The Central Contra Costa Transit Authority (County Connection) is seeking proposals for Non-Emergency Medical Transportation (NEMT) management services. County Connection was formed in 1980 as a joint powers agency to provide coordinated transportation services within central Contra Costa County. County Connection provides both fixed route and paratransit services to the following cities and jurisdictions: the Cities of Clayton, Concord, Lafayette, Martinez, Orinda, Pleasant Hill, San Ramon, Walnut Creek, the Towns of Danville and Moraga and unincorporated areas of central Contra Costa County.
Central Contra Costa Transit Authority (CCCTA) has reached an agreement with the Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU), Local 1605, who voted 54% in favor of extending their contract with an economic package proposed by CCCTA.
CCCTA’s Board of Directors has a long history of offering comparable packages to all of its labor partners. Upon receiving a request for an offer from the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) District Lodge No. 190 (IAM) the same offer was made to the other two unions, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters (Teamsters) Local 856 and ATU, Local 1605. The ATU, Local 1605 received the offer on October 27th and members voted on December 20th. In order to expedite the process, the Board held a special meeting on December 21st to ratify the contract, which was set to expire on January 31, 2023. With the needed simple majority member approval, the contract is now extended through January 31, 2026.
For the agreed upon terms, the ATU was offered the same contract as that of IAM and the Teamsters, with both approving the offer, unanimously, in November 2022. ATU members now have a 3-year extension package and a five percent (5%) raise in year one, which includes a includes a $2,500 tax-free payment up front. In year two, ATU members will receive an increase of four percent (4%), followed by three percent (3%) in the final year.
Chair of the Board, Amy Worth, said of the agreements, “The continued success of CCCTA depends on the stability, mutual understanding, and respect shared between its management and their represented labor partners. Now more than ever, the services offered to Central Contra Costa are crucial to the residents within the County Connection service area.” Worth added, “To have all three unions approve a 3-year contract well ahead of the contracts expiring, is heartening and tells me this public agency is on the right path forward and ensures continued service reliability for our residents.”
WHY ARE THERE CHANGES IN SERVICE? County Connection is making adjustments to a few of our routes. These service changes are in response to feedback and intended to best meet customer demand. If you have questions, contact Customer Service 925-676-7500.
¿POR QUÉ HAY CAMBIOS EN EL SERVICIO? County Connection está haciendo ajustes en algunas de nuestras rutas. Estos cambios en el servicio están destinados a satisfacer mejor la demanda de los clientes. ¿Preguntas? Comuníquese con Servicio al Cliente al 925-676-7500.
November 2022 – Central Contra Costa Transit Authority (CCCTA), the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) District Lodge No. 190, and the International Brotherhood of Teamsters (Teamsters) Local 856 approved extending existing work rules with an economic package proposed by CCCTA.
Both unions approached the General Manager requesting contract extensions, well in advance of their respective contract term end date, to avoid unnecessary negotiations. Recognizing the long-standing positive working relationships between management and the unions, CCCTA’s Board of Directors approved a package that was unanimously accepted by all members of the IAM and Teamsters Unions.
For the terms, the Machinists and Teamsters agreed upon a 3-year extension package with a 3-month early adoption. Both unions accepted a five percent (5%) raise in year one, which includes a $2,500 tax-free payment up front. In year two, CCCTA offered to increase the wage rate for all Bargaining Unit Employees (represented the IAM and Teamsters) by four percent (4%). And in year three, CCCTA offered to increase the wage rate by three percent (3%). All other articles, sections, attachments, terms and provisions of the most recent Memorandum Of Understanding (MOU) will remain in effect for the duration of the agreement.
Bill Churchill, General Manager of CCCTA, affirmed, “I look forward to the fruitful collaboration with all of our labor partners, in the years to come.” Churchill, who presented the 3-year deal, added, “Together we will continue on the road to recovery and improve our communities.”
The Central Contra Costa Transit Authority (County Connection) will hold a public hearing to gather comment on the proposed continuation of a pilot program offering free rides on weekend Routes 311, 314, and 316, as long as funding remains available for the program through the Low Carbon Transit Operations Program (LCTOP) or another similar funding source. This is an expansion of the existing Monument Free Program providing free fares on corresponding weekday Routes 11, 14, and 16. These routes serve low-income communities along the Monument Corridor and connect from Concord BART to various destinations in Martinez, Pleasant Hill, and Walnut Creek, including BART stations, Martinez Amtrak and Contra Costa Regional Medical Center.
Comments can be submitted in writing via mail, email, or online, or at the scheduled public hearing. Written comments must be received by December 7, 2022.
It is anticipated that the Board of Directors will take action on the proposed fare program at their regular meeting scheduled for December 15, 2022, following the public hearing.
The Central Contra Costa Transit Authority (County Connection) will hold a public hearing to gather comments on the draft Short Range Transit Plan (SRTP) covering fiscal years 2023-2028.
About the SRTP
The SRTP is County Connection’s operations and financial planning document. In order to effectively execute planning and programming responsibilities, the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) requires each transit operator receiving federal funding through the Regional Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) to prepare, adopt, and submit an SRTP to MTC every four years in order to remain eligible to receive federal funding.
County Connection’s last Full SRTP was completed in 2016 and the current effort will result in an updated SRTP covering FY2023 through FY2028. Revised guidelines were established as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and narrow the scope to a five-year planning horizon with a focus on financial and service planning.
The plan focuses on evaluating existing service and developing future service plans based on three scenarios of varying revenue recovery over the next 5 years. The operating budget assumed for each scenario is based on the level of federal stimulus available, recovery of revenue from other sources, and ridership recovery. The service plans are aimed to align resources available in each of the scenarios with ridership demand as well as feedback received from the passenger survey conducted during September 2022.
Comments can be submitted in writing via mail, email, or online, or at the scheduled Public Hearing. Written comments must be received by December 7, 2022.
It is anticipated that the Board of Directors will take action on the draft SRTP at their regular meeting scheduled for December 15, 2022, following the public hearing.
October 15-16: Due to BART trackway repairs in Pleasant Hill between Concord and Pleasant Hill BART Stations, there will be no train service. County Connection will provide free bus bridge for passengers traveling between the BART stations. For more information on this project visit: BART Bridge
Route 311 is also an alternative route with service to Concord, Pleasant Hill, and Walnut Creek BART Stations.
Temporary bus relocation: Route 311 at Concord BART will be relocated to the Route 20 bus stop, located nearby at the first bus stop on the transit aisle. See map for stop location Concord BART Station Map.
All County Connection buses and paratransit are free to ride for the entire month of October, no payment required for any passenger.
A month of free rides is made possible by federal stimulus funding and is intended to not only help essential workers save money but encourage commuters to take public transit.
While public transit ridership numbers remain below pre-pandemic levels, County Connection has doubled its passenger count in the past two years.
Have you heard? County Connection is offering free rides to all who board one of our buses along any route, as well as paratransit. A month of fare-free riding this October is just one of the ways County Connection, and other public transit agencies like WestCAT, hope to encourage more people in Contra Costa County to choose public transportation as a commute option.
During Fall 2019, average monthly passenger levels were over 300,000 compared to the fall of 2020 when there were fewer than 100,000 monthly passengers, down by 71% from the previous year. By comparison, in August 2022, there’s been some uptick, with roughly 200,000bus passengers.
Although daily routines are returning to what they were before the pandemic, public transit ridership remains low. “County Connection is not the only bus agency that saw a dramatic dip in ridership,” says Bill Churchill, General Manager of County Connection. “Though an industry-wide trend, we are proud to have doubled our passenger count in the past two years.”
Still, the commuter landscape has changed—maybe forever as more office-based work allows for flexible and on-going work schedules Those who do not have the option to work from home are choosing to drive alone on their commute, leaving many public transit routes with very little ridership.
Federal funding has been made available for transit agencies to apply toward operational costs as well as a stimulus for increasing ridership. “We plan our routes and frequency of bus service based on our passenger counts,” explained Pranjal Dixit, Manager of Planning, “and travel patterns are still irregular.” In spring 2021, County Connection made a major service change to better match service levels to rider demand, which included shifting resources from peak-hour commute routes in order to preserve essential local service.
County Connection serves Central Contra Costa County and is especially critical for the essential workforce who may not have any other commute option, as was evident during the height of the pandemic when 20% of passengers never stopped riding. In addition, given recent increases in traffic congestion, gas prices, and climate change impacts, public transit provides a greener, cost-effective alternative to driving alone. Free rides on County Connection will not only help essential workers save money, but hopefully persuade others to get back on transit–perhaps beyond October.
For more information on County Connection routes serving your area, visit countyconnection.com or call Customer Service at (925) 676-1976.
County Connection is conducting a survey through the month of September to find out more about your transit needs and rider experience.
Over the next few weeks, passengers on our routes may be asked to complete a quick survey to help us understand how our services are being used and where we can improve.
You can also fill out the survey online at: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/cccta2022. Even if you’re not currently riding transit, we encourage you to complete the survey to help us plan for the future.
All responses are confidential. We appreciate your participation and input!
County Connection’s administrative offices, including the LINK Paratransit office, will reopen to the public starting Tuesday, September 6, 2022. Our offices will be open Monday – Friday, 8:00 AM to 3:00 PM. Masks are currently required while inside our offices.
Our Customer Service call center continues to be staffed during regular hours (Monday – Friday, 6:30 AM to 6:30 PM) and can be reached by phone at (925) 676-7500 or email at help@countyconnection.com.
We will also be continuing our mobile lobby and outreach events. Click here for a schedule of dates and locations.
