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Contact: Yvonne Morrow
Title: WestCAT Marketing Coordinator
Office: (510) 724-3331 ext. 17
Email: yvonne@westcat.org
For Immediate Release
Posted 21 July 2009
The Long Awaited release of the new WestCAT Bus Schedule will begin, August 3, 2009 - Includes Route and Fare Media Changes
Pinole, July 21, 2009–The Western Contra Costa Transit Authority (WestCAT) will introduce a new schedule for the Local, Express and Lynx Transbay routes on August 3, 2009. The news of this schedule’s release has been a long time in coming. Most WestCAT customers have been anticipating the changes since they where first proposed back in mid-January 2009. The holdup in the release was due primarily to the delay in the grand opening of the new Hercules Transit Center now scheduled for Monday, August 3, 2009.
The new schedule will contain several changes affecting the majority of the local fixed route and express bus services, with only minor adjustments to the Lynx. The new schedule will also introduce new electronic fare media to include 31-Day Passes valid for unlimited rides for 31 consecutive days from the first day of use, as well as Local Fixed Route/Express Stored Value Passes valid for any route that has the same ride value as shown on the pass. There will be no increase in passenger cash fares, but the schedule will include one new stop for the ‘J’ line at the corner of Sycamore and San Pablo near the Shell gasoline station. As a reminder, the reductions in the levels of WestCAT service that will be included in this new schedule where originally approved back in February of this year and are in response to the major reductions in state and federal transportation operating funds that WestCAT receives.
In addition, with the opening of the new transit center, BART will initiate the process to charge for parking. The $3 a day fee includes two one way trip vouchers good for travel on WestCAT Local and Express routes. The vouchers are dated, and may be used only on the day the parking permit is valid (travel vouchers are not valid on the Lynx for transbay travel). Transit Center users also have the option to purchase a monthly permit, which includes a 31-day WestCAT bus pass for $80, or a monthly parking permit without the WestCAT pass for $63. The 31-day WestCAT pass allows unlimited travel in any direction on WestCAT Local Fixed Routes, Express, and Martinez Link 30Z buses only, which is activated from the first day of travel. Daily parking permits will be sold through the City’s online system. Transit Center users may now begin purchasing their parking permits online at www.herculestransitcenter.com as no parking meters or boxes will be onsite. The parking fees collected help cover the costs of the maintenance and services provided to the transit center users by the City.
Enforcement of the new daily parking fee will begin on the same day the Transit Center opens. In order to use the Hercules Transit Center Parking Facility you must register and display a valid parking permit. Violators will be ticketed and may be towed.
WestCAT’s schedule changes will take place in conjunction with the grand opening of the new Hercules Transit Center on Monday, August 3, 2009 at the new location. On this day, Transit Center users will begin parking their vehicles at the new facility. Police volunteers will be at the site of the old facility to redirect transit center users to the new location. The old transit center will be fenced once the new facility opens.
A bus schedule preview is now available at www.westcat.org or for more information call 510-724-79993. The printed schedules will be available on board WestCAT buses as soon as possible. Please visit www.ci.hercules.ca.us for parking fee information, as parking permits will not be available through WestCAT.
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