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AC Transit Realign

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AC Transit Realign

AC Transit continues to face Bus Operator shortages and budget constraints. To maximize the efficiency of our current bus network, the Realign Plan was introduced as a comprehensive review and update to our bus lines and schedules. 

After a year of gathering feedback from riders and the community, AC Transit has formulated a Draft Plan outlining the vision for the all-new network. We encourage the public to review the Draft Plan and share your feedback by June 5, 2024. 

Realign sectional

Realign Draft Plan

After a year of gathering feedback from riders and the community, AC Transit has formulated the Realign Draft Plan, outlining the vision for an all-new network. The Plan is now available and we encourage you to share your feedback by June 5. 

Realign Unconstrained

Unconstrained Vision Scenario

With direction from the AC Transit Board of Directors, an unconstrained vision as presented during Phase 3 will be moved forward on a longer timeframe than the immediate service changes. This extended time will allow for staff and community focus on the near-term Realign Plan as well as provide additional time to refine an unconstrained vision plan for Board and community consideration after an updated Service Standard Policy is approved.  These recommendations will follow a separate process in early 2025.

Service Standards

In summer of 2024, the Realign project team will update AC Transit’s service standards. This effort will take all public input received over the course of the project and combine it with the latest planning practices to draft a blueprint for how the agency will plan service and measure its performance now and into the future.

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Meetings & Events

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AC Transit Realign Workshop (Virtual)

Date: May 23, 2024
Time: 6 pm

Or One tap mobile:
+12133388477,,88231707039# US (Los Angeles)
+16692192599,,88231707039# US (San Jose)

Or Telephone:
Dial(for higher quality, dial a number based on your current location):
877 369 0926 US Toll Free
Webinar ID: 882 3170 7039

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AC Transit Board Special Board Meeting – Realign Workshop (Hybrid)

Date: June 5, 2024
Time: 5 pm

In-person: AC Transit General Office, 1600 Franklin Street, 2nd Floor Board Room, Oakland, CA 94612 

Phone: (669) 900-6833
Webinar ID:  984 8717 5063

Upcoming Events

DateTimeActivityLocation 
5/8/20247 pmEl Sobrante MACHybrid: In person - El Sobrante Library, 4300 Garden Rd. El Sobrante | Zoom: https://cccounty-us.zoom.us/j/82363394353 
5/8/20249 amAC Transit BART ILCHybrid: In person - East Bay Paratransit Office, Community Room, 1750 Broadway, Oakland, CA 94612 | Zoom link https://actransit.zoom.us/j/98019885781 Tel: 877 369 0926 Webinar ID: 980 1988 5781
5/9/20246-8 pmCherryland Community AssociationCherryland Community Center, 278 Hampton Rd, Hayward, CA 94541
5/9/20247 pmNewark City CouncilSmith City Hall, 37101 Newark Boulevard, 1st Floor
5/11/20249 am - 2 pmOhlone College Flea Market 43600 Mission Blvd Parking Lot E, Fremont, CA 94539
5/13/202410 am - 12 pmCenter for Resources & Independent Living (CRIL)Hayward Office, 439 A St, Hayward, CA 94541
5/14/20246 pmEden Area MACSan Lorenzo Library:  395 Paseo Grande, San Lorenzo, CA
5/14/20246:30 pmCity of Alameda Board of EducationCouncil Chambers at City Hall, 2263 Santa Clara Avenue, 3rd Floor, Alameda, CA
5/14/20246 pmBerkeley City Council1231 Addison St., Berkeley, CA 94702
5/14/20241-2:30 pmAC Transit General Manager's Accessibility CommitteeHybrid: In person -  1750 Broadway, Community Room, Oakland, CA 94612 | Zoom link https://actransit.zoom.us/j/93413761483 Phone: 877 369 0926 Webinar ID: 934 1376 1483
5/15/20244:15-5:15 pmTrybeSan Antonio Park, 1701 E 19th St, Oakland, CA 94606
5/16/20247-9 amBike East Bay: Bike to Wherever Day - Fremont (Warm Springs)Warm Springs BART Station, 45193 Warm Springs Blvd, Fremont
5/16/20247-9 amBike East Bay: Bike to Wherever Day - HaywardHayward BART Station, 699 B St, Hayward
5/16/20244-8 pmBike East Bay: Bike to Wherever Day - Old OaklandOld Oakland, Washington Street at 10th Street
5/16/20247-9 amBike East Bay: Bike to Wherever Day - El Cerrito Plaza BARTEl Cerrito Plaza BART Station along the Ohlone Greenway by the bike lockers
5/16/20247:30-11 amBike East Bay: Bike to Wherever Day - UC BerkeleySproul Plaza - Intersection of Bancroft & Telegraph
5/18/20249 am - 1 pmCastro Valley Farmer's MarketCorner of Redwood Rd. and Norbridge Ave. (Castro Valley BART Station Parking Lot. (Handicap Accessible)
5/18/20249 amAC Transit Operator Hiring EventAC Transit Training & Education Center, 20234 Mack Street, Hayward, CA  94545
5/18/20249 am - 2 pmLived Experience Advisory Group (LEAG) MeetingHybrid Zoom/AC Transit G.O., 1600 Franklin Street, 10th Floor, Oakland, CA  94612
5/19/202410:45-11:30 amGlad Tidings Community Church970 Glad Tidings Way at Tyrrell Avenue, Hayward, CA
5/19/20241 pmBlack Cultural ZoneLiberation Park, 7101 Foothill Blvd. (corner of 73rd & Foothill Blvd.), Oakland, CA
5/20/202410 amUnited Seniors of Oakland Alameda County (USOAC)Palo Vista Gardens Community, 1100 64th Ave., Oakland, CA 94621
5/20/20246 pmCastro Valley MACAlameda County Office Building, 224 W. Winton Avenue, Room 160, Hayward, CA
5/20/20246 pmSan Pablo City CouncilCouncil Chambers, 1000 Gateway Avenue, San Pablo, CA
5/21/20247:15 pmEmeryville City Council1333 Park Ave, Emeryville, CA 94608
5/21/20247 pmFremont City CouncilCity Hall Building A, Council Chambers, 3300 Capitol Avenue, Fremont
5/22/202410 am - 1 pmRichmond 40th Annual Senior Information & Health FaireRichmond Auditorium, Civic Center
5/22/20249:30 amAC Transit Emeryville ILCHybrid: In person - Emeryville City Hall, Council Chambers, 1333 Park Avenue, Emeryville CA 94608 | Zoom link - https://actransit.zoom.us/j/97154123990 Tel: 877 369 0926 Webinar ID: 971 5412 3990
5/22/202411-11:45 amThe Latina CenterThe Latina Center: 3701 Barrett Ave. (corner of 38th & Barrett Ave.), Richmond, CA 94805 
5/23/20246 pmOakland Bicyclist & Pedestrian Advisory Commission (Oakland BPAC)City Hall, Hearing Room 4, 2nd Floor, One Frank Ogawa Plaza, Oakland or via Zoom:  https://us06web.zoom.us/j/88149695280
5/23/20242 pmAlameda County Transportation Commission (ACTC)1111 Broadway, Ste. 800, Mary V. King Conference Room, Oakland, CA 94607
5/23/20246 pmAC Transit Realign Workshop (Virtual)Zoom link: https://actransit.zoom.us/j/88231707039 | Call: (877) 369-0926 US Toll Free | Webinar ID: 882 3170 7039
5/24/20248 amWCCTACCity of El Cerrito Council Chambers, 10890 San Pablo Ave. El Cerrito, CA 94530
5/28/2024Richmond City Council440 Civic Center Plaza, Community Services Building, Richmond
5/28/20243-4 pmOakland Chinatown ChamberOakland Asian Culture Center, Pacific Renaissance Plaza, 388 - 9th Street, Ste. 290, Oakland, CA
5/30/202410 amAC Transit Berkeley ILCHybrid: In person - Cypress Room, 2180 Milivia, 1st Floor, Berkeley, CA | Zoom link -  https://actransit.zoom.us/j/85319764729 Tel: 877 369 0926 Webinar ID: 853 1976 4729
5/31/202410 amAC Transit Hayward ILCHybrid: In person - City Hall, Conference Room 2A - 777 B Street, Hayward, CA 94541 | Zoom link https://actransit.zoom.us/j/94999872586 Tel: 877 369 0926 Webinar ID: 949 9987 2586
6/1/202410 am - 6 pmSan Leandro Cherry FestivalDowntown San Leandro (Details coming)
6/5/202410 amAC Transit Oakland ILCHybrid: In Person - AC Transit General Office, 1600 Franklin St., 2nd Floor Board Room, Oakland CA 94612 Zoom link https://actransit.zoom.us/j/87011398495 Phone (669) 900 6833 Webinar ID: 870 1139 8495
6/5/20244-6:30 pmAC Transit Realign Open HouseAC Transit General Office, 1600 Franklin St., Lobby, Oakland, CA 94612
6/5/20245 pmAC Transit Board of Directors MeetingHybrid: AC Transit General Office, 1600 Franklin St., 2nd Floor Board Room, Oakland, CA 94612

Past Events

DateTimeEventLocation 
4/9/20241 pmAC Transit General Manager's Accessibility CommitteeHybrid: In person - 1750 Broadway, Community Room, Oakland, CA 94612 | Zoom link: https://actransit.zoom.us/j/93413761483 Phone: 877 369 0926 Webinar ID: 934 1376 1483
4/18/20249 amAC Transit Alameda ILCHyrbid: In person - City Hall, 2263 Santa Clara Avenue, Room 360, Alameda, CA 94501 | Zoom link https://actransit.zoom.us/j/91750176813 Phone 877 369 0926 Webinar ID: 917 5017 6813
4/24/20244-7 pmFremont Unified School District's Inaugural Career Day Centerville Middle School - Gym, 37720 Fremont Blvd., Fremont 94536
4/25/20249 amAC Transit Richmond ILCHyrbid: In person - Richmond Council Chamber 440 Civic Center Plaza, First Floor Richmond CA 94804 | Zoom link https://actransit.zoom.us/j/82519827976 Phone: 877 369 0926 Webinar ID: 825 1982 7976
4/27/202411:30 am - 2:30 pmAlameda Bike FestivalLove Elementary School, 2025 Santa Clara Ave., Alameda, CA
5/5/202410 am - 5 pm Richmond Cinco de Mayo23rd Street between Rheem Ave. and Clinton Ave., Richmond, CA
5/6/20247 pmSan Leandro City CouncilCity Hall Council Chambers, 835 East 14th Street
San Leandro, CA 94577
5/6/20246 pmPiedmont City CouncilCity Hall Council Chamber, 120 Vista Avenue, Piedmont, CA 94611
5/6/20247 pmAlbany City CouncilAlbany City Hall Council Chambers, 1000 San Pablo Avenue, Albany, CA
5/7/20249:30 amAshland Cherryland Food & Basic NeedsVia Zoom w/approx. 35 CBO/Agency/HOA representatives
5/7/20247 pmAlameda City CouncilCity Hall Council Chambers, 3rd Flr., 2263 Santa Clara Avenue, Alameda
5/7/20243:30 pmOakland City CouncilCity Hall Council Chambers, 3rd Flr., One Frank Ogawa Plaza, Oakland
5/7/20247 pmHayward City CouncilCity Hall Council Chambers, 2nd Flr., 777 B Street, Hayward
5/7/20246 pmEl Cerrito City CouncilEl Cerrito City Hall, 10890 San Pablo Ave., El Cerrito, CA
5/7/20245 pmNorth Richmond MACCorrine Sain Senior & Family Community Center, 515 Silver Ave., Richmond, CA

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Additional Resources

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What is Realign?

AC Transit is reviewing how bus service works across our service area through the Realign plan. AC Transit Realign is an inclusive planning process that evaluates our existing service network and responds to changing travel patterns. This quantitative and qualitative assessment of AC Transit’s bus lines will gather both data and the rider feedback to develop a new network focused on riders and equity. Your feedback will tell us how well our service is currently operating, meeting your travel needs, and ultimately how to realign our service. The Realign process will also require analyzing post-pandemic revenue losses, funding shortfalls, and Bus Operator workforce challenges to right-size our operations.  

AC Transit Realign also permits our transit district to overhaul service policies and standards, aligning our guidelines with current transit conditions and industry best practices. In doing so, we reaffirm our decades-long commitment to equity and better position the future of how we deliver bus service.  

Goals

  • Assess today’s travel patterns and the community’s current AC Transit service needs.  
  • Implement an inclusive planning process that incorporates quantitative and qualitative data along with rider and community feedback – including the voices of hard-to-reach equity communities. 
  • Align service schedules, coverage, and frequencies based on major needs identified by the community, riders, travel pattern data, finances, and workforce availability. 
  • Update our service standards with best practices for the design of our bus service. 

FY 2023-24 Revenue Budget pie chart

Why Realign?

We are updating our service to meet the travel patterns of the new normal. The pandemic led to a historic decline in riders, which resulted in unprecedented fare loss. AC Transit sought and received federal relief funds to keep bus lines moving. After three years, however, ridership has not returned to pre-pandemic levels and relief funds will soon be exhausted. As of March 2023, AC Transit’s overall ridership is 69% of pre-pandemic levels. As Bay Area employers continue to operate remote and hybrid work schedules, we forecast that our ridership and fare recovery will continue to be adversely affected. To save East Bay transit, we must now assess the needs of current riders and travel patterns with new focus on where, when, and how we deliver bus service. 

AC Transit is facing what’s being called a “fiscal cliff” or budget shortfall. Why? The onboard fareboxes capture a small percentage of the dollars needed to operate our transit district. And as the graph below highlights, we rely on a variety of public funding subsidies to support operations. As a result, without a substantial increase in fare revenues and subsidies (regional, state, and federal), AC Transit may be forced to consider service cuts. 

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Phases & Timeline*

*Timeline is preliminary and subject to change

Phase 1 - Develop Plans and Learn Rider Needs

Dates: March - June 2023

Realign begins with a thorough analysis of current AC Transit service area conditions. The habits, needs, concerns, and priorities of riders and community members will be identified during this phase through quantitative data review, customer survey responses, and feedback through robust outreach. This phase encourages survey participation, which begins April 17, 2023. The survey will help us understand what’s important, identify priority destinations/connections, and weigh trade-offs/priorities that will inform the development of a draft set of guiding principles.

Phase 2 - Aligning Guiding Principles with Community Assessment

Dates: July - August 2023

This phase will solicit and incorporate feedback from riders, community members and AC Transit’s Board of Directors on the draft guiding principles developed from information gathered in Phase 1. In this phase, a final Guiding Principles document will be adopted by the Board and will establish the support, clarity, and direction for the development of Realign (new bus service network plan).

Phase 3 - Develop Service Scenarios and Gather Feedback

Dates: September - December 2023

Based on the feedback and direction from the first two phases, this phase presents draft service scenarios that offer alternative configurations of AC Transit’s routes and schedules throughout our service area. This is an important opportunity for our riders and community to provide feedback on these service scenarios. 

Phase 4 - Draft Final Service Plan and Plan Adoption

Dates: January - October 2024

Following the comprehensive review of data and community input on the draft scenarios, a draft Final Service Plan will be created, including an extensive update to AC Transit’s Service Standards. The draft Final Service Plan will be shared with the community during a formal public comment process. The Realign process will culminate with review and a formal vote by the AC Transit Board of Directors. An Equity Analysis (under Title VI of the American Civil Rights Act) will ensure that any negative impacts on both minority and low-income populations will be identified and presented for approval on a parallel track.

Phase 5 - Develop Service Standards and Inform Riders about Service Changes

Dates: October 2024 - April 2025

Once the Final Service Plan and updated Service Standards are approved, the new service is expected to begin in August 2024. In this final phase, robust promotion will educate riders and community members on how to use the new service network. The updated service policies and standards will help guide future planning and monitoring of AC Transit’s service network. These standards, including hours, days of operation, frequency, and location of bus routes, will guide how service we will operate on the streets and in neighborhoods throughout the AC Transit service area. The standards are based upon multiple factors, including equity, land use, population density, access to jobs, commercial activity, and major attractors such as schools, hospitals, and grocery stores.

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Community Project Line: 
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(510) 267-5632 (Spanish) 
(510) 267-5633 (Mandarin Chinese)
(510) 267-5634 (Cantonese Chinese)