AC TRANSIT DISTRICT GM Memo No. 09-217d Board of Directors ...

GM Memo No. 09-217d
Meeting Date: November 18, 2009
Page 11 of 16
the Zoo was exclusively based on demonstrated use (or the lack thereof). The ridership
analysis of lines 56 and 98 showed the following daily boarding activity at all stops
directly adjacent to the Zoo:
• Weekday – 44
• Saturday – 22
• Sunday – 22
Subsequently, due in large part to a successful Zoo patron mobilization campaign, the
District has received well over 250 emails in reference to the SAP proposal of
discontinuation of the lines that provide service to the Oakland Zoo. Zoo management
has requested reconsideration of the SAP proposal.
Staff feels strongly that a dedicated route to/from the Zoo would not be a sustainable
line. However, with the RevSAP, staff was able to apportion a small amount of hours to
augment the Line 46. This allocation enables the District to provide service to/from the
Oakland Zoo every 30 minutes, Monday through Friday. Under the RevSAP, the Zoo
will be an actual destination of the Line 46 and will drop patrons at the lower entrance to
the facility, providing direct service. The Zoo has agreed to allow bus operators use of
restroom facilities required at the end of the lines.
As the Line 46 does not operate during weekends currently, there will be no service to
the Zoo on weekends. Should the Zoo feel that provision of service on weekends is
critical to its operation, staff suggests that the District and the Zoo collaborate to find
alternative funding strategies. It’s estimated that weekend service to the Zoo for 12
hours per day would require (net farebox), approximately $175,000 in operating
subsidies on an annual basis.
Service to the City of Berkeley
During the public comments process, staff and Director Harper were in attendance at a
meeting of the Berkeley Transportation Commission to listen to public comment
regarding the proposed changes. During that meeting, a detailed response to the SAP
was presented to the Commission (at the request of Berkeley Councilmembers) that
outlined concerns with the proposed changes and offered different options for continued
service provision to the neighborhoods of Berkeley. Additionally, the City Manager
provided a comment letter to the SAP that identified particular concerns and issues with
the proposal.
District staff reviewed their suggestions and elected to change the service platform in
Berkeley based on several of the direct recommendations in the City Manager’s letter,
as well as neighborhood line restructuring proposed in the Transportation Commission
report. Changes include: restoration of Line 67; restoration of Line 4 frequency;
extension of Line 25 service to 8pm. Additionally, a new hybrid neighborhood bidirectional
circulator route was created that links the Rockridge BART station to
Downtown Berkeley and West Berkeley (7 th Street) via Dwight and Ashby. This new
circulator partially duplicates service currently provided by the West Berkeley Shuttle.