Line 51 is the busiest line in the AC Transit system. Since the beginning of 2009, nearly 5,000 individuals have referenced Line 51 maps and schedules on the AC Transit Web site.

The popular line serves Alameda, Oakland, Berkeley, and destinations including shopping and entertainment districts, BART stations, UC Berkeley, hospitals, and more.  The route serves over 19,000 passengers daily.

To streamline travel between the route's end points at Bridgeside Shopping Center in Alameda and the Amtrak Station at 3^rd and University Avenue in Berkeley, AC Transit's Planning Department last month hosted three well-attended "open house" discussions that were held at separate locations in the community.  A series of recommendations were discussed, as well as options to change the structure or service design of the route.

Alternate service designs that are being evaluated included: 

·         splitting Line 51 into two routes

·         developing alternate “A” and “B” stops along the route

·         developing “limited” and “local” service along the route

Staff submitted a report summarizing Line 51 usage patterns and sources of delays. The report made recommendations about how to improve the line's reliability.  You can read the Service and Reliability Study.

All diagrams and boards used at the work shops are now available on the AC Transit Web site. You may review more of the Line 51 service documents. 

Staff will continue to gather public feedback and comments through April 2009. At that time, staff will write an additional report chapter, and revise the initial report to reflect community feedback. Implementation for aspects of the report will begin this year.

For more information or to submit comments, please email planning@actransit.org or call 510-891-4755.