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Ride to Win: $511 Drawings Every Week

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You Could Win $511 for Riding Transit

When choosing how to get around – commuting, running errands, or going out – cost can be a factor. But now, one of your transportation options gives you chances to win money!

With Big Win on Transit, for every day you take transit Monday through Sunday, you earn an entry in that week’s drawing for $511. So, the more often you choose transit, the more likely you are to win. If you’re 18+ and live or work in Contra Costa County, you’re eligible to participate.

How to Participate

Putting yourself in the running is easy. First, create your Big Win on Transit account. After that, log your week’s trips (Monday-Sunday) by Sunday at midnight. During the trip-logging process, you’ll upload proof of your rides – a screenshot of a Clipper card transaction showing at least one ride during that week, or a photo of your digital ticket or paper bus pass.

You can log your trips daily or enter them all at once, as long as you get them in by the deadline. Weekly drawings for $511 take place every Monday.

If you’re ready to get started, click below to sign up. For more information, visit our Big Win on Transit page for complete details.

Register for Big Win on Transit

No purchase necessary to participate in weekly drawings. See terms and conditions for details.

New Year’s Eve 2024 & New Year’s Day 2025 Transit Service

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Photo of fireworks above the west span of the Oakland San Francisco Bay Bridge with the San Francisco skyline in the background

Late Night BART Service from San Francisco: On New Years Eve, BART will run special 3-line service at 1am on the Orange, Yellow, and Blue lines. Timed transfers will be available at MacArthur and Bay Fair stations. The last East Bay bound train will run through downtown San Francisco around 1:30am. For full details, refer to this BART news story.

Free Rides on Transit: AC Transit, Caltrain, and SF Muni will all offer free rides starting at 8pm New Year’s Eve. AC Transit is offering free rides on all lines through 5am New Year’s Day, including AC Transit Transbay and Tempo lines. SF Muni will offer free rides on all lines until 5am New Year’s Day. Caltrain will offer free service on all trains until the last southbound train departs San Francisco at 2am.

Click any link below for additional information.

New Year’s Eve (Tuesday, December 31)

New Year’s Day (Wednesday, January 1)

2024 Christmas Holiday Transit Service

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On December 25, all transit agencies serving Contra Costa will either run on modified schedules or offer no service. On December 24, only three transit agencies have modified their service to/from Contra Costa – Tri Delta Transit, Wheels, and SolTrans – all others will offer regular weekday service.

Click any link below for additional information.

Christmas Eve (Tuesday, December 24)

Christmas Day (Wednesday, December 25)

Memorial Day 2024 Transit Service (Monday, May 27)

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On Memorial Day Monday (May 27), all transit agencies serving Contra Costa will run on modified schedules except County Connection, SolTrans, and Vine Transit, which will offer no service.

Click any link below for additional schedule information.

Contra Costa Transit Service for July 4, 2023

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BART Will Run Extra Trains for San Francisco Fireworks

BART will be providing additional trains to help riders get home after the San Francisco fireworks. Parking will be free at all East Bay BART stations.

Transit Service for Tuesday, July 4

County Connection, SolTrans, SolanoExpress, and Vine Transit will offer no service on Tuesday, July 4. All other transit agencies serving Contra Costa County will operate on weekend or holiday schedules.

Click any link below for additional schedule information.

Christmas 2022: Holiday Transit Schedules (Dec. 23-26)

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While most holiday service changes occur on Sunday, December 25, there are also a handful of changes on December 23, 24, and 26. In addition, no service will be offered on December 25 by County Connection, San Francisco Bay Ferry, Fairfield & Suisun Transit, and SolTrans.

SolTrans Service Note: For all weekdays from Christmas Eve through New Year’s Eve, all SolTrans lines including SolanoExpress will operate on a Saturday service schedule.

Click any link below for additional information.

Christmas Eve Observed (Friday, December 23)

  • Wheels (LAVTA): All current Weekend schedules, plus Routes 53 and 54

Christmas Eve (Saturday, December 24)

  • Tri Delta Transit: Routes 380, 381, 388, 389, 391 & 395 on a Sunday schedule; limited Paratransit service
  • All other transit serving Contra Costa will run on regular Saturday schedules

Christmas Day (Sunday, December 25)

Christmas Day Observed (Monday, December 26)

  • Golden Gate Bus: Holiday Service
  • AC Transit: Sunday schedules will be in effect
  • WestCAT: JR/JL – Sunday service
  • Wheels (LAVTA): All current Weekend schedules in effect
  • Tri Delta Transit: Routes 380, 381, 388, 389, 391 & 395 on a Sunday schedule; limited Paratransit service
  • SolTrans: Local Routes and SolanoExpress Lines – Saturday service schedule
  • County Connection: Weekend service (300 Series, Route 4 & Route 6)
  • Capitol Corridor: Weekend/Holiday service
  • All other transit serving Contra Costa will run on regular Monday schedules

Labor Day 2022 Transit Service (Sept. 5)

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On Monday, September 5, transit will run on adjusted schedules throughout Contra Costa. We’ve collected schedule information below for all agencies serving the county.

NOTE: County Connection, FAST, and SolTrans will offer no service on September 5.

Click any link for additional information

Labor Day (Monday, September 5)

Free Richmond Ferry Fest – June 11

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Enjoy free ferry rides, live music, food trucks, and more at the first-ever Richmond Ferry Fest on Saturday, June 11. The outdoor festival will take place at the Richmond ferry terminal from 9am to 3pm. It’s free to attend and all are welcome. Registration is recommended.

What to Expect: Food trucks, live music, free harbor ferry rides, local vendors, raffles and giveaways. Bike East Bay will host a free Bike Rodeo (safety class) for kids. The Richmond Promise 5K happening on June 11 will end at the Richmond Ferry Fest.

Getting There: If you’re traveling by bike, you can use the Bay Trail to get to the Richmond Ferry terminal. AC Transit’s Route 74 can drop you right at the event. For those who drive, overflow parking will be provided.

More Information: For full details on the Richmond Ferry Fest, visit the official event page.

New Year’s Eve 2021 & New Year’s Day 2022 Transit Schedules

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On New Year’s Eve, some transit agencies serving Contra Costa will operate on modified schedules while others will provide regular weekday service. On New Year’s Day, all transit agencies will run on weekend or holiday schedules, except for those providing no service: County Connection, San Francisco Bay Ferry, SolTrans, Fairfield & Suisun Transit, and Golden Gate Bus.

Late Night BART Service from San Francisco: On New Years Eve, BART will be deploying two extra sets of trains, for revelers attending San Francisco events. The last East Bay bound train running through Downtown San Francisco will be at around 1:30am. For full details, refer to this article on BART.gov. (Parking at all BART stations is free after 3pm on Friday. You can also leave your car overnight if necessary. Parking is free on weekends.)

Free Rides on Transit: Both AC Transit and SF Muni are offering free rides on all lines from 8pm New Year’s Eve through 5am New Year’s Day. This includes all AC Transit Transbay buses. Caltrain is also offering free rides starting at 8pm New Year’s Eve until the end of special late night service.

Click any link below for additional information.

New Year’s Eve (Friday, December 31)

New Year’s Day (Saturday, January 1)

Independence Day 2021 (Actual & Observed) Transit Service

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BART Will Run Special Event Trains for San Francisco’s Fireworks

BART will be providing additional trains serving Embarcadero station after regular BART service ends for San Francisco’s 4th of July fireworks. On July 4, BART service will close at 9pm. About 30 minutes after the conclusion of the fireworks, BART will run two sets of special event trains from the Embarcadero Station to Richmond, Antioch, Berryessa, and SFO/Millbrae making all station stops.

Holiday Transit Schedules for July 4 & 5

With Independence Day being observed Monday, July 5, the holiday impacts transit schedules on both Sunday and Monday. We’ve collected information on transit service for both days.

Click any link below for additional schedule information.

Sunday, July 4

Monday, July 5

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.

New Year's Eve 2015 & New Year's Day 2016: Transit Schedules

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new-year-happy-light-45158768On New Year’s Day, all transit agencies serving Contra Costa County will be on Sunday or Holiday schedules. On New Year’s Eve, BART will run until 3am and WestCAT will offer a Modified Holiday Service schedule.
explosion-firework-new-year-s-eve-december-31Special Note Regarding BART: San Francisco-bound Pittsburg/Bay Point and Richmond trains will not stop at Embarcadero Station after 8pm on New Year’s Eve. After the San Francisco fireworks show is over, passengers bound for Pittsburg/Bay Point and Richmond must use Montgomery Street Station. Trains on these lines will not stop at Embarcadero Station on their way out of San Francisco.
Free Transit: AC Transit & Muni will be offering free travel from 8pm New Year’s Eve until 5am the following morning. During the complimentary service, there is no need to tag your Clipper card.
Click any link below for additional schedule information.
New Year’s Eve (December 31)

  • WestCAT:
    • DAR, Local Fixed Route, C3, JPX, 30Z, JX – Modified Holiday Service, 7pm Close (Approx.)
    • LYNX – Limited Service
    • Express J – Regular Service
  • BART: Regular weekday schedule with supplemental New Year’s eve service until 3am
  • All other transit on regular weekday schedule (AC Transit, County Connection, Tri Delta Transit, Wheels, Capitol Corridor)

New Year’s Day (January 1)

Bike/Ped Path Coming to Richmond Bridge (2015)

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Plans are underway to build a separated bike/pedestrian path on the upper deck of the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge. As part of a four-year Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTC) pilot project, the shoulders on the upper and lower decks of the bridge will be converted to a bike/pedestrian path and a traffic lane, respectively.
RIchmond Bridge Bike and Pedestrian Path
The bike/pedestrian path is slated to be 10 feet wide, separated from vehicles by either a movable barrier or temporary concrete walls, and include a raised approach on the bridge’s east side. In addition to the new bridge path, transportation officials plan to build a bike/pedestrian trail connecting the bridge and Richmond to Point Molate.
If all goes according to plan, the bike/pedestrian path will be completed in the fall of 2017. Once complete, the new path will fill a major gap in the Bay Trail.

Commuter Ferry Returning to Richmond (2015)

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On March 5, 2015 the Water Emergency Transportation Association (WETA) Board approved the Richmond Ferry Project Agreement, signalling the return of ferry service between San Francisco and Richmond.
Richmond Ferry Terminal
The Water Authority will now order two catamaran ferry vessels — which will become part of the San Francisco Bay Ferry fleet — and build the new ferry terminal at Ford Peninsula in Richmond. According to the Agreement, ferry riders can expect:

  • In the morning (6am-9am), three trips to San Francisco, with two reverse commute trips back to Richmond
  • In the evening (3pm-7pm), four trips from San Francisco to Richmond, with three reverse commute trips back to San Francisco
  • The possibillity of mid-day service being established if demand and funding are sufficient

The Agreement does not provide for service on weekends, holidays or for San Francisco Giants games. Service is expected to begin sometime in 2018. For 2018, adult fares will be $9.10 one-way, or $6.80 with a Clipper Card. The youth and senior fares will be $4.50 and children under 5 will ride free.
For more information about the Richmond Ferry Project Agreement, click here.

Bay Area Climate Protection Strategy Workshop (2014)

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The Bay Area Air Quality Management District invites you to  a workshop on the Clean Air Plan and to initiate development of a Bay Area Climate Protection Strategy.
When: February 28, 2014, 9:30 am – 11:30 am
Where: Air District Office, 939 Ellis Street, San Francisco, 7th Floor
The purpose of the workshop is:

  • To kick off the planning process for updating the Clean Air Plan
  • To initiate the planning process to develop a Climate Protection Strategy for the Bay Area, which will be included as new element of the Clean Air Plan
  • To report progress on implementing the control measures in the 2010 Clean Air Plan
  • To solicit ideas and strategies to further reduce ozone precursors (nitrogen oxides, volatile organic compounds), particulate matter, toxic air contaminants, and greenhouse gases
  • To seek input on innovative strategies to reduce greenhouse gases, mechanisms for tracking progress in reducing GHGs, and how the Air District may further support actions to reduce GHGs
  • To describe future steps and the overall schedule in developing the Clean Air Plan update and Bay Area Climate Protection Strategy

Contact: Christy Riviere at 415-749-4925 or criviere@baaqmd.gov
See the flyer for more information or visit: http://www.baaqmd.gov/Divisions/Planning-and-Research/Plans/Clean-Air-Plan-Update.aspx
The workshop will be webcasted LIVE on the above listed at  http://www.baaqmd.gov/Divisions/Planning-and-Research/Plans/Clean-Air-Plan-Update.aspx.  Take transit!  Civic Center BART station and MUNI lines 47, 49, 38  are  nearby.  Bike racks located onsite. More transit info at  www.511.org.

Bay Area Bike-Share– Helping Us Get Around (2013)

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Bay Area Bike Share launch in San Jose CA
Will the streets of the Bay Area soon be full with a sea of bike-share commuters cycling that last mile from BART to the workplace? Only time will tell. Photo credit: Richard Masoner
The Bay Area is not new to transportation innovations. Last year, we celebrated four successful decades of the visionary commuter rail known as BART, which stills sees climbing ridership  and continues be seen as a model of sustainable transportation for the rest of the nation. Coincidentally, last year also marked the 75th anniversary of another incredible Bay Area infrastructural transportation monument, the Golden Gate Bridge.
Today, the Bay Area is leading the way in California again*, albeit with a subtler and humbler infrastructural feature, but one that nonetheless has the potential to hugely impact the way we move– Bay Area Bike Share. Bay Area Bike Share just launched Thursday, August 29th, so the system is merely in its infancy, but similar systems have been around Europe for a while in cities such as Paris and London, and  New York City was recently graced with its own iconic bike share earlier this year. Stateside, bike-share programs so far has proven to be surprisingly successful, especially in New York and D.C. Here in the Bay Area, bike share seems to have great potential to compliment our existing excellent regional public transport system, which is perhaps why Bay Area Bike Share is initially launching in Downtown San Francisco and along the Caltrain corridor in Redwood City, Palo Alto, Mountain View and San Jose.
Here’s how the system works:

  1. Get a Bay Area Bike Share Membership (or pay for a single day use, but longer membership quickly pay off).
  2. Use Annual Member key or enter your Ride Code (provided to 24-Hour and 3-Day Members) to unlock a bicycle from any station.
  3. RIDE – Run errands, ride to and/or from your BART station, commute to work,  or just go for a spin and use it as a gym membership of sorts!
  4. Return the bike to the nearest station.
  5. Repeat steps 2 through 4. Remember, any trip under 30 minutes is free– and yes you can simply dock a bike and check out a new one for another 30 minutes of charge-free cycling.

Bike-share bikes are NOT intended for long trips and the pricing system reflects this. For example, using a Bay Area Bike Share bike for an hour and a half before returning it to a station, will cost you $12 in addition to your membership fee. Any trip under 30 minutes, however, is completely free after membership fee is paid.
So what are bike share bikes good for? Going to meetings or grabbing a bite to eat on your lunch break; cycling from a BART station to your office (at the moment, most downtown San Francisco BART stations have bike share stations nearby); replacing bus trips under three miles with a bike ride; avoiding having to bring your own bike on BART; the infamous last-mile… The possibilities are many, and as long as your journey takes less than 30 minutes (keep in mind, at a “no sweat” pace, one can easily cover at least three miles on a bicycle), using a Bay Area Bike Share bicycle is free. Because of this structuring, getting an annual membership is particularly enticing as it can save you money, especially if you use it to replace short bus trips and cab rides when getting around congested parts of San Francisco.
So what do you think– are you ready to take a Bay Area Bike Share bicycle for a spin?
For additional information, check out Bay Area Bike Share’s Frequently Asked Questions or Contact page. And if you are on social media, feel free to check out Bay Area Bike Share on Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr or Instagram.
*While Bay Area Bike Share is not the first bike share system to launch in California, it is by far the largest and is also distinguished in that it is regional and not confined to a single city, integrating the system well with our existing public transportation network and commuter routes.

Vintage Muni Schedules

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sf-muni-2012Opening of Municipal Railway, San Francisco

Muni then (L: 1912) and now (R: 2012). Image credit: SFMTA / John Henry Mentz, AgentAKit

Muni recently celebrated its 100th birthday. The first publicly owned streetcar system in a major city in the U.S., Muni has been taking the people of San Francisco where they want to go since 1912.

The San Francisco Municipal Railway is the seventh-largest public transit system in the United States, as measured by number of customer boardings. In fact, roughly the same number of people who live in all of Alaska (700,000) board Muni buses every weekday.

Muni’s fleet consists of about 1,000 vehicles, over half of which are electric, subway-surface light-rail vehicles, electric trolley buses, diesel buses, and the world-famous cable cars (the only ones in the world still operating!)  Check out these vintage MUNI schedules:

collage 1

collage 4

collage 2

Check out more vintage MUNI schedules here.

To read how MUNI started its history, and a few fun facts, click here.

Year in Review: 2012

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san-francisco-fireworks-2012-nye

Image credit: David Yu

511CC’s 2012 Year in Review

From the Caldecott Tunnel breakthrough to Bay Area transit agencies celebrating milestones for service, 2012 was a great year for biking, transit and transportation. Here are some of this year’s top stories.

Top Tweets

Some of our most popular tweets (number of link clicks) in 2012 linked to these articles:

BART pedestrian origin outliers
Image credit: Eric Fischer

2012 highlights

Here are some transportation highlights from the year.
JAN
511 Freeway Aid

FEB
WHEELS
 

  • LAVTA retrofits 30 Wheels buses to make boarding with strollers easier

 
MAR
Union Pacific from near Pinole, CA facing west

Image credit: Steve C.

APR

 

MAY
golden-gate-bridge

JUN
mission-bicycle-20090513-110748
 

JUL
sf-muni-bus
 

Image credit: torbakhopper

AUG
 

 

Image credit: Karl Nielsen/Metropolitan Transportation Commission

SEPT

 

Image credit:  Bay Area Rapid Transit archives

OCT
bart-subway-stn

NOV
Amtrak's Capitol Corridor
 

DEC
Opening of Municipal Railway, San Francisco
 

Image credit: SFMTA / John Henry Mentz

For more interesting articles and tips on biking, transit, and transportation in the Bay Area don’t miss our Twitter feed and our blog.

Planes, Trains, and Automobiles (and Bikes, and Buses)

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Whether for work, vacation, picking up or dropping off a friend – a trip to the airport is nearly as common as as trip to the market. But what is the best way to get there? Undoubtedly the simplest choice for some trips to the airport may be to drive but there’s a whole menu of transport options to choose from and consider. Let’s look at other options for getting to two of the Bay Area’s major international airports– SFO and Oakland International
Air BART
AirBART. Photo  credit: Tzuhsun Hsu
SFO and Oakland International are both serviced by BART. BART can be a viable alternative to driving and serves a wide number of Bay Area residents. Rather than driving to the airport and hassling with parking ride BART. This way you are relieved of the duty of driving; definitely an option for the no nonsense traveler. If you are traveling from Contra Costa County to SFO, BART is definitely the way to go.  If you are traveling from Contra Costa County to the Oakland International Airport, BART plus the AirBART bus from  Oakland Coliseum BART Station is your alternative. Remember to carry $3 in cash or a $3 BART pass to pay for the AirBART connector from BART to the Oakland International Airport.
There’s also the option of taking the bus. While you would still be on the same roadways as cars, buses can use the HOV lane during peak hours M-F and traveling by bus also relieves you from the duty of driving, and parking. There are a number of bus options but AC Transit is likely the best bus option from West Contra Costa to the Oakland International.
Denver International Airport Bicycle Route
Bike friendly design as seen in Denver International Airport. Photo credit: Richard Masoner
And for you daredevil bicycle travelers, there are bike access options nowadays to the airports. SFO can be reached locally by designated bike routes and offers of bike parking – even valet bike parking! Oakland International has class 1 bike path and class 2 bike lanes that link Oakland International Airport terminals with the cities of Oakland, Alameda and San Leandro.
There seems to be an ongoing, collective conversation about ways of traveling to and from the airport these days. Here in the Bay Area, Oakland North recently tested four different modes – bus, bike, BART, and car – against each other in a “race to Oakland International“. An article (with video included of each traveler), it’s well worth a read that highlights not only the convenience and route choice of different modes, but also the time and cost involved. Meanwhile in Canada, James Schwartz of The Urban Country shared his personal account of traveling to and from Toronto Inernational by bike.
It’s not unusual to think “I’m heading to the airport” and instinctively decide to drive, catch a ride with a friend, or go by taxi, but  these are not the only options at your disposal. At times, you may find it convenient or cost-effective to reach the airport by a different mode, or mixing modes– like catching a taxi to BART or biking to a bus stop and taking your bike on AC Transit to reach the airport. Interested in trying a new mode to reach the airport? Check out directions getting to and from SFO and Oakland International by all modes.

It's Better By Bike!

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Child cargo
Happy family! Photo Credit: San Francisco Bicycle Coalition
“It’s better by bike!”, that seems to be the mantra these days when getting around the Bay Area and here are three articles that prove it!
First up, the Bay Citizen reports on a growing number of families that are passing on the car and transit and instead hopping on bikes:

“Fed up with cars, traffic, parking and Muni, some parents are using their bicycles as minivans, hauling their children around the hilly streets. They use an array of devices for their rides: child seats attached to the frame, two-wheeled enclosed trailers, extended bikes with room for passengers on the back, trail-a-bikes that let kids ride along behind and ‘bathtub’ bikes. “

Featured in the article is an inspiring video of a mother that shares her experience as she took the plunge and decided to try dropping off her two kids by bike– only to find out it has put her in the best shape of her life and made her able to connect with her kids better than ever. Check out the video below

Video credit: CIRvideos
Next, SF Gate suggests leaving the car and instead taking bikes to Angel Island:

“Leave the car in the driveway. Instead of a “Sunday Drive,” call this the “Sunday Ride” and take off on your bike. From across the Bay Area, many paths – and trains, BART and ferries – lead to San Francisco and Angel Island. From home, start this trip with a ride to your local transit agency. Board with your bike and head to San Francisco, and from there, ride to Pier 41 for the ferry to Angel Island State Park.”

The article gives directions for getting there by bike from all regions of the Bay Area– Marin, East Bay, Peninsula and SF. (Just be sure to plan your trip on a day when the weather is nice!)
Lastly, again via SF Gate, is an article that reports on the new bikeway connections that are helping San Francisco residents reach parks by bike:

IMAG0020
New bi-directional bicycle path on Cargo Way. Photo credit:
Roy Crisman

” Three neighborhoods in southeast San Francisco – Bayview, Hunters Point and the Dogpatch – have been bursting with new bike lanes in the past six months, opening up great new rides for anyone looking to explore more of the city on two wheels.
Among the two biggest improvements linking these neighborhoods are the buffered bike lanes – those with a large painted buffer along eastern Cesar Chavez Street and the bikeway on Cargo Way protected by fencing.
The lanes allow riders to explore some of the best waterfront parks and viewing areas in the city. And, because most tourists congregate along the north end of the city’s waterfront, riders might have these spots all to themselves.
Explore the lanes individually, or link them together for a longer waterfront ride. ”
Getting to school, parks, or a day vacation seem like trips primed for bicycling– do you know any other trips that are great for two wheels?

U.S. DOT Funds Bay Area Transit Improvements

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AC Transit 1016 7-16-10 B
AC Transit, one of the Bay Area agencies that received federal funding to improve transportation. Photo credit: Paul Sullivan
In July the Bay Area received several grants from the U.S. DOT to improve transit.
AC Transit received $7.5 million to improve fare collection and BART received about $3 million to improve departure and arrival information.
Grants were also awarded to San Francisco, Santa Clara, San Mateo and Monterey counties to replace diesel buses with fuel efficient hybrid buses.
Read more at San Francisco CBS.

All Aboard Muni's New All-Door Boarding Policy

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San Francisco Muni Bus
Boarding Muni. Photo credit: www.bluewaikiki.com

Only a couple months into Muni’s new all-door boarding policy and already the system seems to be working well.
As reported on San Francisco Streetsblog:

On five Muni lines, the time buses spent at stops dropped by as much as 16 percent in July compared to June, according to a presentation prepared for the SFMTA Board’s Policy and Governance Committee meeting this week. The most drastic change in “dwell times” were reported on the 1-California line and its rush-hour express companion, the 1AX, which saw decreases of 14 and 16 percent, respectively. The 1AX also saw by far the largest shift in passengers using the back door instead of the front door, with a 1,200 percent increase

The article goes on to note improved conditions on other lines reviewed:

The 49-Van Ness, the14-Mission, and the 38-Geary — saw more modest drops in dwell time. The 49, at the low end of the spectrum, only saw a decrease of roughly 1 percent. One possible explanation is that back-door boarding was already common on those lines before the policy change, compared to the 1-California.

Bicyclists Push for Their Rights

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The Cyclists’ Rights Movement is yielding results. Just within the past 2 months, extraordinary leaps and bounds have been made for the expansion of the rights of bikers within the Bay Area.
In Berkeley, a new law just passed, giving cyclists the ability to file civil suits against bellicose drivers on the road. Drivers who assault, threaten, injure, or intentionally distract a person cycling could face a $1000 fine, or pay three times the damages of the victimized cyclist.This is a huge stride for people cycling, further extending their rights. In addition to criminal law, a driver can be held to a civil law.
The Bicycle Movement also has recently garnered support in San Francisco. A new law, expected to receive final approval within a few days, will require San Francisco property owners to allow bikes inside their buildings, unless they can provide alternative, secure off-street parking. The law is predicted to help the City of San Francisco reach its 20% bike commute goal by 2020.  As more legislation comes into fruition that favors biking, it is apparent that the momentum for Bicycling Rights is only beginning. This blog post was written by Luther Kuefner, 511CC’s high school intern.

Paris Tests Bus Stop of the Future

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Bus stop in Houston 1956
Boarding the bus in 1956. Photo credit: Stockholm Transportation Museum Commons
Transit technology seems to be constantly improving, from Clippers Cards to zero emission buses, the experience of taking public transit is improving in many respects. However, one element that could undoubtedly be improved is the time one spends waiting for a bus to arrive.
While solar-powered wifi busies some bus riders at select San Francisco bus stops, Paris takes waiting for a bus to a higher level with a pilot program described as “the bus stop of the future“.
Treehugger recently covered Paris’ venture into better bus stops as

“…a variety of services, from a book lending library and an electric-bike rental station to phone charging outlets, free WiFi, and a snack and coffee kiosk.”

But that’s not all! Bus stops would also feature

“Bar-style tables built around existing trees [to] encourage socializing while [providing] extensive and interactive sources of neighborhood information [to] help idle passengers plan out the rest of their journey. “

Pretty impressive. Read more about Paris’ efforts at Treehugger.