TO: AC Transit Board of Directors
FROM: Michael A. Hursh, General Manager/Chief Executive Officer
SUBJECT: March 2023 Service Changes
BRIEFING ITEM
AGENDA PLANNING REQUEST: ☐
RECOMMENDED ACTION(S):
Title
Consider receiving a report on the District’s planned service changes associated with the March 2023 Sign-up.
Staff Contact:
Ramakrishna Pochiraju, Executive Director of Planning & Engineering
Body
STRATEGIC IMPORTANCE:
Goal - Convenient and Reliable Service
Initiative - Service Quality
BUDGETARY/FISCAL IMPACT:
Total daily weekday, Saturday and Sunday vehicle platform hours remain unchanged from winter 2022 service levels. Thus, there is no additional daily operating cost associated with the changes in the March Sign-up.
BACKGROUND/RATIONALE:
AC Transit conducts four Sign-ups each year as required by the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) with Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) Local 192. These occur in March, June, August, and December.
Implementation of the March service change consists of resource-neutral service revisions and a single school trip modification. In consideration of operator and passenger safety, the Downtown Oakland timed connection will move to Broadway & 14th Street for the Tempo and all OWL lines, except for the 801, which terminates at the San Leandro BART Station. Line 46L stop changes restored pre-construction service following completion of a long-term construction project. Staff reactivated bus stops in both directions on Line 46L, on 82nd Avenue at Birch Street towards Coliseum BART and a new stop on 81st Avenue at San Leandro Street. Bus stop adjustments along Decoto Road on lines 99, 200, 232, 801 and both Dumbarton Express lines DB and DB1 were also implemented to support the Dumbarton Corridor Improvement project. The Dumbarton Corridor Improvement Project aims to improve reliability and reduce travel times for transit service. The Project will include the installation of a Transit Signal Priority (TSP) system, bus queue-jumps, and bus stop improvements and relocations along Decoto Road in Union City and Fremont, Middle Field Road in Menlo Park, and Lytton Avenue in Palo Alto. On Line 604, a 4:08 pm trip replaced a 2:08 pm trip in the Friday schedule due to a Hebrew Day School bell time shift.
Systemwide, the District remains at nearly 88% of pre-pandemic service levels in March of 2023.
ADVANTAGES/DISADVANTAGES:
The primary advantage of implementing the March service adjustment would be to address operator safety, align with Hebrew Day School bell times, and revise bus route stop itineraries that changed temporarily or had planned changes.
There are no disadvantages in implementing the March service changes.
ALTERNATIVES ANALYSIS:
Staff evaluated other service improvement alternatives, but due to resource constraints, it would not be possible to implement any additional improvement requiring resources until the August 2023 service change.
PRIOR RELEVANT BOARD ACTION/POLICIES:
There are no prior relevant board actions/policies.
ATTACHMENTS:
None
Prepared by:
Christine Eduok, Traffic and Schedules Administrator
In Collaboration with:
Ajay Martin, Scheduling Manager
Approved/Reviewed by:
Robert del Rosario, Director of Service Development and Planning
Ramakrishna Pochiraju, Executive Director of Planning & Engineering
Salvador Llamas, Chief Operating Officer
Cecil Blandon, Director of Maintenance
Chris Andrichak, Chief Financial Officer
Jill A. Sprague, General Counsel/Chief Legal Officer