External Projects
External Projects
AC Transit provides bus service in 14 cities and portions of 2 counties but does not control the streets or local policies. AC Transit’s operations and service quality are strongly affected by planning conducted by state, regional, county, and local agencies. These agencies’ plans and actions can affect AC Transit positively or negatively in funding, policymaking, roadway design, transit performance, and land use. The District seeks to monitor and influence other agencies’ plan-making on an ongoing basis. Resources permitting, the District seeks to take an active role in these planning processes. District activities include participating in Technical Advisory Committees (TACs); providing comments on plans, designs, and other documents; submitting letters and speaking before governing bodies and their advisory commissions.
AC Transit also works with state agencies like Caltrans and regional funding agencies like the Alameda County Transportation Commission, Contra Costa Transportation Commission and the Metropolitan Transportation Commission, all of whom could have planning projects or funding programs that could affect AC Transit riders and that warrant AC Transit having a seat at the table.
The table summarizes AC Transit’s involvement in external planning efforts. Recent changes to for the most recent quarter, are shown in bold.
Information below updated on July 29, 2025.
State
| Plan and Activity Description | AC Transit Involvement | Plan Phase | Meetings and Next Steps |
|---|---|---|---|
| CalSTA/Capitol Corridor JPA State Route 84 Intermodal Bus Facility – Development of Ardenwood multi-modal station in with CCJPA’s plans to swap tracks with the UP. | Stakeholder | Draft Caltrans Environmental Document (PA&ED) | Continued but infrequent staff coordination with CCJPA team as project is refined. Staff attends PDT meetings on an as-needed basis. No meetings scheduled. More information. |
| CalSTA/ Transit Transformation Task Force (TTTF) State task force to identify opportunities for improving transit capacity and quality as well as funding sources. | GM and Service Planning Manager sit on the Technical Working Group (TWG) that advises the TTTF. | Reviewing peer agency experiences and best practices. | No meetings scheduled. More information. |
| Caltrans District 4 -Bay Area Transit Plan Inventory of transit projects in the state right-of-way and develop policies for Caltrans to support future transit priority projects. | Stakeholder | Plan preparation underway | AC Transit & other Bay Area transit agencies assist Caltrans to develop transit priority policies for state highways. Coordination meetings continue between Caltrans and all Bay Area transit agencies. More information. |
| Caltrans Vision 980 Study | Technical Advisory Committee Member | Early planning and identification of design concepts and vision | The Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) met in March 2025 to review future scenarios. AC Transit provided comments. Project team will address TAC comments and prepare updated version for Phase 2 of engagement held in early May. More information. |
| Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) & Transit Agencies Southern Alameda County Integrated Rail Analysis (SoCo Rail) Study Union City BART/ACE hub & layover to improve connections between rail services. | Stakeholder | Planning | Continued staff coordination with SoCo Rail project team, last met in May 2023. Draft Phase 2 Report completed April 2023. Plan for Union City BART to be the primary Southern Alameda County rail hub. Identifies concepts for better bus connections to be considered in Network Realign. No meetings scheduled. More information. |
Regional
| Plan and Activity Description | AC Transit Involvement | Plan Phase | Meetings and Next Steps |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bay Area Toll Authority (MTC) Dumbarton Forward Part Time Transit Lanes | TAC and Project Development Team (PDT), Implementing agency | Project Approval Environmental Document (PA/ED) being reviewed by Caltrans. Design being developed for transit lanes on Bayfront Expressway in Menlo Park | PDT scheduled to meet monthly. Last meeting held January 28, 2025. Consultants preparing Final Plans, Specifications, and Estimates (PS&E) to address Caltrans comments and obtaining BCDC permit. Stakeholder coordination meetings to develop Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) held in November 2024. Continuing discussions between Caltrans and BATA to develop a Cooperative Agreement, Encroachment Permits, and a Risk Register. More information. |
| MTC & transit agencies Transformation Action Plan Recommends 27 actions from Blue-Ribbon Transit Recovery Task Force. Would improve transit and coordination between operators. | Active Participant in various working groups and committees. AC Transit staff is lead on connected network planning on behalf of the transit agencies | MTC & Transit operators coordinate on accelerated items like fares, mapping, wayfinding, connected network plan & transit priority. Some of these (PBA50+) are near completion, some are still in planning, and some are being implemented | Multiple meetings, including coordination meetings at various staff levels and disciplines. In addition, there are regular working group meetings consisting of committees on which the GM participates. More information. |
| MTC – Regional Transit Priority Policy | Active participant in various MTC-led committees. AC Transit staff is lead on this effort on behalf of the transit agencies | Ad-hoc policy development working group. Draft policy is set for outreach and feedback | Multiple working group meetings and daily coordination meetings at varying staff levels. More information. |
| MTC, partnering transit agencies. Fare Integration Study Study will recommend alternatives for improved fare integration for Bay Area transit agencies | Task Force Chair | Staff participates in the working group and GM chairs the Task Force. Study has developed goals, objectives, & pilots. | Institutional pass pilot “BayPass” was implemented and evaluated. Inter-jurisdictional transfers is next for implementation. More information. |
| MTC, Alameda County Transportation Commission (ACTC), Caltrans | Stakeholder. AC Transit will use bus lane and raise operations | Planning and design | Design completed for I-80/Powell St. interchange. Seeking funding sources, project might be funded under the BRTF Transformation Action Plan. |
| I-80 Westbound Bus Lanes Project/Bay Bridge Forward would provide westbound bus-only lane btwn Powell interchange and Bay Bridge. | Concerns and issues where needed | More information | |
| MTC Bay Bridge Forward I-80 Projects | TAC member | Planning and draft project definitions. | TAC met March 25, 2025. MTC outlined transit priority/HOV strategies and bus-on-shoulder feasibility and timeline. Includes restrictions for carpools, on-ramp improvements, and segments for potential BOS operation, reviewed by staff April 11, 2025. Next meeting to be scheduled Fall 2025. More information. |
| Caltrans, MTC & ACTC Regional SB 743 Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) Mitigation Strategy | Stakeholder | Initial Planning | Considering VMT mitigation program or mitigation bank. Caltrans to release RFP mid-2025. Topics to cover include managed lanes, High Occupancy Toll (HOT) lanes, public transit and other projects and programs. No meetings scheduled. More information. |
| MTC Next Generation Freeway Study Tolling and other strategies. Implementation will be led by county transportation agencies like ACTC and CCTA | TAC member | Initial analysis | No meetings planned. More information. |
Alameda County
| Plan and Activity Description | AC Transit Involvement | Plan Phase | Meetings and Next Steps |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alameda County Transportation Commission (ACTC) Multimodal Corridor Study - San Pablo Avenue Phase II Plan for side running transit lanes with Class IV (protected) bicycle lanes and other improvements along San Pablo Avenue, from Oakland to Berkeley. | TAC member | Design development and refinement. | No meetings scheduled. Assure that the plan improves transit operations and rider experience. Concerns are paratransit access, adequate bus stop lengths, right-turn conflicts, and traffic signal operations. More information. |
| ACTC - Oakland Alameda Access Project (OAAP) The project will reduce traffic congestion and delays to buses in Oakland Chinatown and near the entrances/exits of the Posey and Webster tubes. Will create major delays to bus service during construction period, due to lane closures in the tubes. | Stakeholder | Design | AC Transit, ACTC, Oakland and Alameda have committed to mitigation measures to minimize delays during construction including: • Modified construction methods to shorten duration of lane closures. • Restrict turn at Broadway/7th Street for bus only. • Bus only lanes on 7th Street bet. Broadway and Webster. ACTC, project engineers, Oakland and Alameda staff, and District staff hold monthly meetings. Both Caltrans and ACTC have websites on the project. ACTC Information DOT Information |
| ACTC & Contra Costa County Transportation Authority - Bi-County Travel Model New activity-based travel demand model will be used to evaluate transportation projects like freeway widening, transit priority infrastructure like BRT and policies like road tolling and transit fares. | Technical Working Group Member | Travel Model | Quarterly meetings between staff at various agencies. District provides transit ridership data to assist in model calibration and review work products. No meetings scheduled. No website available |
| ACTC San Pablo Avenue Safety Enhancements Near-term plan for bike, pedestrian, and transit improvements along San Pablo Avenue in Berkeley and Albany | Stakeholder | 65% Design | ACTC and their consultants are currently incorporating AC Transit’s comments from 65% design. More information. |
| ACTC - I-580 Transit and Multimodal Strategy (TAMS) Multimodal plan for Interstate 580 from the San Joaquin County board to the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge. Includes Macarthur Boulevard. | TAC member | Concept Design | No meetings scheduled. Focused on express bus service planning. More information. |
| ACTC East Bay Greenway Project Would improve bicycle and pedestrian connectivity between Lake Merritt BART and South Hayward BART. Includes Mission/East 14th Street transit corridor project. | Stakeholder | Design | Design phase at 95% for Lake Merritt-Fruitvale-Coliseum BART segment and at 95% for San Leandro segment. Concept design for the Hayward segment to be completed late 2025. Staff is participating in ACTC’s Working Group for the Hayward segment. A Working Group meeting for the Hayward segment was held July 23, 2025. More information. |
Contra Costa County
| Plan and Activity Description | AC Transit Involvement | Plan Phase | Meetings and Next Steps |
|---|---|---|---|
| Contra Costa Transportation Authority Multimodal Corridor Study - San Pablo Avenue Phase III Berkeley. | TAC member | Public Outreach | TAC met monthly finalize the scope of work for the Phase III project, including public outreach on alternatives leading to a preferred alternative. CCTA will release the RFP and award the contract this year. More information. |
| CCTA Integrated Transit Plan To be incorporated into Countywide Transportation Plan, the basis of possible CCTA revenue measure | Project Oversight Committee Member | Planning | Plan for service and physical improvements. In person and online public engagement planned. Regular updates are made to WCCTAC and the Technical Coordinating Committee. Bus agencies in the county are emphasizing speed, reliability and frequency as key objectives. More information. |
| CCTA County-wide Smart Signals Project would upgrade 300 signals along major arterial streets to improve safety and support transit operations. | TAC Member | Engineering | Construction begins September 2025. No public meetings scheduled. More information. |
Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART)
| Plan and Activity Description | AC Transit Involvement | Plan Phase | Meetings and Next Steps |
|---|---|---|---|
| BART, City of Berkeley Ashby BART Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) planning | Assure that bus access to BART station is maintained or improved | Planning | City and BART finalizing development terms of agreement. BART will select a developer via a competitive process this year. No upcoming meetings. BART information Berkeley information |
| BART, City of Berkeley North Berkeley BART Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) planning | Assure that bus access to BART station is maintained or improved | Planning | Next Steps: In 2023, AC Transit and BART worked on the circulation plan. In 2024, the City reviewed the developer’s application. Groundbreaking in mid-2025. No upcoming meetings. More information. |
| BART, City of Fremont Irvington BART Station Project | Stakeholder Assure plans facilitate AC Transit buses. | BART 90% design plans | BART is pursuing more funding for design; the very earliest the station could be built is 2030. No meetings scheduled. More information. |
Oakland
| Plan and Activity Description | AC Transit Involvement | Plan Phase | Meetings and Next Steps |
|---|---|---|---|
| City of Oakland Downtown Oakland Specific Plan. Review land use planning, urban design, and circulation in Downtown Oakland. | Major stakeholder and participant in TAC | Planning | Plan Completed July 2024. More information. |
| City of Oakland Oakland General Plan Update (Oakland 2045 General Plan)—Citywide plan for housing, economic development, transportation. | TAC member Assure plan supports transit. | Planning - Land Use & Transportation elements | Oakland convened TAC kickoff meeting January 9. Public surveying for land-use recommendations is ongoing. No public meetings scheduled. More information. |
| City of Oakland Grand Avenue Complete Streets Project | Stakeholder | Design | Working with City on design, on bus stop lengths and designs. Bus Lanes, formerly recommended by City, have been removed from upcoming paving project. District staff working on collaborative approach with OakDOT to incorporate transit improvements into complete streets project, including boarding islands and shelters. More information. |
| City of Oakland/ACTC MacArthur Smart City Corridor—Signal retiming, Transit Signal Priority, and bus stop consolidations and relocations on 40th St. and Macarthur Blvd. from Market St. to 98th Avenue. | Stakeholder Preserve travel time and ensure passenger comfort & safety | Design | Designs for Phase I (Park Blvd.-98th Ave.) at 100%. Construction expected soon. District staff have reviewed Phase 2 (40th St. btwn Market & Broadway, then Macarthur Blvd to Park Blvd) 95% drawings. No public meetings scheduled. More information. |
| City of Oakland Martin Luther King Junior Way Paving Road diet and bus/bike lanes on MLK Jr. Way from 47th Street to Berkeley border. | Stakeholder | Preliminary Design | AC Transit staff have provided comments. City is currently in the 35% design phase. Project could delay riders and lower reliability. No public meetings scheduled. More information. |
| City of Oakland Streetscapes & Paving Streetscape 27th St., Lakeside Family Streets, 14th Street Complete Streets, LAAMPS Phase 2, 7th St. Upgrades, 73rd Ave Complete Streets, Chinatown Complete Streets Planning Study, 14th St Safety Project, Calm East Oakland Streets, West Oakland Transit Improvement Project Other Paving Lake Merritt Blvd., High St., Upper Telegraph, KONO, Grand Ave., Seminary, 98th Ave., Lakeshore, 14th Ave. | Stakeholder | Varies - mostly planning and design | No upcoming public meetings. The 14th Street, 27th St, and Lakeside Family Streets projects are under construction. Staff continue to push to incorporate bus stop and reliability improvements as part of City projects. Multiple road diets and other projects. Staff working to ensure projects compatible with bus operations and that facilities are safe and comfortable for bus passengers. More information. |
| City of Oakland Broadway Streetscape Project + Embarcadero Road closure | Stakeholder | Varies - mostly planning and design. | City currently seeking Affordable Housing Sustainable Communities funds to complete the project. Meetings for bus lanes, delineators, and bus stop consolidation have been held. Evaluations for re-routing Line 12 on Embarcadero in Jack London Square are part of planning process. More information. |
Berkeley
| Plan and Activity Description | AC Transit Involvement | Plan Phase | Meetings and Next Steps |
|---|---|---|---|
| City of Berkeley South Adeline Transportation Plan Adeline St. from Ashby BART south to Oakland border | Staff attend meetings as needed | Consultant Selection | City is finalizing consultant contracts. No meetings scheduled. More information. |
| City of Berkeley San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan | TAC Member | Land Use Plan | Public meetings held in September and November 2024. More information. |
| City of Berkeley Bike Plan Update (2025) | TAC Member | Planning | AC Transit staff reviewing materials. Public outreach and engagement began May 2025. TAC #2 held in May 2025. More information. |
| City of Berkeley Telegraph Avenue Multimodal Corridor Project | TAC Member | Planning | AC Transit staff attended TAC #2 in May 2025. City staff currently conducting outreach to narrow down the concepts: • Option 1: Bike/Bus Lanes with left turns prohibited • Option 2: Bike/Bus Lanes with additional left turns • Option 3: 4 to 3 lane road diet, no bus only lanes, bike lanes, parking/loading on every block, middle lane is bidirectional turn lane (Oakland approved this design) City will likely schedule a TAC #3 in late-summer/early-fall: |
Albany and El Cerrito
| Plan and Activity Description | AC Transit Involvement | Plan Phase | Meetings and Next Steps |
|---|---|---|---|
| City of El Cerrito El Cerrito del Norte Complete Streets. City has reduced traffic lanes and added bike lanes and crosswalks to San Pablo and Cutting and San Pablo and Hill Street. | Stakeholder | Construction | Staff working to minimize negative impacts to transit operations to AC Transit and other transit agencies. Currently under construction with completion due in late summer 2025. District staff investigating traffic signal-based solution to reduce project-induced congestion as part of the MacDonald/Cutting project. More information. |
| City of El Cerrito El Cerrito Plaza BART TOD & Streetscape | Stakeholder | Planning | Staff working to minimize impacts to 72 and 72M service. Housing approved in July 2024. No meetings scheduled. City planning for streets near station. May modify Central Avenue or close Fairmont Avenue. Both BART and El Cerrito have websites on the project. More information. More information. |
| City of Albany Active Transportation Plan/Solano Complete Streets | TAC Member | Planning | City is updating Active Transportation Plan and looking at bike lane configurations / parking impacts along Solano Avenue. AC Transit staff meets monthly to discuss new updates on this project and is a TAC member. |
Richmond
| Plan and Activity Description | AC Transit Involvement | Plan Phase | Meetings and Next Steps |
|---|---|---|---|
| City of Richmond Hilltop Horizons (Hilltop Mall area) Specific Plan). Specific Plan for redevelopment of Hilltop Mall and surrounding area. | TAC member | Planning -Land Use & Developer Agreement | Next Steps: City is finalizing land use plan and anticipate bringing it to City Council for approval. AC Transit will be a part of the Project Advisory Group. No meetings planned yet. More information. |
Alameda (city)
| Plan and Activity Description | AC Transit Involvement | Plan Phase | Meetings and Next Steps |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cities of Alameda and Oakland Oakland – Alameda Estuary Bridge Development of a Project Initiation Document for a new bicycle/pedestrian bridge between Alameda and Oakland. | Stakeholder | Project Initiation Document (PID) phase | Staff will continue to participate in Technical Advisory Committee meetings. Project is currently searching for funding and further project developed is paused indefinitely. More information. |
San Leandro
| Plan and Activity Description | AC Transit Involvement | Plan Phase | Meetings and Next Steps |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Leandro 2025-2029 Consolidated Plan Plan for the City’s priorities for spending future federal funding | Stakeholder | Planning | Staff will participate in public meetings. The first community engagement was held on January 21, 2025. More information. |
| San Leandro Community-Based Transportation Plan (CBTP) Improve mobility in underserved areas. Key outcome is a list of multimodal improvements for the City and County to adopt. | Stakeholder | Planning | Staff is participating in the City’s CBTP Steering Committee. The first steering committee meeting was held on June 4, 2025. A site tour was held on July 21, 2025. |
| Bay Fair Development Plan Key outcome is a development-ready plan for Bay Fair Sub-Area 1, which includes the Bayfair Center Mall and BART property. | Stakeholder | Planning | Staff participates in the Agency Partner meeting. The first meeting was held on May 27, 2025. Staff will also be participating in the project’s Agency Partner Interviews, to be held in July/August 2025, to discuss transit/multimodal planning for the Bay Fair Development Plan. |
Hayward
| Plan and Activity Description | AC Transit Involvement | Plan Phase | Meetings and Next Steps |
|---|---|---|---|
| City of Hayward Community-Based Transportation Plan (CBTP): Improve mobility in underserved areas. | Stakeholder | Planning | Staff will participate in the City’s CBTP Steering Committee. The first meeting was held on May 20, 2025. |
Castro Valley
| Plan and Activity Description | AC Transit Involvement | Plan Phase | Meetings and Next Steps |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alameda County, Castro Valley Business District Specific Plan (CVBDSP): Update to 1996 Castro Valley Business District Specific Plan | Stakeholder | Existing Conditions Report and Preferred Plan | No meeting scheduled. Draft Preferred Plan was presented at a community meeting in November 2024. AC Transit staff provided comments on the Preferred Plan via email. Target date for completion of Specific Plan is Winter 2025. More information. |
Fremont
| Plan and Activity Description | AC Transit Involvement | plan phase | meetings and next steps |
|---|---|---|---|
| City of Fremont Active Transportation Plan: Five-year strategic plan for active transportation (bicycle and pedestrian) improvements throughout the city. | Stakeholder | Plan preparation and community outreach | City presented the draft ATP to the City’s Mobility Commission, Planning Commission, and City Council in April/May 2025. AC Transit staff attended the April 16, 2025, Mobility Commission meeting to provide comments on the ATP. More information. |
| City of Fremont Centerville Complete Streets: Streetscaping for Fremont Blvd in the Centerville District. | Stakeholder | Design | Staff is coordinating with the city on potential bus stop relocations as part of the project, specifically the bus stop near Thornton Jr High. More information. |
| City of Fremont Decoto Road Complete Streets Project bus lanes and bus stations on Decoto Road between Paseo Padre and I-880 | Stakeholder | Planning | Final design completed Summer 2023. City seeking construction funds. Project is dependent on implementation of Quarry Lakes Parkway. No meetings scheduled. More information. |
| City of Fremont 2025-2029 Consolidated Plan Priorities for City’s future federal funding. | Stakeholder | Planning | No meetings scheduled. Staff provided feedback on infrastructure priorities that are critical to transit and paratransit riders. More information. |
| South County – MTC (BATA), other sponsors Dumbarton Corridor Improvements Multiple sponsors – Fremont, Newark, Union City, San Mateo County Transportation Authority (SMCTA), San Mateo County Transit District (SMCTD) Bay Area Toll Authority (BATA) and ACTC. Multiple projects – Dumbarton Corridor and connectivity improvements between Altamont Corridor Express, Capitol Corridor, and BART, and a new station at Shinn Street. Transit supportive elements of the allocation include the following: Union City BART East Entrance & At-Grade Crossing, Union City Decoto Road Complete Streets, Fremont I-880/Decoto Interchange, Fremont San Mateo Dumbarton Busway, SamTrans Dumbarton Forward Operational Improvements, BATA Quarry Lakes Parkway, Union City Thornton Avenue Complete Streets & Bay Trail, Newark 101/84 Interchange Reimagined, Redwood City/SMCTA | Stakeholder | Funding awarded. MTC Resolution No. 4411 awards $130 million to RM3 Project #17 for Dumbarton Corridor Improvements including Decoto Road transit improvements and other projects in the Dumbarton Bridge corridor. Funds planning, EIR/EIS, design, and building capital improvements within Dumbarton Bridge and Rail Corridor in Alameda and San Mateo Counties. | No meetings scheduled The following website has links to many of the projects on this list. More information. |
Newark
| Plan and Activity Description | AC Transit Involvement | plan phase | meetings and next steps |
|---|---|---|---|
| City of Newark Central Avenue Overcrossing Central Avenue over the existing Union Pacific railroad at existing grade crossing. | Stakeholder | Reviewed concept layout and potential construction detours & bus stop relocations. | Meeting schedule not identified. Will continue to collaborate with city staff and consultants as concept is refined. No website available. |
| City of Newark Old Town Complete Streets Improvement Project: Complete streets/multimodal improvements in the Old Town PDA | Stakeholder | AC Transit staff provided feedback on conceptual plans. | Meeting schedule not identified. Continued collaboration with city staff and consultants as concept is refined. More information. |
| City of Newark Active Transportation Plan Update to City’s 2017 Pedestrian & Bicycle Master Plan | Stakeholder | City staff has initiated the community engagement phase | AC Transit participated in 3 advisory group meetings. More information. |
| City of Newark Objective Design Standards Project to develop requirements for design of residential and mixed-use projects. | Stakeholder | City staff has initiated the community engagement phase | Staff provided comments in February 2025 AC Transit wants bus stops improvements to be considered as part of developments. More information. |
Union City
| Plan and Activity Description | AC Transit Involvement | plan phase | meetings and next steps |
|---|---|---|---|
| City of Union City Quarry Lakes Parkway Project New road in Union City intended to help relieve traffic on Decoto Road. | Stakeholder | Consultants have developed 65% plans for Phase 1. | Build bus lanes on Decoto Road in Union City when Quarry Lakes Parkway is complete. No meetings scheduled. More information. |
Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA)
| Plan and Activity Description | AC Transit Involvement | plan phase | meetings and next steps |
|---|---|---|---|
| Palo Alto Mobility Hub Circulation and mobility improvements to Palo Alto Transit Center/Caltrain station. | Stakeholder in working group Dumbarton Express. | Planning | Meeting schedule not identified. Study delayed until 2026 due to funding. More information. |