Girish Mahajan (Editor)

WHEELS (California)

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Founded
  
1986

Stops
  
~500

Headquarters
  
1362 Rutan Court, Suite 100, Livermore, California

Service type
  
bus service, paratransit

Routes
  
17 local routes and 15 select school routes

Fleet
  
74 regular buses and 27 paratransit vehicles

WHEELS is a bus service that provides public transportation in the Tri-Valley Region (southeast Alameda County) of the San Francisco Bay Area, in the United States. Started in 1986, Wheels offers service to various communities in three cities, and connects to Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) and Altamont Commuter Express (ACE) trains for connections to and from the greater Bay Area (Oakland, San Francisco, San Jose) and Central Valley (Stockton, Modesto, Tracy).

Contents

Wheels is operated by the Livermore Amador Valley Transit Authority (LAVTA), and it has carried nearly 2 million passengers annually.

Areas served

WHEELS operates in Alameda County, with limited service in Contra Costa County.

Alameda County:

  • Dublin
  • Livermore
  • Pleasanton

    • Contra Costa County:

  • Pleasant Hill
  • San Ramon
  • Walnut Creek

    • Fixed-route service

    As of January 2011, Wheels operates twelve (12) local routes, two express routes, fifteen (15) select school routes, and two shuttle routes. Descriptions for all services are described below.

    Local Routes

    Note that routes that have a V on a route number means that it is a variation of the original route (i.e. express service, operating differently from regular route)

    Wheels also operated an All-Nighter route, Route 810, that ran between Downtown Livermore and Bay Fair BART Station in San Leandro, serving areas currently provided by the all-day Route 10. However, due to budget cuts and low ridership, this route has been eliminated on June 27, 2009.

    Tri-Valley Rapid

    Wheels launched its rapid transit service on January 24, 2011, called the Tri-Valley Rapid. Billed as "the next generation transit system", the Tri-Valley Rapid makes travel in the Tri-Valley area (namely Dublin, Pleasanton, and Livermore) easier, safer, and cleaner, and it incorporates similar features already used by Bay Area transit agencies, like AC Transit and Golden Gate Transit, including:

  • Buses operating every 10 minutes during peak periods (6:15am to 9am, 3:45pm to 7pm) and 15 minutes all other times to provide maximum convenience for passengers
  • Stops are mainly concentrated at major intersections and attractions
  • All-day service (operates from 6:15am to 9:00pm on weekdays)
  • New technologies (bus signal priority and queue jump lanes) that are used to move through traffic quickly
  • New ultra low emission, low-floor buses with distinct styling
  • Enhanced bus shelters with electronic bus arrival signs (similar to the NextBus deployed on AC Transit and San Francisco MUNI)

    • Schedule and stops served by the Tri-Valley Rapid

    Express Routes

    All express routes operate weekday peak periods only (between 5:00 and 9:00am and 3:30 and 8:00pm). Limited holiday service is provided on two routes on the following holidays:

  • Martin Luther King Day
  • Presidents' Day
  • Day after Thanksgiving
  • Christmas Eve (unless weekday service announced)
  • New Year's Eve (unless weekday service announced)

    • Shuttle Routes

    Wheels' shuttle routes are numbered between 50 and 59, and these usually operate on certain days and at certain times only. These routes serve destinations close to BART and ACE stations.

    Select School Day Services

    Wheels operates fifteen (15) dedicated Select School Day services (also called School Trippers) that bring students to and from schools in the cities of Dublin and Pleasanton, and these operate when schools are in session.

    Regular Routes that Provide Select School Day Services: These routes provide additional trips to serve nearby schools along their main routes.

  • 2 (East Dublin) to Fallon Middle School and Wells Middle School
  • 3V (West Dublin) to Wells Middle School
  • 11 (Greenville Road) to Livermore High School
  • 12 (Dublin-Livermore) to Junction Middle School (ends at Airway Blvd Park and Ride)
  • 18A/18B (Granada) to Granada High School, Mendelhall Middle School, and Vineyard High School

    • Select School Day-only Services: These trips are identified as routes numbered:

  • In Dublin: in the 200s (two routes)
  • In Livermore: one route (Route 16)
  • In Pleasanton: in the 600s (twelve routes)

    • and these operate during school days only, with most morning trips leaving later on Wednesdays.

    Transfer hubs

    The major transfer points for the majority of Wheels' routes include:

  • Dublin/Pleasanton BART Station (for Routes 1A, 1B, 1C, 2, 3, 3V, 8, 8A, 8B, 9, 10, 12, 12V, 20X, 51, 53, 54, and 70X)
  • Also the main transfer point for Amtrak Motorway, County Connection, Modesto Area Express (MAX), San Joaquin RTD, and Tri-Delta Express buses.
  • Livermore Transit Center in Downtown Livermore (for Routes 10, 11, 12, 12V, 14, 15A, 15B, 16, 18A, 18B, 20X, and 55)
  • Also the main transfer point for ACE commuter trains.

    • Fares

    Fares are effective 22 March 2009

  • † Children under six years of age may ride free, but must be accompanied by an adult.
  • ‡ Appropriate identification must be presented to obtain the discounted Senior/Disabled fare.
  • ₮ In order to facilitate passenger connections between Wheels and County Connection buses, transfer slips are issued upon request at the time the proper fare is paid. Transfer are valid for two hours.

    • Transfers

    Transfers are given out to passengers only at time of boarding, and these are honored only on the day issued and are valid on any Wheels fixed route bus within two (2) hours after boarding.

    Transferring to a Wheels-operated route from:

  • Another Wheels-operated route: Free
  • County Connection: Free
  • ACE: Free
  • BART: add $1.00 to the fare (applicable to all fare types)

    • Transfers from a Wheels-operated route to BART, however, are not honored.

    Passes

    Wheels offers for sale several bus passes or punch cards which provide a discount over cash fare:

  • Monthly Pass (East Bay Value Pass) for US$60.00, valid on all Wheels, County Connection, Tri Delta Transit and WestCAT fixed-route buses
  • Senior (65+)/Disabled Monthly Pass for US$18.00
  • Farebusters Ticket Strips (10 Rides) for US$16.00

    • Connecting transit agencies

  • ACE, at the Pleasanton, Livermore, and Vasco stations
  • Amtrak California, at the Livermore Transit Center and the Dublin/Pleasanton BART Station
  • BART, at the Dublin/Pleasanton and West Dublin/Pleasanton stations in Alameda County, and at the Walnut Creek and Pleasant Hill stations in Contra Costa County
  • County Connection routes, at the Dublin/Pleasanton, Walnut Creek and Pleasant Hill BART stations, at shared stops in San Ramon along Alcosta Blvd., in Dublin along Village Pkwy., Dublin Blvd. Dougherty Rd., and at the Pleasanton ACE station
  • Greyhound, at the Livermore Transit Center
  • MAX Modesto BART Express, at the Dublin/Pleasanton BART station
  • San Joaquin RTD Routes 160 and 171, at the Dublin/Pleasanton BART station
  • Tri Delta Transit Delta Express, at the Dublin/Pleasanton BART station

    • The local transportation demand management organization 511 Contra Costa also provides information for intermodal transfers throughout the county and works closely with Wheels to improve regional transit options.

    All-Time roster

    This roster is incomplete. Grey = retired

    References

    WHEELS (California) Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA