Alameda-Contra Costa Transit’s process to redesign its entire bus service has been postponed, possibly until 2025, according to AC Transit officials.
The agency’s board voted Wednesday to postpone implementation of the “Draft Final Service Plan Proposal” for the AC Transit Realign project.
“When deciding to postpone, the Board of Directors considered various factors, such as the impact to various rider groups, Operations staffing levels, and ensuring an equitable distribution of resources for transit-dependent and disadvantaged riders,” said board president Joel Young.
The Realign project was initiated in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to ridership declines and revenue losses. As of March 2023, AC Transit’s ridership was still just 69 percent of pre-pandemic levels, according to information on the agency’s website.
Additionally, due to the loss of riders and funding, the agency faces a “fiscal cliff” that could result in service cuts, barring a large fare increase or an increase in federal, state or regional funding.
Due to the postponement, public hearings scheduled for March 13 are now also on hold, according to AC Transit.