City of Alameda AC Transit ILC Meeting – February 24, 2026
City of Alameda AC Transit ILC Meeting – February 24, 2026
The City of Alameda AC Transit Interagency Liaison Committee (ILC) held a hybrid meeting on February 24, 2026, to discuss updates on ILC restructuring, ongoing construction projects, service changes, supplementary school bus services, the Park Street Transit Signal Priority (TSP) project, the free bus pass pilot program, the Transportation Management Association (TMA), the Oakland Alameda Access Project, and ridership performance. The meeting included representatives from the City of Alameda, AC Transit, and the Alameda Unified School District, along with one public comment.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Christina from Community Action for Sustainable Alameda (CASO) expressed excitement about the projects, praised coordination between AC Transit and Alameda, and recommended improving communication with transit riders by posting information at libraries and using QR codes at bus stops. She also suggested including information about the Oakland Alameda Access Project in rider communications.
Discussion Items
1. Update on ILC Restructuring
Robert Del Rosari (AC Transit) provided an update on ILC meeting parameters approved by the AC Transit board in October 2025. Key changes: meetings will now occur three times per year (instead of four), with a 90-minute time limit. The City of Alameda will continue to have its own separate meeting (not joint with Oakland/Piedmont), per feedback. Remote participation options remain under exploration.
2. Ongoing Construction Projects in Alameda
Brendan Christelier (City of Alameda Public Works) presented an overview of six projectsaffecting AC Transit routes. Central Avenue project is ahead of schedule, finishing late spring/early summer 2026; current intersection closure at Pacific/Maine/Central has rerouted buses. The sanitary sewer replacement project on multiple streets will not close lanes. Shoreline outfalls work is off-road with no transit impact. The Clement/Tilden project (Fernside closure late March–June 2026) will require rerouting; a bus stop has been demolished and will be rebuilt September–November 2026. Lincoln Park pathway lighting will not impede traffic. Annual painting program will involve striping/signage with flaggers. Upcoming temporary bus stop upgrades on Starjill are expected to go to bid in the next month or two. Brendan confirmed that GPS apps (Waze, Google Maps) are updated via email notifications for construction.
3. Summary of February 2026 Service Change in Alameda
Crystal Wayne (AC Transit) outlined changes effective February 1, 2026, addressing overcrowding and reliability following the August 2025 realign. Line 19 now terminates at Fruitvale BART; minor schedule adjustments were made to Lines 30, 31, and 96. Line O received an additional morning weekday trip to San Francisco and an afternoon trip to Fruitvale BART to alleviate overcrowding. Robert Del Rosari explained that improved operator availability (service operated above 98%) allowed these additions. Vice Mayor Pryor noted that the O and W buses sometimes arrive simultaneously and suggested staggering schedules; staff agreed to review.
4. Update on Supplementary Service to Schools
Sean Deslajone (AC Transit) explained that supplementary services are additional buses on school days to meet capacity at bell times. In Alameda, nine trips serve about 300 riders daily (30–35 passengers per trip). Schools with coordinated service include Alameda High, Island High, NCNL Junior Senior High, and Lincoln Middle School. The ACTC student transit pass program provides free passes to qualifying 6th–12th graders (free/reduced lunch). Susan Davis (Alameda Unified School District) asked about bell schedule coordination; Sean noted that schools generally respond well, but new principals or changes due to Senate Bill (requiring high schools to start by 8:30 a.m.) may affect flexibility. Susan offered to help if issues arise.
5. Park Street Transit Signal Priority and Signal Optimization Project
Maria Henderson (AC Transit), Will Blueler (AC Transit), and Ryan Dole (Kimley-Horn) presented. The project extends TSP from Central Avenue to Otis Drive, adds wireless interconnect, and upgrades the controller at Park Street and San Jose Avenue. Construction will occur spring–summer 2026, with final tuning fall 2026. Half-day lane closures (8:30 a.m.–3 p.m.) are expected; traffic will be maintained. Sidewalk detours will be provided at San Jose Avenue. Benefits include improved transit reliability, reduced delays, and minimal impact on other modes. Pre- and post-project evaluations will be conducted. Will noted a previous TSP project on Webster Street reduced travel times by 28%. The project website is available in English, Spanish, and Chinese. Christina (public comment) suggested posting information at libraries.
6. Free Bus Pass Pilot Program for Seniors and People with Disabilities
Liz Escobar (City of Alameda) reported that from July through December 2025, nearly 116,000 rides were recorded (approx. 19,300/month). Current enrollment is 730 members (a 24% decrease after deactivating non-renewed cards and adding 30 from the waitlist). About 35 remain on the waitlist. Liz shared a story of an 85-year-old resident who received her pass after a year on the waitlist, emphasizing the program’s importance. A mid-year budget request for $7,000 per fiscal year aims to cover a rate increase and clear the waitlist. Vice Mayor Pryor noted potential regional funding from ACTC discretionary funds.
7. Transportation Management Association (TMA) Update
Michael Hara (TMA President) and Arsh Singh Hothi (TMA General Manager) reported that the Easy Pass program now has 2,886 passes (up 314 since April 2025), driven by new housing and employers at Alameda Point. Partners APC and Building Futures described the pass as a lifeline for marginalized residents. The program enables residents to access transit for groceries, healthcare, and social activities.
8. Oakland Alameda Access Project (OAAP)
Lisa Foster (City of Alameda) provided an update on the Webster Tube closure plans. Originally proposed as continuous single lane closures, the plan was changed to overnight single lane closures only (10 p.m.–5 a.m., no weekend closures). AC Transit is developing detour schedules for an April 2026 service change to accommodate the closures, using existing detour routes via Park Street Bridge. The earlier end time (5 a.m. instead of 6 a.m.) was achieved through city advocacy and benefits AC Transit’s morning service.
9. AC Transit Ridership and Customer Complaints
Crystal Wayne presented performance data for September–December 2025 (post-realign). Line 19 ridership increased 14% year-over-year; Transbay Line W increased 6%; Lines 51A, 96, and O decreased slightly. On-time performance remains a challenge (defined as 1 minute early to 5 minutes late). Customer complaints focused on late buses, canceled trips, and Line O overcrowding (addressed by February service changes).
Key Outcomes
- No formal votes were taken. The committee received updates and provided feedback on all items.
- Next ILC meetings are scheduled for June 11, 2026, and October 8, 2026.
- Staff will review potential schedule adjustments for Lines O and W to improve staggering.
- The free bus pass pilot program waitlist will be evaluated after receiving updated ridership data.
- AC Transit will work with Caltrans and ACTC on detour schedules for the OAAP Webster Tube closures.
Meeting Transcript
We can go ahead and uh start the meeting. Uh and I'll start with the uh the script to uh uh acknowledge that we're in our remote meeting. Good morning and welcome to the February 12, 2026 City of Alameda AC transit ILC hybrid meeting. No action shall be taken during a disruption that would prevent members of the public from offering public comments using the call-in or internet-based option. This meeting is being recorded for the members of the public who have dialed into this meeting by telephone. You must press star nine to raise your hand when the agenda item you would like to speak on is called, and the committee secretary will unmute you at the appropriate time and call the last four digits of your phone number. If you are attending the meeting via Zoom, you may use the raise your hand feature, and your name will be called when it is your turn to speak. If you decide not to speak, you may dial star nine or click lower your hand in Zoom. We request that all speakers clearly and slowly state their name for the record and make sure their location is quiet and that all other audio devices are turned off. Each speaker will be allowed two minutes to present their comments and will be notified when their time is up. Okay, so um agenda item one is roll call and welcome in introduction. Great. Um I will start with the City of Alameda representatives. We have Vice Mayor Pryor here. Thank you for chairing this morning. Uh Councilmember Deslag. Here. Representing AC Transit, we have Director Yellow and Director Sayed. Here, we can quickly go through staff introductions. Um good morning. My name is Robert Bel Rosari. I'm the director of service development and planning for AC Transit. Um I'll turn it over to Crystal. Uh Crystal Wayne Transportation Planner with AC Transit. Lisa Foster, Transportation Planning Manager, City of Alameda. We're in the side, Cheryl Fair's representative, legislative transit relations, AC Transit. Uh Brendan Christelier, uh Engineer Public Works Department, City of Alameda. Sean, these were contacting the planning manager, AC transit. We'll read some friends and transfer. And uh folks online, you can uh introduce yourself. Good morning, I'm Rama Pochara, executive direct for planning and engineering, AC Transit. Steve. Good morning, Stephen Jones, Director of Legislative Affairs, Community Relations AC Transit. Casey. HeC Bruno, Senior Transportation Planner. Deborah. Deborah Garcia, Customer Services Manager. And I'm Susan Davis. I manage community affairs for the school district. And Tammy Kailo, Secretary to this committee. That's it for introduction. I'd like to also welcome how we have Board President Ryan Lalon joining us from the Alameda Unified School District. Thank you, Ryan. Great. Oh sorry, announcement. So I don't believe there are any announcements at this time, right? Tammy, anyone online, public comments? There are no public comments at this time. All right, and then um do we have public comments in the room? Okay.
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