TO: AC Transit Board of Directors
FROM: Salvador Llamas, General Manager/Chief Executive Officer
SUBJECT: Proposed Repurposing Measure BB Project Funding
ACTION ITEM
AGENDA PLANNING REQUEST: ☐
RECOMMENDED ACTION(S):
Title
Consider approving the City of Alameda’s proposal to repurpose $9 million from the “Alameda to Fruitvale BART Rapid Bus” project in the 2014 Measure BB Transportation Expenditure Plan to a program of three transit-focused multimodal projects elsewhere in Alameda.
Staff Contact:
Ramakrishna Pochiraju, Executive Director of Planning & Engineering
Body
STRATEGIC IMPORTANCE:
Goal - Convenient and Reliable Service
Initiative - Service Quality
These Measure BB funds will provide funds for three transit-focused multimodal projects that enhance the reliability of bus service in Alameda, including lines serving Alameda Point.
BUDGETARY/FISCAL IMPACT:
There are no budgetary/fiscal impacts to the District. The Measure BB funding for these projects comes from Alameda County Measure BB funds that were committed to the City of Alameda for enhancing the reliability and speed of bus transit service between the City of Alameda and the Fruitvale BART Station.
BACKGROUND/RATIONALE:
Alameda County voters passed the Measure BB sales tax in 2014, including the 2014 Transportation Expenditure Plan (2014 TEP) which guides the investment of Measure BB funds towards transportation projects and programs. The Alameda County Transportation Commission (ACTC) administers the 2014 TEP (Attachment 1).
One of the named projects in the 2014 TEP is the “Alameda to Fruitvale BART Rapid Bus” project for $9 million which was intended to “provide a fast and reliable connection between the city of Alameda and the Fruitvale BART Station, providing service to new development proposed for the city of Alameda”. The 2014 TEP also states that “funds may be used for project development, design, construction, access and enhancement of the rapid transit corridors.”
The City of Alameda intended to use the $9 million for dedicated bus lanes on Ralph Appezzato Memorial Parkway (RAMP) with the expectation of high-frequency AC Transit service along RAMP due to planned development at Alameda Point. However, the District’s Realign plan does not include rapid bus service along this corridor and only includes Line 19 service along RAMP at 60-minute headways, which does not justify dedicated bus lanes.
The TEP requires that named projects complete project delivery milestones by a certain deadline to demonstrate project feasibility and progress. While projects could request annual time extensions from ACTC, this project did not receive a time extension from ACTC in December 2024. The City of Alameda is required to return to ACTC in 2025 with proposed strategies to use the committed Measure BB funding.
The City of Alameda coordinated with District staff and ACTC staff to identify alternative projects for the Measure BB funds that would maintain the focus on enhancing transit reliability and service. The current proposal is to repurpose the funds towards a program of three transit-focused multimodal projects that still meet the 2014 TEP objectives:
• Lincoln/Marshall/Pacific Corridor Improvements, $4 million: enhances safety on a three-mile corridor in Alameda, including bus stop enhancements (i.e., new bus islands, bus stop consolidations, and bus stop amenities). Serves AC Transit lines 96, 631, and 663.
• Stargell Avenue Roundabout and Transit Improvements, $4 million: pedestrian safety and transit operational improvements along Willie Stargell Avenue between Main Street and Mariner Square Loop/East Campus Drive, including four new bus stops following Realign implementation. Serves AC Transit lines 19 and 96.
• Westline Drive Bus Queue Jump Lane, $1 million: northbound transit-only lane along Westline Drive/Eighth Street between Otis Drive and Portola Avenue. Serves AC Transit lines 20 and W.
Further information on the project background and the City’s proposed program of projects is detailed in Attachments 2 through 4. City staff brought this proposal for discussion at the January 30, 2025 City of Alameda - AC Transit Interagency Liaison Committee (ILC) meeting. The proposal was also endorsed by the City of Alameda’s Transportation Commission in February 2025 and will be going to the City Council for approval in May 2025. As a beneficiary of this expenditure item, the AC Transit Board must also approve the amendment request, which is the request before the Board today. Following City Council and District approval, the proposal will go to ACTC for final consideration and approval.
ADVANTAGES/DISADVANTAGES:
Alameda’s proposal will enable these funds to be spent on transit reliability and enhancement projects that match the current service plan and need, including lines serving Alameda Point. While the proposed program of three projects is not expected to directly improve bus operations or increase ridership at the same level as a rapid bus project would, the District does not have the resources available to operate rapid bus service along the RAMP corridor in the near term. The proposed projects allow the City to move forward on three high-priority multimodal projects that would also improve safety and access to bus stops and enhance the reliability of bus service in Alameda.
ALTERNATIVES ANALYSIS:
There are limited alternatives to approving this action. The District could decide not to approve the City’s proposal to repurpose $9 million in Measure BB funds from the “Alameda to Fruitvale BART Rapid Bus” to the proposed program of three transit-focused multimodal projects. However, this option would potentially endanger the availability of these funds for transit projects due to the deadlines for Measure BB funds to be used for named projects.
Similarly, while the District could propose other projects, the deadlines for Measure BB funding require projects to move quickly. These projects have been identified as high-priority projects for the City and are able to improve transit service in the required timelines.
PRIOR RELEVANT BOARD ACTION/POLICIES:
There are no prior relevant Board actions/policies.
ATTACHMENTS:
1. 2014 Alameda County Transportation Expenditure Plan
2. City of Alameda City Council Item - May 6, 2025
3. City of Alameda Proposed Project Memo
4. City of Alameda Westline Bus Queue Jump Lane Project Sheet
Prepared by:
Crystal Wang, Senior Transportation Planner
In Collaboration with:
Emily Heard, Capital Planning and Grants Manager
Robert del Rosario, Director of Service Development and Planning
Approved/Reviewed by:
Ramakrishna Pochiraju, Executive Director of Planning & Engineering
Chris Andrichak, Chief Financial Officer
Aimee L. Steele, General Counsel/Chief Legal Officer