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2d ago

AC Transit Overhauls 104 East Bay Bus Lines in Realignment Rollout

The agency taps reserves to stabilize a $41.5 million deficit by redirecting buses to higher-ridership routes.

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Head signs on AC Transit’s more than 600 buses alerted riders to changes in the weeks before Realign took effect Sunday.  
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Overview

  • Realign changes took effect the weekend of Aug. 10–11, adjusting roughly 104 bus lines—nearly 85% of AC Transit’s network across Alameda and Contra Costa counties.
  • The Realign plan emerged from a two-year study aimed at aligning service with post-pandemic travel patterns and a drop in ridership to about 85% of pre-2020 levels.
  • Many riders have reported missed trips and confusion at stops where signage and schedule updates were not fully installed.
  • AC Transit is dipping into its financial reserves to cover a $41.5 million budget shortfall and has indicated some service cuts could be reversed if new funding becomes available.
  • BART will make minor schedule tweaks to improve transfers and state lawmakers are still negotiating a regional tax measure to bolster Bay Area transit funding.