Buses Filling Gap Left by BART Strike
News Articles
07/01/2013
AC Transit Carries Thousands of Extra Passengers
AC Transit buses rolled at peak capacity this morning, filling a critical role in the aftermath of a labor dispute that shut down BART’s normal train operations. In response to the BART walkout, dozens of AC Transit staff volunteered to show up at key BART stations from Union City to El Cerrito, where they assisted in crowd control and provided directions to passengers who might be unfamiliar with bus operations.
To further manage the unusually high volume of riders, the agency deployed its 60-foot articulated buses onto its heaviest passenger lines, most notably its transbay service, which carried standing-room-only loads into San Francisco. Additionally, extra service was added to augment transbay trips from downtown Oakland into San Francisco.
Remarkably, AC Transit operators made 99 percent of their scheduled runs without a hitch despite uncommonly long lines of riders at bus stops and having to maneuver packed coaches through heavily congested roadways. In fact, by 9:30 a.m. all passengers—thousands of them—were cleared from a bottleneck in downtown Oakland. A precise tally of bus passengers during the morning commute will likely not be available before the end of today.
“Our operators did a magnificent job under some stressful conditions that will likely persist until BART returns to its normal service,” said AC Transit General Manager David Armijo. “The operators and the staff volunteers are commended for stepping up at a time when their services were so badly needed.”
Meanwhile, the talks between Amalgamated Transit Union Local 192 and AC Transit management will continue today in an effort to reach a labor agreement with the agency’s bus operators and mechanics. Like BART, the AC Transit contract expired midnight Sunday. The ongoing talks will allow AC Transit to continue to provide a high level of service, and marks a clear victory for bus riders.
“The BART strike left thousands of commuters with no means of travel,” said AC Transit Board President Greg Harper. “Fortunately, we had worked with MTC to put contingency plans in place to help meet the needs of commuters.”
AC Transit will continue to issue labor updates and post to this website. For stranded BART passengers looking for the AC Transit alternative, visit our comprehensive service information page or call 511 and say “AC Transit.” Regional information about alternatives is available at alert.511.org or by calling 511.