November 2015 – County Connection

Extended Hours On Rt. 4 Free Ride Trolley

11/24/15

Beginning November 27, 2015, County Connection’s Route 4 Free Ride Trolley will run later evening service Monday-Saturday throughout the holiday season.  The Free Ride Trolley runs between the Walnut Creek BART station and Broadway Plaza through the traditional pedestrian retail district. As the name implies – it’s a free service to all riders.

There will be no extended service hours on Sundays, Christmas Eve or New Year’s Eve, and there will be no service on Christmas Day or New Year’s Day. See the extended service schedule below.

Rt. 4 Extended Hours-2015

 

Annual Food Drive Begins Nov. 28

Nov. 23, 2015

County Connection Annual Food Drive – Nov. 28 through Dec. 13, 2015

FBCCS-Logo-Final-CMYK

For over 25 years County Connection and our generous patrons have partnered with the Food Bank Of Contra Costa and Solano in collecting food donations to help neighbors in need.

All County Connection buses will have plastic milk crates placed near the front of the bus to hold donations. Road supervisors will be on call to meet buses on the road and empty crates that become full. The most needed items are protein sources, like peanut butter and canned meats, any canned goods, dried beans, rice, pastas, iron-rich cereal, tomato products, and 100% fruit juices. Food Bank officials ask that no glass container goods be donated, as they easily break during transportation and sorting.

Thanks in advance to all our riders for your generous support.

County Connection Launches Clipper Program and Soon Wi-Fi System

Novemer 9, 2015

Agency responds to customer requests for more convenience aboard County Connection buses

CONCORD, Calif. – County Connection buses just became even easier to ride this month, as Clipper cards are now accepted throughout the County Connection service area. A third of County Connection riders already have Clipper to use on other Bay Area systems and now single-ride fares and rolling 31-day Value Passes are available for County Connection Clipper customers. As of Sunday, Nov. 1, County Connection, along with Tri Delta Transit, WestCAT and Wheels, is accepting the all-in-one transit fare payment card making local and daily commute riding more convenient, and more secure than using cash.  For single-ride fares, Clipper cards can also save riders more money because riders can earn a single Day Pass for unlimited rides on most County Connection, Tri Delta Transit, WestCAT and Wheels routes once $3.75 in cash value fares in a single day ($1.75 for seniors and RTC customers) is met on one or combined between the four systems. Rides are free of charge for the rest of that day.

“The County Connection Board of Directors are please to announce the implementation of our new Clipper program,” said County Connection Board Chair and Town of Danville Mayor and Council Member Robert Storer.  “The Board has discussed this program for a number of years.  This program will allow our ridership a more convenient way to pay and actually save money to ride our transit system.”

Clipper on County Connection means riders can stop carrying multiple forms of payment (exact change, tickets, or passes, including passes from other transit agencies). Clipper card users can load cash (for local single-ride fares) and 31-Day East Bay Value Passes (Local and Express) valid for a rolling 31-days, rather than a set calendar month, like County Connection Regular Monthly East Bay Passes. The 31-day period begins only when the Clipper card is first tagged. East Bay Value Passes are accepted on County Connection, Tri Delta Transit, Wheels, and WestCAT (except LYNX) buses. Another convenience is the ability to set up automatic add value when a card balance is low, if the Autoload feature is used. Clipper is also more secure, because registered cards can be replaced for a small fee, if the card is lost, damaged, or stolen.  County Connection riders –adult, youth, senior, and RTC –can now simply tag their Clipper cards and board more quickly.

Another program that riders have been asking for and will receive later this month is the availability of free Wi-Fi aboard County Connection buses. The free wireless Internet service will make riding more productive for many customers who choose to check email and get work done, or more entertaining for those who just wish to remain connected while riding.

“We are proud to be implementing Wi-Fi on all 121 buses beginning in November,” adds Storer. “It is our intention to encourage younger riders to use our bus system and for all generations to appreciate our service.  We will continue to work diligently toward making County Connection a good experience for our patrons.”

More information about Clipper can be found at the official Clipper website clippercard.com and by visiting cccta.wpengine.com/fares/clipper-card/. Clipper is accepted on AC Transit, BART, Caltrain, County Connection, FAST, Golden Gate Transit and Ferry, Marin Transit, Muni, SamTrans, SF Bay Ferry, SolTrans, Tri Delta Transit, Vacaville City Coach, VINE, VTA, WestCAT, and Wheels.

About County Connection

County Connection operates a fleet of 112 clean diesel and 9 hybrid diesel buses in fixed-route service and 63 gas-powered vans in door-to-door service. For assistance or for more information on bus routes, please visit cccta.wpengine.com or call Customer Service at (925) 676-7500.

 

33,413 Lbs. Eliminated

11/19/15

GoGreen_1200x1200_4In the month of October, County Connection riders reduced CO2 emissions by 33,413 pounds EACH WEEKDAY. Were you one of them?

Using County Connection’s average trip length (one way) of 5 miles, each person who leaves their car at home and uses the bus will reduce CO2 emissions by 4.6 pounds. Riding just one day a week will make a difference.

Stop Closures and Supplemental Service Sat. Dec. 12, 2015

Dec. 6, 2015

The Walnut Creek half marathon will take place on Saturday, December 12, 2015. Right hand traffic lanes will be closed to accommodate runners, and will require the temporary closure of bus stops on North Civic Dr., Oak Rd., and Treat Blvd. traveling from the Walnut Creek BART station towards the Concord BART station. The stop closures apply only to Route 311 and are expected to last until no later than 10:00 AM – affecting the first 2 morning trips.

Supplemental Service on the RT. 4 Trolley

Additional service will be provided on the Rt. 4 Trolley between 5 AM and 6:30 AM to help participants and spectators get to the race without their automobile. During this time, the bus will travel a modified route pattern. Please see the map below for route and stop details.

Rt. 4 Supplemental Service Map