Where Should Bus Service Be in CV?

AC Transit very much wants to restore bus service in Castro Valley and elsewhere to pre-pandemic levels and would like the public’s help in reshaping that service to better meet people’s needs.

That’s according to AC Transit Director Murphy McCalley from Ward 4, which includes Castro Valley, San Lorenzo, and parts of Hayward.

There’s a survey AC Transit would like people to fill out so they can restore service in ways that meet needs better while being socially equitable. It comes in English, Spanish, and Chinese and can be accessed at www.actransit.org/realign.

“People are using transit in different ways now, and we’re trying to meet their needs,” McCalley said. He mentioned fewer trips to and from work and more trips taken at midday and on weekends.

The survey asks people where they live, what they used AC Transit for before the pandemic and now, and in what ways AC Transit meets their needs well or doesn’t.

He said that revenue and ridership both dropped during the pandemic, making the agency cut back on lines and service. Fortunately for AC Transit, though, it relies much less on passenger fares for its revenue than BART and other transit operators, he said. 

Federal pandemic emergency funding is running out, though, said McCalley. This will result in a drop in revenue even if passengers begin to return.

The biggest obstacle to restoring service, though, is not money. It is drivers, McCalley said.

“This fiscal year, which is about to end, we had a goal of 100 percent service restored but couldn’t find enough drivers,” he explained. This is despite the job paying a decent salary, with good benefits and a pension, which is harder to find these days, he added.

The AC Transit director said Castro Valley was a bit underserved by buses before the pandemic, especially the neighborhoods furthest from downtown. 

Now it is served by only two lines, he said. Line 28 runs between the Bay Fair, Castro Valley, and Hayward BART stations, with a loop into the Seven Hills neighborhood,  while Line 93 runs between the Castro Valley and Hayward BART stations.

McCalley said he faces a long walk himself from his Castro Valley home to the nearest bus line.

He hopes the survey will let AC Transit know who needs to be served, where, and in what ways. Besides buses, there are possibilities for various forms of micro-transit, using smaller vehicles.

He urged everyone to take the survey, saying, “I need your feedback. We need to redesign the system.”

“Use your imagination. Don’t be limited to what you can see now,” McCalley advised.

What’s not doable right now may become practical as future funding measures are put on the ballot or passed by the legislature, he noted.