Local
Oakland hearing draws riders’ warnings over possible AC Transit reductions
AC Transit’s contingency plan would cut service by 16% and eliminate as many as 300 jobs if Bay Area voters reject a regional transit funding measure in November. Riders told the agency’s board the proposed changes could deepen existing problems with missed trips and limit access to work, health care and weekend travel.
OAKLAND — Riders urged AC Transit to reconsider proposed bus reductions at a special Board of Directors meeting Oct. 14, warning that less service could make it harder to reach jobs, medical appointments and other essential destinations across the East Bay.
The agency’s contingency plan would remove 100 buses, reduce service by 16% and lay off as many as 300 employees if voters reject a regional transit funding measure in November. The proposal would also end all weekend transbay service and shift many routes to later morning starts and earlier evening shutdowns, at 7 a.m. and 7 p.m., respectively.
AC Transit would preserve weekday service every 15 minutes or better on its busiest lines and major corridors, including Telegraph Avenue, Foothill Boulevard and Martin Luther King Jr. Way.
The board received nearly 500 public comments and plans to use them as it develops a final contingency plan. If service reductions are necessary, directors expect to consider a final proposal Dec. 9. Cuts would start in June 2027.
Traceé Coltes, a Richmond resident who depends on the bus, said unreliable service on Route 71 once caused her to miss a mammogram appointment. She said the proposed reductions could further affect riders who rely on public transit to get to work and manage daily needs.
Kiwan Gore of Berkeley, who has cerebral palsy, asked the board to reduce rather than eliminate weekend transbay service. She said she frequently travels to San Francisco and that other transit options, including BART, are unaffordable for her.
AC Transit spokesperson Robert Lyles said the agency does not want to activate the cuts but faces a $200 million structural deficit over the next four years. The shortfall stems from pandemic-related ridership losses and declining federal, state and local support, including the depletion of federal COVID relief funds, he said.
The regional measure would establish a half-cent sales tax in Alameda, Contra Costa, San Mateo and Santa Clara counties, and a one-cent tax in San Francisco. It is projected to raise about $1 billion annually for 14 years for several transit agencies, including AC Transit, BART, Muni and Caltrain. AC Transit estimates it would receive about $50 million a year, based on allocations of 21% of tax revenue collected in Alameda County and 3% in Contra Costa County.
Some riders said the agency’s current service reliability problems already show the consequences of reduced capacity. Board member Jean Walsh, speaking in an individual capacity, said operator shortages linked to absenteeism and understaffing have contributed to frequent cancellations. AC Transit’s target is to operate 99.5% of scheduled buses, she said, but the agency has fallen short. Walsh said the board approved monthly reliability reports, beginning at the end of October, in place of reports twice a year.