2019 Fare Proposal – County Connection

2019 Fare Proposal

Proposed Fare Modification

The last time fares were increased was in 2009, nearly ten (10) years ago. The current proposal will increase the one-way cash fare to $2.50 (for local and express routes) and eliminate paper passes.  However, a one-way fare on Clipper will remain at $2.00 and passengers will continue to benefit from the $3.75 Day Pass and Monthly Local/Express Passes, all available on Clipper.  For complete details of all changes, follow the link below.

Fare Proposal

 

 

54 thoughts on “2019 Fare Proposal”

  • Just a couple of questions to clarify what would happen when the paper media is discontinued. 1. In the case of the East Bay Monthly Value Pass which currently gives the benefit of transportation on 3 other company routes in addition to County Connection – Will County Connection no longer be one of the four companies when someone buys this pass? I assume the paper pass will still be available for purchase to use on those other 3 companies anyway. But if they present it to a County Connection operator it will be denied? 2. Paper transfers have been accepted from neighboring agencies (such as Wheels in Dublin). Will those transfers no longer be valid to transfer to County Connection just as County Connection will no longer issue them to use to transfer to a neighboring agency? Granted. Clipper will still allow all of these things quite conveniently so it will continue to be the way to go for me. Thanks.

  • I understand CCCTA needs to have a balanced budget. However my concerns are (1) The likelihood that repeal of SB1
    which raised CA gas taxes $.12 and diesel taxes $.20 will be placed on the November ballot may pass, and (2) The highest ridership routes are Routes 5 & 4 which are free. Do you have any comment on either of these facts?

  • Do the results of the 2018 Primary Election have any effect on the CCCTA Budget?

  • I am very upset take away free ride 10am-2pm I want to know is wheels going raise fares same you are.

    • I ride the #7, 9, 11, and #15 to get me anywhere in Central Contra Costa. If #7 shuttle and 10 to 2 Free rides are eliminated , I don’t know what I will do. I feel safer than driving or biking, which I can still do.

  • Please eliminate paper passes, Clipper is so much better for environment. My grandmother kept losing paper passes, that I would order for her, but is great with her Clipper Card.

  • It looks like getting rid of paper – and transfers will mostly adversely impact those who most need public transportation (elderly, disabled, lower income). Please consider retention.

  • I walk with a cane and do not drive. Every weekend I take the 315 to and from the nursing home where my mother lives. It’s on Concord Blvd just off of Denkinger. If you eliminate the 315, I will have to walk the mile from Clayton and Denkinger. That will be miserable in the rain, or when it’s very hot. And completely unsafe after dark. I cannot afford $20. a week of Uber expenses. I agree that ridership is low on this route, which runs very infrequently. How about just switching to one of the mini busses, and eliminating some, but not all of the runs?

  • If paper transfers are eliminated, what does this mean for transferring from a County Connection bus to a Wheels Bus. As it is right now, you get a paper transfer slip from the County Connection driver, present/give that to the Wheels driver and the ride on Wheels is free. Please clarify how this propose elimination of paper transfers will work for transferring to a Wheels Bus. Thank you.

    • County Connection will not give out paper transfers from our buses, but we will continue accept paper transfers from Wheels, WestCAT, and Tri-Delta as before.

  • Without the monthly East Bay pass, it will no longer be economically viable for me to use the County Connection.

  • I recommend running the #1 from Rossmore up Mt. Diablo to so. California , then run it as the old rout to J Muir med. center and Heather farm park. This connects the Rossmor Shopping center with downtown WC and the med center and the shopping near Heather Park. You also have a lot of med. and dental office between. This rout did not need to go to Bart. If your in Rossmore and need to go to bart, just transfer to 4,5 or 21. A lot for apartments are along this rout. This is a central rout that is good for Seniors, Business, Shops, Apartments and Medical offices. It is time to add to instead of end to this line.

  • I attended the Pleasant Hill meeting today. Rather small turnout. If you discontinue the FREE midday service for seniors, that will certainly add more drivers during that period and that surely would be drivers 65+ or older. Do we really want those drivers running errands or going to appointments between the hours of 10 am to 2 pm ?

    With the present midday service, I don’t mind the time waiting to ride the bus. If you start charging, I will more likely make my appointments after the morning commute rush traffic and drive my car just after 9 am and be home before noon before the lunch crowd.

    I feel bad for those folks that don’t own cars and depend on the free service to get them around.

  • July 13, 2018
    Dear County Connection Board Members,
    My name is Darien Rule and I am a teacher at M.D.U.S.D.’s Bridge Program.
    Bridge is a transition program for 18-22 year old students who have special needs.
    Our most important goals here are to give our students the skills they need to be as independent as possible and to be civic minded members of our community.
    We have thoroughly utilized, enjoyed, and appreciated County Connection’s program which allows seniors and folks with disabilities to ride free during the hours of 10:00am and 2:00pm. This amazing program has allowed us to travel all over our area!
    We take bus 10 to Kmart to beef up our work skills and up to the county library to build our minds and understanding of the world.
    We take bus 14 to Sprouts, Safeway, and Whole Foods to learn the value of healthy eating and to buy food for our cooking lessons.
    We take bus 15 to the Animal Rescue Foundation to explore volunteer and paid positions.
    We take bus 16 to Martinez to explore the John Muir house and to hike in the beautiful marina area.
    We take bus 17 to visit the Marchus Center’s ROP center to learn about their culinary and housekeeping programs where we learn the skills needed to become productive working adults in our community.
    We take bus 19 to Buchanan Field to learn more about the important aviation history of our area.
    We take bus 20 to DVC to enjoy the cultural exposure to music, plays, classes, and cuisine.
    These are just a few of the many places we are able to visit thanks to the County Connection’s program allowing free rides for the elderly and disabled.
    We have also enjoyed building relationships with some of your delightful drivers; Eric, Maria, Jeanette, Kimberly, and Elisea; they are always ready with a warm greeting and kind assistance.
    Please, consider supporting and continuing this valuable program which means so much to so many!
    Respectfully submitted,
    Darien Rule

  • If paper commuter card is eliminated, then what will happen to the cards that I already purchased?

    • We will post the details about what will happen to pre-purchased passes that are proposed to be eliminated early next year.

  • If you eliminate the paper Commuter pass benefit, then I will drive more because parking is more convenient than taking the bus. I only take the bus because it is cheaper.

  • I’m a retired active senior ( 75+) that hike, bike, and own a car. I’ll attend tonight’s public meeting at Walnut Creek. I’ll be returning from N Berkeley ( BART) to Walnut Creek (BART), take #4 to and back to Walnut Creek Bart. Board BART to Pleasant Hill BART ( 75 cents ), and then board #7 home to Concord.

  • I am a disabled senior and use County Connection frequently. Since 2009 the service has deteriorated and has been less frequent. Eliminating the #101 to downtown necessitates transferring to the #4, adding 30 minutes to my commute. The #1 runs once an hour.
    As a senior, I am on a fixed income. Please do not eliminate the midday free ride. It will be a hardship for seniors and you will lose more riders as a result. Many seniors want to stay active and mobile. This will be harmful to seniors.

  • I am a disabled senior. Since 2009 the service has deteriorated. The #1 runs once an hour.

    Please do not eliminate the midday free rides for seniors. I am on a fixed income as are many other seniors. We want to stay active and mobile and by charging for midday rides you will lose riders. It will make it more difficult to get around Walnut Creek without a car.

  • This is a protest against eliminating Poet’s Corner (on the Walnut Creek-Pleasant Hill border) from the Route 9 service. That is the corner of Oak Park Blvd. and Patterson Blvd. This is an important destination for people attending support services at the Cancer Support Community located on that corner (I am one of them.) There is no other service to that location from Walnut Creek BART. Route 18, which does not serve Walnut Creek BART, is no reasonable substitute for this service, even if extended to this corner, since it would involve additional transfers, time, and cost to use, when coming from Walnut Creek. Many of the people who go to that location are dealing with life-threatening conditions, and need the services provided. Many of them CANNOT DRIVE, due to financial or medical constraints. It is a disservice to them and a deterioration of the public service value of the bus system, to fail to provide adequate service to that location.

  • ELIMINATING FREE SENIOR BUS RIDE AND 2 -3 HOUR PAPER TRANSFERS FROM 10AM TO 2PM MEANS I CANT GO TO GET GROCERIES OR DOCTORS APPT WITH KAISER ETC AND MEETINGS WITH OTHER SENIORS HELD SPECIFICALLY AT THOSE HOURS THE COST OF LIVING IS GOING UP HORRIBLY BUT THE SOCIAL SECURITY IS NOT TRUMP TALK ABOUT GOVT SHUT DOWN QUESTION IF STILL HAVE SOICAL SECURITY
    THE FREE SENIOR RIDES AND TRANSFERS ARE HUGE SURVIVAL HELP WITHOUT WHICH EXPTREMELY DEPRSSING AND DEBILITATING

  • AS A RETIRED 75YO DISABLED ONLY INCOME SOCIAL SECURTY THE 10-12 FREE BUS RIDE ENABLES ME TO GET GROCERIES GO TO KAISER FOR MEDICAL APPTS MEET OTHERS FOR BAG LUNCH GATHERINGS ETC
    PLUS 2-3 HOUR TRANSFER MEANS SURVIVAL
    THIS WILL BE HUGELY DMAGING TO SENIORS TRYING TO SURVIVE MANY OF US PLANNED FOR RETIREMENT EARLY BUT ALL THE REAL ESTATE SCAMS ETC HAVE LEFT US IN JEOPARDY
    YOUR FREETRANPORTATION IS REALLY BADLY NEEDED FOR OUR SURVIVAL

    • I’M NOT INTERESTED IN COMPLICATING BLOGS ETC
      JUST POSTING MY COMMENT AND
      NEED COMMON TO MANY SENIORS

  • SENIORS DESPERATELY NEED THE FREE PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION FORM 10-2 WITH 1-2 HOUR TRANSFERS
    TO SURVIVE

  • When the monthly passes are moved to Clipper exclusively and the cash fare for both local and express routes become the same $2.50, will Clipper continue to assess the 25 cent cash charge when boarding an express route with only a LOCAL monthly pass loaded to the card? I’m guessing that will be the case otherwise there is no need to offer an Express monthly pass. Frankly I have always found the express surcharge to be confusing as it is not consistently assessed. For example, transfer from a local route to an express route, no surcharge. Transfer from BART to an Express route is the same fare as transferring from BART to a local route. Maybe it would be best to eliminate the express route distinction at all when it comes to fare rules. That would mean selling the Express monthly pass would not be necessary.

  • Not mentioned here is the fact that County Connection does NOT even run buses on Holidays! As a service to the public WHY??? A holiday schedule or Sunday schedule would help many of us who do NOT DRIVE!
    Most senior citizens are then now unable to attend family events or to be with friends.
    I moved to Concord because it is a nice city to live in, but COUNTY CONNECTION bus service is lousy!

  • Not mentioned here is the fact that County Connection does NOT even run buses on Holidays! As a service to the public WHY??? A holiday schedule or Sunday schedule would help many of us who do NOT DRIVE!
    Most senior citizens are then now unable to attend family events or to be with friends.
    I moved to Concord because it is a nice city to live in, but COUNTY CONNECTION bus service is lousy!
    I do have and use a Clipper card, used it in my home city San Francisco. Transfers are automatic on card. No need to worry about a paper transfer. As A senior I think my age peers would benefit more having and using Clipper Card. County Connection should inform Seniors where to apply, that has not been noted in any of your postings.

  • Regarding the Complete doing away with 10 am – 2 pm FREE rides for Seniors 65+, how about a M- W- F only schedule. I think it’s a great idea ! Please think about it ! I’m flexible and enjoy the exercise the free bus rides provide. I’m sure keeping seniors that do drive off the streets would improve traffic flow during those hours.

  • The pricing difference between 31 day local pass and 31 day express pass seems erroneous if/when the fare is the same for just a single ride (i.e., both local & express fares are $2.50). Why leave the $10 difference for the 31 day express Clipper passes?

    Also the current paper transfers allow for 3 hours on the weekends when bus service is significantly limited compared to weekdays. Even though I’ve used Clipper since Day 1 County Connection started accepting it, I’ve always asked for a paper transfer on weekends to help accommodate the notably longer wait times for the 316. I’m a disabled rider living in downtown Martinez.

  • It would be sad to hear you plan to eliminate the free ride 10am-2pm . What is the explanation ? Are there any supporting data for this decision ?

  • On what date will the free rides for seniors/handicapped end? I use this service several times a week. What will replace it?

    • The fare change is being proposed for March 2019 but is still pending Board approval. Seniors and persons with disabilities will need to pay the discounted fare of $1.00 per trip on all routes when using Clipper (or $1.25 if using cash). There is also a Day Pass on Clipper that provides unlimited rides for only $1.75 for the whole day.

    • According to bus driver today, it’s March 2019. If it were not for the seniors that take advantage of the 10 – 2 pm service, I think ridership of seniors during those hours may be cut in half. I for one will ride my bicycle more now when the weather is nice and stay home/shop nearby when it’s raining or too cold. I ride the bus for convenience/safety during those hours and will miss it !

  • If you only occasionally take the bus and need to transfer will we have to pay twice if we take 2 busses?

    • Yes, if you are paying with cash. However, free transfers will continue to be available through Clipper.

  • We issue the 12 ride punch cards to clients where I work. Clipper cards will not work with our situation. Would the punch cards still be available to organizations/groups?

    • No, punch cards will no longer be available. However, we will continue to offer single ride tickets, which may be a good alternative.

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