Wheels (California)

Last updated
WheelsbusLogoTransparent.png
WHEELS bus at Livermore station, July 2018.JPG
A Wheels bus at Livermore station in 2018
ParentLivermore Amador Valley Transit Authority
FoundedMay 1985
Headquarters1362 Rutan Court, Suite 100
Livermore, California
Service area Tri-Valley
Service type Bus service, paratransit
Routes27
Stops~500
DestinationsLivermore, Dublin, Pleasanton
Hubs Dublin/Pleasanton station, Livermore Transit Center
Fleet74 buses
Daily ridership4,700 (weekdays, Q2 2024) [1]
Annual ridership1,289,600 (2023) [2]
OperatorMV Transportation
Website wheelsbus.com

Wheels is a public bus service in the Tri-Valley region (southeast Alameda County) of the San Francisco Bay Area in California, United States. It is operated by the Livermore Amador Valley Transit Authority (LAVTA). Wheels operates local and limited-stop service in Dublin, Pleasanton, and Livermore, with limited service into Contra Costa County along Interstate 680. The LAVTA was formed in 1985; service began in Dublin and Pleasanton in 1986. In 1987, it took over the 1978-opened Rideo service in Livermore. In 2023, the system had a ridership of 1,289,600, or about 4,700 per weekday as of the second quarter of 2024.

Contents

Routes

As of March 2024, Wheels operates 15 regular routes. This includes two Rapid routes (10R and 30R) with limited stops and frequent all-day service, and three express routes (20X, 70X and 580X) with limited peak-hour service. Fifteen additional routes, numbered 501–504 and 601–611, operate a small number of trips to serve schools. [3] The primary transfer hubs are at Dublin/Pleasanton station (served by BART) and Livermore Transit Center (served by ACE).

History

A preserved Rideo bus in 2019 Rideo bus at Alameda County Fair, July 2019.jpg
A preserved Rideo bus in 2019

Rideo local bus service in Livermore began on August 7, 1978. [4] In 1984, Dublin and Pleasanton began planning a local bus system, which Livermore was initially apprehensive about joining. [5] [6] In May 1985, the three cities plus Alameda County formed the Livermore Amador Valley Transit Authority (LAVTA) as a joint powers authority. [7] The Metropolitan Transportation Commission provided initial funding in September 1985. [8] The new bus service, branded as "Wheels", began operating in Dublin and Pleasanton on July 1, 1986. It initially had nine buses operating on hourly headways, which ran on weekdays and Saturdays but not Sundays. [9] [10] Rideo was merged into Wheels in July 1987. [7]

A new maintenance facility was opened in September 1991, serving the 34 buses delivered the previous year. Paratransit service began in January 1996. Wheels began connecting to regional rail service with the introduction of BART service to Dublin/Pleasanton station in 1997 and ACR service to Livermore in 1998. Route 70X service between Dublin/Pleasanton and Walnut Creek began in January 1999. [7] Until June 27, 2009, Wheels operated All-Nighter route 810 between Bay Fair station and Livermore. [11]

In 2004, the BART I-580 Corridor Transit Study found that a BART extension to Livermore would not be feasible. Instead, the report recommended a rapid bus network serving the Tri-Valley. [12] Construction on the "Tri-Valley Rapid" project took place from November 2009 to December 2010. [7] Service on route R, which ran between West Dublin/Pleasanton station and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory via Dublin, began on January 24, 2011. [13] The weekday-only route operated every 10 minutes at peak and 15 minutes off-peak. [14] It included some bus rapid transit elements like wider stop spacing, signal priority, and queue jumps. [15] On August 13, 2016, local route 10 was converted to Rapid route 10R. It ran between Dublin/Pleasanton station and Livermore via Pleasanton. Route R was rerouted via Las Positas College and renamed route 30R at that time. [16] [17] By 2019, the two Rapid routes represented half of Wheels ridership. [18]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bay Area Rapid Transit</span> Rapid transit system serving the San Francisco Bay Area

Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) is a rapid transit system serving the San Francisco Bay Area in California. BART serves 50 stations along six routes and 131 miles of track, including eBART, a 9-mile (14 km) spur line running to Antioch, and Oakland Airport Connector, a 3-mile (4.8 km) automated guideway transit line serving San Francisco Bay Oakland International Airport. With an average of 165,400 weekday passenger trips as of the second quarter of 2024 and 48,119,400 annual passenger trips in 2023, BART is the sixth-busiest rapid transit system in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pleasanton, California</span> City in the San Francisco Bay Area

Pleasanton is a city in Alameda County, California, United States. Located in the Amador Valley, it is a suburb in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area. The population was 79,871 at the 2020 census. In 2005 and 2007, Pleasanton was ranked the wealthiest middle-sized city in the United States by the Census Bureau. Pleasanton is home to the headquarters of Safeway, Workday, Ellie Mae, Roche Molecular Diagnostics, Blackhawk Network Holdings, Veeva Systems, and Simpson Manufacturing Company. Other major employers include Kaiser Permanente, Oracle and Macy's. Although Oakland is the Alameda County seat, a few county offices are located in Pleasanton. The Alameda County Fairgrounds are located in Pleasanton, where the county fair is held during the last week of June and the first week of July. Pleasanton Ridge Regional Park is located on the west side of town.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">AC Transit</span> Public transit operator in Alameda County and Contra Costa County, California

AC Transit is an Oakland-based public transit agency serving the western portions of Alameda and Contra Costa counties in the East Bay of the San Francisco Bay Area. AC Transit also operates "Transbay" routes across San Francisco Bay to San Francisco and selected areas in San Mateo and Santa Clara counties. AC Transit is constituted as a special district under California law. It is governed by seven elected members. It is not a part of or under the control of Alameda or Contra Costa counties or any local jurisdictions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tri-Valley</span> Area of the East Bay

The Tri-Valley area is grouping of three valleys in the East Bay region of California's Bay Area. The three valleys are Amador Valley, San Ramon Valley, and Livermore Valley. The Tri-Valley encompasses the cities of Dublin, Livermore, Pleasanton and San Ramon, the town of Danville and the CDPs of Alamo, Blackhawk and Diablo. The area is known for its Mediterranean climate, wineries, and nature. It is primarily suburban in character. The United States Census Bureau defines an urban area centered in the cities of Livermore, Pleasanton, and Dublin with a 2020 population of 240,381, ranked 167th in the United States in terms of population. The total population of the area is estimated to be 361,000. It offers more affordable living accommodations than the cities of San Francisco and San Jose.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">County Connection</span> Public transit agency in Contra Costa County, California

The County Connection is a Concord-based public transit agency operating fixed-route bus and ADA paratransit service in and around central Contra Costa County in the San Francisco Bay Area. Established in 1980 as a joint powers authority, CCCTA assumed control of public bus service within central Contra Costa first begun by Oakland-based AC Transit as it expanded into suburban Contra Costa County in the mid-1970s. In 2023, the system had a ridership of 2,661,400, or about 9,500 per weekday as of the second quarter of 2024.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blue Line (BART)</span> Rapid transit line in the San Francisco Bay Area

The Blue Line is a Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) line in the San Francisco Bay Area that runs between Dublin/Pleasanton station and Daly City station. It has 18 stations in Dublin, Pleasanton, Castro Valley, San Leandro, Oakland, San Francisco, and Daly City.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Walnut Creek station</span> Rapid transit station in San Francisco Bay Area

Walnut Creek station is an elevated Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) station in Walnut Creek, California, served by the Yellow Line. The station is located north of downtown Walnut Creek, adjacent to Interstate 680 and near the Ygnacio Valley Road and California Boulevard arterial roads.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bay Fair station</span> Metro station in San Leandro, California, US

Bay Fair station is a Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) station located adjacent to the Bayfair Center mall in San Leandro, California. The station is served by the Orange, Green, and Blue lines.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fremont station (BART)</span> Metro station in Fremont, California, US

Fremont station is a Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) station in the central district of Fremont, California. The station is served by the Orange and Green lines. It was the southern terminus of both lines from September 11, 1972, until March 25, 2017, when Warm Springs/South Fremont station opened.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">MacArthur station (BART)</span> Rapid transit station in San Francisco Bay Area

MacArthur station is a Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) station in the Temescal District of Oakland, California. It is the largest station in the BART system, being the only one with four platform tracks. Service through MacArthur is timed for cross-platform transfers between the southbound lines that pass through the station. MacArthur station is located in the median of SR 24 just north of its interchange with I-580. The station is perpendicular to 40th Street and MacArthur Boulevard. The surrounding neighborhood is mostly low-density residential, making MacArthur station primarily a commuting hub.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dublin/Pleasanton station</span> Rapid transit station in Pleasanton, California, US

Dublin/Pleasanton station is a Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) station on the border of Dublin and Pleasanton in California. It is the eastern terminus of the Blue Line. It is also a major bus terminal served by six providers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tri Delta Transit</span>

Tri Delta Transit, formally the Eastern Contra Costa Transit Authority, is a joint powers agency of the governments of Pittsburg, Antioch, Oakley, Brentwood, and Contra Costa County that provides bus service for the eastern area of Contra Costa County, California, United States. Tri Delta Transit local buses connect to the BART rapid transit system at Antioch, Pittsburg Center, Pittsburg/Bay Point and Concord. Tri Delta Transit buses also connect with County Connection bus service. In 2023, the system had a ridership of 1,304,700, or about 4,700 per weekday as of the second quarter of 2024.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">All Nighter (bus service)</span> San Francisco Bay Area late night bus service

The All Nighter is a night bus service network in the San Francisco Bay Area, California. Portions of the service shadow the rapid transit and commuter rail services of BART and Caltrain, which are the major rail services between San Francisco, the East Bay, the Peninsula, and San Jose. Neither BART nor Caltrain operate owl service due to overnight track maintenance; the All Nighter network helps fill in this service gap. The slogan is, "Now transit stays up as late as you do!"

<span class="mw-page-title-main">West Dublin/Pleasanton station</span> Rapid transit station in San Francisco Bay Area

West Dublin/Pleasanton station is a Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) station on the border of Dublin and Pleasanton in California, located in the median of I-580. The station is served by the Blue Line. It has a single island platform between the highway travel lanes with a fare mezzanine above. Pedestrian bridges on both sides of the station connect it to a pair of parking garages and surrounding development. It opened as an infill station on February 19, 2011 — fourteen years after the rest of the Dublin/Pleasanton extension.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pleasanton station</span> Train station in Pleasanton, California, U.S.

Pleasanton station is a train station in Pleasanton, California served by Altamont Corridor Express (ACE) trains. It is located northwest of downtown Pleasanton adjacent to the Alameda County Fairgrounds. The station has a single side platform on the single track of the Union Pacific Railroad Oakland Subdivision.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Livermore station</span> Train stop for Altamont Commuter Express

Livermore is a train station in downtown Livermore, California.

Throughout the history of Bay Area Rapid Transit, there have been plans to extend service to other areas.

Bay Area Rapid Transit, widely known by the acronym BART, is the main rail transportation system for the San Francisco Bay Area. It was envisioned as early as 1946 but the construction of the original system began in the 1960s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Valley Link</span> Proposed commuter rail service in northern California

Valley Link is a proposed 26-mile-long (42 km) commuter rail service in Northern California, which seeks to connect the rapid transit Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) system in the San Francisco Bay Area with the northern San Joaquin Valley via the Tri-Valley region. Since 1997, BART's Blue Line's eastern terminus is at Dublin/Pleasanton station on the border of Dublin and Pleasanton. Valley Link seeks to extend rail service east from here into the northern San Joaquin Valley over Altamont Pass, which would help alleviate traffic congestion and reduce greenhouse gas emissions on Interstate 580 (I-580). The project resulted from various failed proposals to extend the Blue Line east to Livermore.

References

  1. ↑ "Transit Ridership Report Second Quarter 2024" (PDF). American Public Transportation Association. September 3, 2024. Retrieved September 5, 2024.
  2. ↑ "Transit Ridership Report Fourth Quarter 2023" (PDF). American Public Transportation Association. March 4, 2024. Retrieved September 5, 2024.
  3. ↑ "Routes & Schedules". Livermore Amador Valley Transit Authority. Retrieved March 24, 2024.
  4. ↑ "Not LART, it's 'Rideo'". Oakland Tribune. August 2, 1978. p. 45 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ↑ "Tri-valley bus plans get rolling". Oakland Tribune. September 9, 1984. p. 29 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ↑ "City won't join valleywide bus plan". The San Francisco Examiner. April 24, 1985. p. 115 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. 1 2 3 4 "Facts and Figures" (PDF). Livermore/Amador Valley Transit Authority. January 2013.
  8. ↑ "Transportation panel to kick around Kopp's merger idea". The Peninsula Times Tribune. September 28, 1985. p. 4 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ↑ Miller, John (April 19, 1986). "Dublin–Pleasanton buses should be running by July". Oakland Tribune. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ↑ "Tri-Valley Wheels to start turning with a communitywide celebration". Oakland Tribune. June 25, 1986. p. 76 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ↑ "Wheels Announces Phase II Service Reductions Effective June 27, 2009" (Press release). Livermore Amador Valley Transit Authority. May 27, 2009. Archived from the original on June 16, 2011.
  12. ↑ Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates (January 2005). Technical Supplement 4: Livermore/Amador Valley "Rapid Bus" Plan (PDF). BART’s I-580 Corridor Transit Study Phase 2 Final Report (Report). Archived from the original (PDF) on June 16, 2011.
  13. ↑ "Launching Monday, January 24, 2011: A New Transit System for the Tri-Valley". Livermore Amador Valley Transit Authority. Archived from the original on February 8, 2011.
  14. ↑ "Route Map and Schedule". Livermore Amador Valley Transit Authority. Archived from the original on June 16, 2011.
  15. ↑ "Frequently Asked Questions". Livermore Amador Valley Transit Authority. Archived from the original on June 16, 2011.
  16. ↑ "Wheels increases bus service to Dublin/Pleasanton Station" (Press release). San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District. August 19, 2016.
  17. ↑ "Wheels Bus Service Rolls Out More Direct and Frequent Routes Effective August 13, 2016" (Press release). Livermore Amador Valley Transit Authority. August 13, 2016. Archived from the original on August 16, 2016.
  18. ↑ FY24 - FY28 Short Range Transit Plan Prepared for the Metropolitan Transportation Commission by the Livermore Amador Valley Transit Authority (PDF) (Report). Livermore Amador Valley Transit Authority. November 2022. p. 3.

Commons-logo.svg Media related to WHEELS (California) at Wikimedia Commons

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.