniors and disabled persons in the Livermore area who are interested in transportation services or a free Senior Clipper Card, and instruction on how to use it, are invited to attend an event on Tuesday, April 28 in Livermore.
Free Senior Clipper Cards will be issued at the event, and attendees will receive instruction on how to use the cards on buses and trains. In addition, BART, Wheels bus (LAVTA) and Community Resources for Independent Living (CRIL) will be present to explain discounts available with Senior Clipper Cards and give information on transportation services that exist for seniors and the disabled.
The event will be held on Tuesday, April 28 from 10am until noon in the Palo Verde Room at the Livermore Community Center, located at 4444 East Avenue in Livermore. If you cannot attend, you can get information on discounts and apply for a Senior Clipper Card at ClipperCard.com.

WestCAT Testing Double-Decker Bus on LYNX Route (2015)

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If you ride WestCAT’s LYNX route, get ready to start seeing double!

Photo Courtesy WestCAT
Photo Courtesy WestCAT

AC Transit handed off a shiny, new 80-seat double-decker bus (on loan from manufacturer Alexander Dennis) to WestCAT earlier this week, and it went into active use today!

The double-decker bus will be part of the LYNX fleet for a demonstration period through March 26-April 13. In order to give everyone an opportunity to experience the new vehicle, the bus will be scheduled for use on various LYNX runs. WestCAT will use Twitter (@wccta), Facebook (facebook.com/wccta), and their website to advise customers on which runs the bus will be traveling on a particular day.
WestCAT is testing the bus to see if double-deckers would be a useful addition to the LYNX fleet. Those who ride the double-decker bus will be asked for feedback, which will be used to help the agency determine whether to consider acquiring similar buses. If the WestCAT Board of Directors decides to purchase double-decker buses, customers could see them in service as early as 2017.
For more information about the double-decker bus demonstration, visit westcat.org or call (510) 724-3331.

Vital Signs: A New Website from the MTC (2015)

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In late January, the Metropolitan Transportation Commission unveiled their new Vital Signs website. Drawing from over 20 years of data, the website offers interactive, customizable charts and graphs on various aspects of transportation in the Bay Area. According to the MTC, the idea behind the project is to allow Bay Area residents, “to track the region’s progress toward reaching key transportation, land use, environmental and economic policy goals.” The MTC plans to add land use and economic development data to the site in the spring and data relating to environmental and safety questions in the summer.

Vital_SignsVital_Signs_measures

Because of the interactive nature of the site, users can essentially create their own charts and graphs by choosing which cities, counties or metro areas are displayed. It’s a way to track both changes over time as well as differences between communities and regions. You can select various transportation performance indicators, called ‘measures’, relating to commuting, congestion, transit reliability and ridership, traffic volume, pavement condition, bridge and transit condition, and transit system efficiency.
It’s quick and easy to change a chart or graph to reflect the information you want to see. For example, if you visit Vital Sign’s ‘Transit Ridership’ page and scroll down to ‘Local Focus’, by clicking on the names of transit agencies you can select/deselect them. In this particular example, the result is a Contra Costa-focused graph:
CCC_Transportation_Graph
Want to know what pavement conditions are like in your area? You can see general results or street-by-street results depending on how much you zoom in:

Pavement_Condition_regionPavement_Condition_street

For people who want to go beyond the interactive site and work with the raw data, the MTC has made it easy to access. Just click on the ‘Data Center’ icon in the website’s top-right corner.
You’ll find the new website at vitalsigns.mtc.ca.gov. For a video tutorial on how to use the Vital Signs website, check out the video below:

MTC's 2015 High School Internship Program: Now Taking Applications

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The Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) is offering opportunities for Bay Area high school students to get hands-on experience in the transportation field through paid summer internships. They are currently accepting applications for positions in 9 Bay Area counties, including Contra Costa. This year 511 Contra Costa is proud to offer two internship opportunities as part of the program, in our El Cerrito and Pleasant Hill offices.
Screen Shot 2015-02-13 at 1.27.10 PM
Interested students are encouraged to apply for positions in their home county. A current list of available positions is available on the MTC website.
Qualified applicants must:

  • live and go to school in the county they are applying for;
  • have completed the 10th grade; and
  • be at least 16 years of age by date of hire (Thursday, June 18, 2015)*
*NOTE: If you are offered an internship, are under 18 years of age and will not be graduating prior to the start of the program, you will be required to obtain a work permit. Graduating seniors are eligible to apply.

The program is the creation of the MTC’s Minority Citizens Advisory Committee, designed to encourage young people who might not otherwise consider a career in transportation to do so. Students of all races and ethnic backgrounds are strongly encouraged to apply.
To apply or to get more information, visit: mtc.ca.gov/jobs/high_school or contact the MTC Internship Coordinator by phone at (510) 817-5807 or by emailing them at InternCoordinator@mtc.ca.gov. The application deadline is Sunday, March 22.
 

This article has been edited to reflect the MTC’s application deadline change.

 

Share Your Ideas to Help Shape Contra Costa's Transportation (2014)

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The Contra Costa Transportation Authority (CCTA) is updating the Countywide Transportation Plan and they would like to hear your ideas on how to keep Contra Costa moving. CCTA is responsible for maintaining and improving Contra Costa’s transportation system by planning and funding key projects, like the Caldecott Tunnel Fourth Bore, Highway 4 widening, and BART system extensions. The agency also helps maintain local streets, reduce traffic congestion, and make Contra Costa safe for bicyclists and pedestrians all in efforts to get you where you need to go.
ccta_keep_ccc_ moving copy
The CCTA in collaboration with Contra Costa municipalities and cities want to know what transportation issues you think are important so they can prioritize where to spend time and resources – BART? Buses? Highways? Local roads? Pedestrian paths? Bicycle routes? Do you have new ideas? You tell them. This is your chance to participate in setting the priorities for our transportation system and suggest your own bright ideas for new projects and programs in Contra Costa. There are many ways you can provide your input:
Attend a public workshop to hear more about the CTP.  Here’s a list of the upcoming workshops:

    • Southwest County Public Workshop: Wednesday, September 10, 2014, 7pm, Veteran’s Memorial Building, 3780 Mt. Diablo Blvd, Lafayette
    • West County Public Workshop: Saturday, September 20, 2014, 1:30pm, Richmond Convention Center, Bermuda Room (enter from Nevin St.) 403 Civic  Center Plaza, Richmond
    • West County Public Workshop: Monday, September 22, 2014, 7pm, Hercules Community Center (Gym), 2001 Refugio Valley Road, Hercules
    • Telephone Public Workshop: Tuesday, September 23, 2014, 6pm, Dial 877-229-8493 and pin# 1126642 when promptedP
    • Past event: Central County Public Workshop:  Wednesday, August 27, 2014, 7pm, Assembly Hall at Civic Park Community Center, 1375 Civic Drive, Walnut Cree
    • Past event: East County Public Workshop: Thursday, August 28, 2014, 7pm, City Council Chambers, Pittsburg Civic Center, 65 Civic Avenue, Pittsburg
  2. Participate in CCTA’s online survey at www.KeepContraCostaMoving.net, to share your priorities, your bright ideas, and see what other ideas have been submitted.
  3. Call 925-256-4720 or email 2014CTP@ccta.net to have a copy of CCTA’s survey mailed to you.

Your opinions and ideas will help shape Contra Costa County’s transportation planning for the next 25 years.  Don’t miss this opportunity!
CTP Frequently Asked Questions
English and Spanish Flyer On How To Participate