AC Transit to Cut 15% budget - public meets on it in Sept start today

Extensive Changes Proposed in Service Adjustments Plan--Community Workshops & Public Hearings Scheduled
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How to Comment
Background
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All bus riders and others are invited to attend community workshops in September. At the eight workshops, AC Transit staff will present the proposed service changes comprising the 2009 Service Adjustments Plan and gather feedback from the public.

Tuesday, September 8, 6:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
North Berkeley Senior Center
1901 Hearst Avenue
Berkeley
Take the bus: Lines 51, 52L, 79, FS

Thursday, September 10, 6:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Change of venue--around the corner from Maple Hall!
San Pablo Senior Center
1943 Church Lane
San Pablo
Take the bus: Lines 72, 72R, 76, L

Saturday, September 12, 10:30 a.m. - Noon
AC Transit General Offices
1600 Franklin Street, 2nd Floor Board Room
Oakland
Take the bus: All lines serving downtown Oakland (also BART to 19th Street)

Saturday, September 12, 2:00 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Independence Plaza
Ruth Rambeau Community Room
703 Atlantic Avenue
Alameda
Take the bus: Lines 51, 63, O

Tuesday, September 15, 6:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
California School for the Blind Theater
500 Walnut Avenue
Fremont
Take the bus: Lines 99, 215, 217

Wednesday, September 16, 6:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Fruitvale-San Antonio Senior Center
3301 East 12th Street, Suite 201
Oakland
Take the bus: Lines 1,1R, 14, 40, 53 (also BART to Fruitvale)

Thursday, September 17, 1:30 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Bayfair Center Community Room
East 14th Street & Fairmont Drive, 2nd floor (near escalator)
San Leandro
Take the bus: Lines 1, 1R, 84, 93, 99 (also BART to Bay Fair)

Thursday, September 17, 6:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Hayward City Hall
777 B Street, Room 2A
Hayward
Take the bus: Lines 80, 81, 83, 84, 86, 91, 92, 93, 95, 99, M (Also BART to Hayward)

Following the community workshops, the AC Transit Board of Directors will hold two public hearings:


Wednesday, September 23, 2:00 p.m. -- 5:00 p.m. & 6:00 p.m. -- 8:00 p.m.
AC Transit General Offices
1600 Franklin Street, 2nd Floor Board Room
Oakland
Take the bus: All lines serving downtown Oakland (also BART to 19th Street)

Wednesday, September 30, 6:00 p.m. -- 8:00 p.m.
California School for the Blind Theater
500 Walnut Avenue
Fremont
Take the bus: Lines 99, 215, 217

All workshop and public hearing locations are accessible by wheelchair. On-site or nearby parking is also available.

Translation Services
Spanish, Cantonese, Mandarin, and ASL sign language interpreters can be provided, if needed. Please contact the AC Transit District Secretary's Office at (510) 891-4851 at least three days before the particular workshop or public hearing. For hearing-impaired only, please call TDD/TTY (800) 488-9790.

How to Comment
Individuals, organizations, and agencies may comment on the proposed service changes in a number of ways:

Speak at the community workshops or public hearings
Submit written comments at the community workshops or public hearings
Submit written comments, which must be received by 8:00 p.m., Wednesday, September 30, 2009
--by mail to AC Transit Board of Directors, 1600 Franklin Street, Oakland, CA 94612
--by fax to (510) 891-4874
--by email to planning [at] actransit.org
--by online comment form
Leave comments in a voicemail message by 8:00 p.m., September 30, 2009 by calling (510) 891-4854
Finalizing the Plan
In October, the Board will likely make its final decision on the service adjustments, taking into consideration all public comments received. The Board could accept, modify, reject, or defer each of the proposed changes. If service adjustments are adopted, they likely would be implemented in January 2010.

Background on Financial Situation
Like all levels of government and virtually every business, industry and household, AC Transit is facing difficult financial times. Regrettably, rising costs and an unprecedented loss of revenue is forcing AC Transit to make some hard decisions to resolve a projected $57 million deficit. The bulk of this budget gap is the direct result of catastrophic cuts in state funding and a devastating decline in sales-tax revenue due to the souring economy. It's a daunting deficit that would be even higher were it not for passage of the Measure VV parcel tax last fall, and this summer's increase in bus fares. Despite layoffs and other belt-tightening strategies, there is no conceivable way to balance the budget without significant service reductions.

How the Plan Was Developed
The proposed Service Adjustments Plan would reduce annual service hours by about 15 percent. A reduction of this scale requires evaluation of each bus line in terms of ridership, operational efficiency, and importance in the overall East Bay transportation system. Staff has used every available source of data to do this evaluation, including stop-by-stop and time-of-day ridership numbers.

In May, AC Transit conducted a series of workshops specifically to talk with the public about service options and features, learning what each community considered to be important. The public responses were many and became key elements in what was ultimately crafted as the Service Adjustments Plan. Now, the second series of workshops will highlight those specific proposals, while again encouraging public review and discussion. Comments received at these workshops (as well as online, by fax, and by mail) will be incorporated into the public hearing record.

See FAQ on Service Adjustments Plan for more information on AC Transit's financial situation and the development of the plan.

See General Manager Memo 09-161a, August 26, 2009, for presentation to the AC Transit Board of Directors requesting public hearings on the plan.

See the proposed 2009 Service Adjustments Plan.

See San Pablo-Oakland map showing bus system as it would be if all proposed changes are adopted.

See San Leandro-Fremont map showing bus system as it would be if all proposed changes are adopted.

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