TO: AC Transit Board of Directors
FROM: Michael A. Hursh, General Manager
SUBJECT: Update on Fremont and Newark Planning Efforts
BRIEFING ITEM
RECOMMENDED ACTION(S):
Title
Consider receiving an update on service planning efforts in Special Transit Service District 2, which consists of the cities of Fremont and Newark. [Requested by Director Shaw - 2/13/19.]
Body
BUDGETARY/FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no budgetary or fiscal impact associated with this report, though there will be future budgetary implications once staff develops new preliminary service alternatives matched to current market conditions and reflecting the needs of the community.
BACKGROUND/RATIONALE:
Overview
The District last pursued large-scale changes to service within Fremont and Newark in 2013. In the six years since the transit network was last restructured, the area emerged from the Great Recession with a changed transit market. Although the area is seeing staggering job growth and increasing residential and commercial development, ridership in southern Alameda County is on a downward trend. Like the job and real estate markets in Fremont and Newark, the local mobility landscape has also seen large changes, with the emergence of new mobility options from transportation network companies and a wider prevalence of employer shuttles. In addition, regional travel patterns are poised to shift dramatically with the start of BART service to Berryessa in San Jose in December 2019. These ridership declines underscore the fact that Special District 2's transit network is no longer properly matched to the travel needs of the area.
AC Transit, the Service Expansion Plan, and Flex Service
AC Transit had originally intended to restructure South County service following the passage of Measure BB in 2014, when preliminary concepts were developed for the entire District as part of the Service Expansion Plan (SEP). The working draft plans for Fremont and Newark envisioned a frequent, 15-minute fixed-...
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