If you ride WestCAT’s LYNX route, get ready to start seeing double!
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.
Tag: bus
Schedule & Services Changes: County Connection, Wheels, Tri Delta Transit (Feb. 2015)
Wheels (LAVTA) – The Livermore Amador Valley Transit Authority is making minor changes to several of its regular and school-focused bus routes effective Saturday, February 21:
- Route 2 – The afternoon schedule has been modified to improve timings for Fallon Middle School students; trips now depart E Dublin BART at 30 minutes past each hour instead of at the hour.
- Route 9 – Trips that previously operated as Route 70X now operate as Route 9 in the Hacienda Business Park. The Inglewood/Chabot loop has been discontinued.
- Route 10 – The morning starting time of service has been modified; westbound service now begins
approximately 30 minutes later, while eastbound service starts approximately 30 minutes earlier than in the
previous schedule. - Route 11 – The previous 5:57am trip has been discontinued, and a new 8:12am trip added to the morning service. In the afternoon, all trips now depart the Transit Center 15 minutes later compared to the previous schedule.
- Route 70X – See notation for Route 9 above; passengers will continue to be able to travel between the Walnut Creek and Hacienda areas and vice versa without the need to transfer buses.
- Route 605 – The route has been extended to Martin Avenue, and now operates the segment similar to Route 608.
- Minor timing adjustments have been made to the schedules of routes 10, 12, 15, and Rapid.
Click here to see the full press release.
Tri Delta Transit – Tri Delta Transit will have a new schedule taking effect on Sunday, March 8. The new schedule will include:
- Time Changes: Routes 201, 300, 380, 385, 387, 388, 391
- NEW morning run on Route 385 EB. Service for Liberty High School Students
From the Archives: Old AC Transit
(Photo credit: AC Transit)
While it’s true all eyes are set on modernizing our transit system, AC Transit uploaded some fantastic pictures of buses and billboard ads from the 1960’s and 70’s. We salute AC Transit’s fleet and campaigns from half a century ago! (All photos courtesy of AC Transit)
Can’t get enough of old-school AC Transit? The agency has dozens of more old photos in its “From the Archives March 2014” flickr set. And if you’re on Facebook, check out the Vintage AC Transit page and give it a “like” for more pictures and history.
New Hillcrest Park & Ride Lot is Almost Ready to Open (2014)
Commuters catching Tri Delta Transit buses at the current Hillcrest Park & Ride on a typical weekday afternoon
Big changes are coming up for the Hillcrest Park & Ride lot located in Antioch at the corner of Hillcrest Avenue and Sunset Drive. Starting Sunday, February 16, 2014, commuters will be parking a bit further up on Sunset Drive on Lot A of the upcoming eBART station.
The new parking lot will feature an additional 94 spaces for commuters. The bus loading area will also be relocated to an area adjacent to the future eBART station. Tri Delta Transit and other transit operators are recommending that you allow additional time to catch your bus. In anticipation of some confusion to the new changes, signs and ambassadors will be on site Tuesday, February 18th to help commuters.
511 Contra Costa is excited to see that the new Hillcrest Park & Ride lot is almost ready to open to the public. It looks like finishing touches are being put into place when staff stopped by for a preview.
By the end of 2017, all 1,000 spaces of BART’s Antioch (eBART) Station parking lot will be available for use for drivers who use Tri Delta Transit, eBART and other local public transit systems. And what will happen to the current parking lot? The old Hillcrest Park and Ride will be demolished to clear space for freeway onramps and offramps.
Information Source: Contra Costa Times, East County Today, Tri Delta Transit
Removing The Conflict Between Buses and Bikes
A bicyclist peacefully overtakes a bus loading and unloading passengers. Photo credit: Canadian Veggie
If you commute by bike or bus, the conflict is familiar: a bus will overtake a person bicycling then arrive at a stop to pick up passengers, and while the bus is momentarily stopped the person bicycling will catch up and overtake the bus.
This effectively creates an unwanted game of “leap frog” in which bicycles and buses are constantly overtaking one another, sometimes causing near collisions since it can be difficult to see a bicycle approaching on the left as the bus driver attempts to re-enter the flow of traffic. As if contending with traffic weren’t stressful enough, this repeated negotiation can be exhausting and tense for both parties.
Thankfully, there is a solution– routing bicycles to the left of bus stops in a separated lane, known as “bike channel” or “bus bypass.” Here in the Bay Area, San Francisco has pioneered this practice on streets with streetcar stops where it seems to be working just as it should, removing the bus-bike conflict seen on heavily traveled routes throughout the region.
So it comes as good news that the practice will soon expand into the East Bay along AC Transit’s 51 route this summer as part of the “Line 51 Corridor Delay Reduction and Sustainability Project.” Not only is this anticipated to remove the common “leap frogging” conflict between buses and bikes, but this is also expected to help speed up bus times too– a win-win!
While the proposed orientation (which will look similar to the configuration in the lead photo) is unfamiliar in the East Bay, it certainly is not new. In The Netherlands, transportation planners have separated buses and bicycles at bus stops since as early as the 1950’s. To learn more about how this clever design improves conditions for everyone watch the video.
Video credit: markenlei
Have You Been Enjoying A Better Ride? (2013)
New AC Transit bus, the “Gillig Suburban,” offers riders free wifi. Photo credit: AC Transit
In March AC Transit began phasing in a new line of buses built by Bay Area based company Gillig to replace some of the fleet’s older models. In August, AC Transit introduced the New Flyer 60’ articulated buses, which feature 52 seats (and additional room for standing) to handle demand along its most heavily traveled routes (click here to check out the specs of the bus).
Now, as of November 8th, AC Transit has unveiled yet another type of bus to improve service quality for riders, one geared to to accommodate long distance commuters, called the “Gillig Suburban.” These buses have the following features:
With seats like that, riding the Gillig Suburban bus could make for a very relaxing commute. Photo credit: AC Transit
- Passenger-controlled overhead reading lamps
- High-backed cushioned seats
- Overhead luggage racks
- Free wifi
All three new models of buses are part of AC Transit’s “A Better Ride” effort to make bus travel more pleasant and efficient. If you have ridden any of the new types of buses, AC Transit encourages you to provide feedback by sending an email to abetterride@actransit.org.
To keep up with the latest news from AC Transit, check out the agency on facebook, twitter, youtube, or sign up to receive their e-newsletters
A Better Ride With AC Transit (2013)
A look at the interior of AC Transit’s new Gillg buses. Click the image for additional photos of the new buses Photo credit: AC Transit
Some good news for AC Transit riders– the transit agency recently acquired 65 new buses from Hayward based Gillig! The buses started being phased in March and will be replacing some of the agency’s older buses.
What makes these buses so great? Well, a number of things, including:
- Low-floor accessibility
- Stroller and wheel-chair areas
- Catalytic reduction and gas recirculation system that makes the engines of these new buses 90-percent cleaner than the buses being replaced
- Low-maintenance seating
- Digital display of next stops
See the below video for other improvements are on the way for AC Transit and to see some views of what these new buses look like
Video credit: AC Transit
County Connection to change several bus schedules starting December 27, 2009
Effective Sunday, December 27, 2009, The County Connection will implement a number of changes to its weekday bus routes. The changes are intended to address overcrowding on routes, improve BART and bus connections and to help buses stay on schedule.
Affected routes are: 2, 5, 6L, 7, 9, 10, 11, 20 and 28. New schedules have been posted online and will be available next week at current distribution locations.
The County Connection serves about 5 million riders a year on fixed-route and paratransit vehicles across a service area of 200 square miles. Most routes run at a frequency between 30 and 90 minutes. For fixed routes, the regular fare is $2.00 and the express fare is $2.25. For paratransit vehicles, the fare is $4.00 per trip. For discounts through pass purchases, visit County Connection’s Fares page.
For specific schedule information on The County Connection, contact:
Customer Service: 925-676-7500
For other questions, contact:
County Connection Administrative Offices
2477 Arnold Industrial Way
Concord, CA 94520
925- 676-1976
Website: www.cccta.org
Email: customerservice@cccta.org
SF To Get 1100 New Solar Powered Bus Shelters
The first of 1,100 new solar powered bus shelters was unveiled yesterday in San Francisco. The solar power generated by the structure’s wavy red roof will be used to power LED lighting, the NextBus display, intercom and wireless routers.
You can check out the full story on SF Streets Blog.
For more detailed photos have a look at the images from Mike Chino and Ryan Hughes at Inhabitat.
2009 Commuter tax benefit increased to $230 a month.
The Economic Recovery Act signed into law by President Obama includes an increase in the vanpool and transit tax benefit for commuters to $230 a month. Employers can enable their employees to set aside a portion of their pretax salary to pay for commuting with costs savings of roughly $1000 per year. Make sure your employer offers this federal IRS tax benefit.
