Category: News & Announcements

Concord, CA – May 29, 2026 – County Connection supports the key findings and recommendations from the California State Auditor regarding East Bay Transit Agencies. County Connection itself, along with the five other transit agencies audited (AC Transit, Livermore-Amador Valley Transit Authority, Tri Delta Transit, and WestCAT), received no specific findings or recommendations. 

“This audit reflects the hard work and dedication of our employees and leadership team,” said Bill Churchill, General Manager of County Connection. “We remain committed to managing public resources responsibly while continuing to provide safe, reliable, and efficient transit service to our community.” 

The audit found that: 

• East Bay transit agencies regularly coordinate, both directly and through regional initiatives, and that there are few barriers to their collaboration; 
• An audit conducted while riding 25% of East Bay transit agencies’ bus routes that cross service areas found no significant obstacles for transit riders including transferring between agencies; 
• All East Bay transit agencies anticipate challenges in meeting the State’s requirements to purchase zero-emission vehicles because of their high cost and lack of direct funding; 
• Five of the six audited agencies may exhaust their reserves within the next one to five years and may need to reduce service without additional funding; 
• Merging or combining the agencies would not resolve the financial challenges of the agencies and would likely increase labor costs; 

Board Chair Robert Storer said the positive findings reinforce public confidence in the agency’s operations and long-term planning efforts. “Our riders, employees, taxpayers, and funding partners deserve accountability and transparency,” Storer said. “These results demonstrate that the agency is meeting those expectations while positioning itself for a sustainable future.” 

The audit recommended that: 

• MTC should establish realistic and attainable time frames for each of its transit action plan items by setting major milestones and subtasks for completion; 
• To address the risk that transit agencies may have to reduce services due to rising operation costs, MTC should, by January 2027, begin identifying additional funding sources that it could direct to transit agencies at risk of reducing services; 
• To ensure that agencies can comply with the California Air Resources Board’s (CARB) mandate to make all new bus purchases zero-emission starting in 2029, the Legislature should consider extending the deadline or allocating new funds to the transit agencies to purchase zero-emission vehicles. 

County Connection, who delivers almost three million rides to the region annually, has long worked to advance collaborative transit initiatives. Recent examples include the One Seat Regional Ride program with Tri Delta Transit, WestCAT, and Wheels to provide a transfer-free service for passengers using paratransit within Contra Costa County and the Tri-Valley region; a summer Youth Ride Free program providing free rides to all passengers 18 years and younger within Contra Costa and Alameda Counties, and two pilot programs with MTC’s Regional Mapping and Wayfinding Project to test the implementation of a new unified design for all transit maps and signage across the entire Bay Area region.  

About County Connection  
County Connection provides public transportation services throughout central Contra Costa County, serving approximately 2.8 million riders annually through bus and paratransit services. 

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Questions or feedback? We’d love to hear your thoughts. Reach out to our Marketing Department at marketing@cccta.org

Contra Costa County, CA — Following a highly successful youth program last summer, County Connection, Tri Delta Transit, and WestCAT will continue the Youth Ride Free program, offering fare-free rides on all fixed-bus routes for youth up to 18 years of age from June 1 through July 31, 2026. County Connection will also extend the Youth Ride Free program to its LINK paratransit service. 

With strong participation and widespread grassroots community support, Youth Ride Free has quickly become a cornerstone program for expanding access and mobility for young riders across the three connecting service areas in Contra Costa County. By removing barriers—no fares, applications, IDs, or special passes required—young riders can simply get on board, making transit more accessible than ever. 

“The Youth Ride Free program provides a vital mobility option for our youth in eastern Contra Costa,” said CEO Rashidi Barnes. “This valuable initiative allows our young people to participate freely in summer sports and school programs, connect with friends and family, all without relying on a car. Furthermore, as a teenager growing up in the Bay Area, public transportation enabled me to secure a summer job, which helped me support the local economy and develop important life skills.” 

Last year alone, Tri Delta Transit transported 40,000 youth during June and July and expects to reach similar ridership levels this year. Recognizing the significant impact of the program, Tri Delta Transit thanks District 3 County Supervisor Diane Burgis and District 5 County Supervisor Shanelle Scales-Preston for their financial commitment, which has ensured the continuation of the 2026 Youth Ride Free program in eastern Contra Costa County. 

Says Rob Thompson, General Manager of WestCAT, “Our goal this summer is simple—remove barriers and make it easier for young people to get where they need to go. By offering free rides, we’re supporting opportunity, independence, and stronger connections across our community.” 

During last year’s Youth Ride Free pilot, WestCAT saw a 1,170% increase in youth ridership compared to the previous year. In 2025, WestCAT was the only participating agency that required students to show IDs to board—a requirement that did not significantly impact ridership. In 2026, WestCAT will eliminate this requirement, further aligning with the program’s barrier-free approach. 

County Connection’s program also demonstrated a transformative impact on youth mobility, with more than 25,000 free rides recorded over two months—an increase of more than 1,600% compared to previous summer programs. This growth was driven in large part by strong community support, including school districts, parents, and local organizations that helped raise awareness and encourage participation. 

“I’m very proud of our staff for creating a program that allows our students to ride our buses,” said Robert Storer, Board Chair of County Connection. “When a program takes what was near stagnant youth ridership in the summer months and boosts it to 25,000 rides, as it did with Youth Ride Free, that’s a powerful measure of success. It shows what’s possible when we remove barriers and work closely with our community.” 

Beyond increased ridership across all participating agencies, the program also shifted how young people travel, attracting many first-time riders. While Youth Ride Free removes fares for riders, all three agency-led programs are supported through alternative, short-term funding sources. 

As Contra Costa and other Bay Area transit agencies navigate an uncertain long-term funding landscape, initiatives like Youth Ride Free represent a strategic investment in cultivating the next generation of transit riders. Building on this momentum, County Connection, Tri Delta Transit, and WestCAT will continue working closely with regional partners to strengthen transit connections and expand opportunities for youth throughout Contra Costa County. 

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Media Contacts: 

County Connection
Ryan Jones
Manager of Marketing & Communications
rjones@cccta.org | 925-680-2037 

Tri Delta Transit
Leeann Loroño
Manager of Customer Service and Marketing
llorono@eccta.org | 925-754-6622 

WestCAT
Mica McFadden
Transit Operations Manager
mica@westcat.org | 510.724.3331 

Good news for County Connection riders—real-time bus arrival signs are now live at some of our busiest stops across central Contra Costa. If you’ve ever found yourself wondering, “Did I just miss the bus?” or “How much longer do I have to wait?”—we’ve got you covered. Our newly installed signs take the guesswork out of riding. How? They show exactly when your bus will arrive, with updates in real-time, roughly every minute. 

This upgrade builds on an earlier set of real-time signs first introduced in 2016. After seeing how helpful those were for riders, we evaluated what was working and looked for ways to make the passenger experience even better. The results are these 28 brand-new, modern displays designed with you—our riders—in mind.  

The new signs feature easy-to-read 13-inch e-paper screens (an easy-to-read low-power consumption display, similar to an Amazon Kindle e-reader) that stay clear and visible in all lighting conditions…whether you’re catching an early morning ride or heading home after dark. They’re also built to last, with vandal-resistant enclosures to keep them reliable for the long haul. 

Accessibility was a key part of this upgrade. Each sign includes text-to-speech functionality, making it easier for visually impaired riders to hear real-time arrival information with the push of a button (literally).  

You might notice these signs aren’t solar-powered like the previous ones—and that’s intentional. Advances in battery technology mean these displays can run for three to five years on a single battery, allowing us to install them in more locations without worrying about sun exposure or higher costs. 

We’ve placed the 28 signs where they can make the biggest impact by installing them at our stops with the greatest number of boardings. We also made sure to install at least one sign in each of the cities we serve where there is a stop averaging at least ten boardings per day. That means more riders in more places can benefit from real-time information. 

You’ll now find these signs in communities including Clayton, Concord, Pleasant Hill, Martinez, Moraga, San Ramon, Walnut Creek (coming soon), and Danville—at key stops along corridors like Clayton Road, Monument Boulevard, Contra Costa Boulevard, and Treat Boulevard, as well as near major destinations like medical centers, park-and-ride lots, and college campuses. 

You may notice that stops at BART stations and major transit centers aren’t included just yet. Those locations are part of a larger regional effort led by the Metropolitan Transportation Commission, with updates coming in the future. 

This project was funded through County Connection and delivered through a cooperative agreement with the California Association for Coordinated Transportation (CalACT), helping us bring this technology to riders efficiently and cost-effectively. Whether you’reheading to work, school, or anywhere in between, real-time information helps you plan with confidence. 

So next time you’re at the stop, take a look up—your bus may be close by (and now you’ll know exactly when it gets there). 

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Have you seen one of our real-time signs? Whatdya think? We’d love to hear your feedback! Email your thoughts (and even photos of you with a real-time sign) to marketing@cccta.org.