Public Hearing – County Connection

Tag: Public Hearing

Public Hearing: Clipper Fare Changes

Notice of Public Hearing – Thursday, September 28, 2023, 9:00 am

County Connection is seeking public comment on a fare change proposal, which includes an increased discount for Clipper START and Youth Clipper from 20% to 50%, as well as the elimination of Express route surcharges on Clipper.

Clipper START & Youth Clipper Discounts

The Clipper START and Youth Clipper fare discounts on County Connection began as a pilot in January 2021. The Clipper START program provides a 20% discount off the Clipper single-ride fare for eligible low-income adults. Because the Clipper START program is limited to adults over the age of 18, County Connection implemented a similar 20% discount for riders using a Youth Clipper card. In order to increase participation, incentivize ridership, and create more consistency throughout the region, County Connection is proposing to increase the discount to 50% for both Clipper START and Youth Clipper.

Express Route Fares

Currently, riders using Clipper are charged an extra $0.25 on Express routes, and a 31-day pass that is valid on Express routes costs an extra $10. In an effort to simplify its fare structure, County Connection is proposing to eliminate these surcharges so that the fare for Express routes is the same as for Local routes and there is a single 31-day pass that is valid on all routes. 

Summary of Proposed Changes

The table below shows a combined summary of the proposed fare changes.

Clipper Card TypeFare ProductCurrentProposed
LocalExpressAll Routes
AdultSingle Ride$2.00$2.25$2.00
Clipper START & Youth (6-18)Single Ride$1.60$1.80$1.00
BART-to-Bus Transfer$0.80$0.50
All31-day Pass$60.00$70.00$60.00

No changes are being proposed for cash fares, Senior Clipper, RTC, or LINK paratransit fares.
See Staff Report on Fare Proposal

How to Comment

Comments can be submitted in writing via mail, email, or online, or at the scheduled public hearing. Written comments must be received by September 20, 2023.

  • Add a comment on this post (see bottom of page)
  • Mail your comment in writing to:
    Director of Planning & Marketing
    2477 Arnold Industrial Way
    Concord, CA 94520
  • Email planning@countyconnection.com
  • Speak at the public hearing on Thursday, September 28, 2023 at 9:00 am (in person or via teleconference):

NOTE: It is anticipated that the Board of Directors will take action on the proposed changes at their regular meeting scheduled for September 28, 2023, following the public hearing. If approved, the proposed fare changes would take effect on January 1, 2024. The Clipper START and Youth fare discounts would remain a pilot program through June 30, 2025. However, the proposed Express route fare changes would be permanent.

Public Hearing: Route 27 and 99X Service Change

UPDATE ON PUBLIC HEARINGS
Thank you to everyone who provided feedback on the proposed service changes for Route 27 and 99X during today’s public hearing. We heard a lot of great comments and our Board approved the proposal to consolidate the two routes into a single free route, connecting Martinez Amtrak to North Concord BART. Changes will take effect August 6, 2023. Look for additional notifications posted on buses and our website.

Notice of Public Hearing – Thursday, May 18, 2023, 9:00 am

The Central Contra Costa Transit Authority (County Connection) will hold a public hearing to gather comment on proposed changes to Route 99X and elimination of Route 27, which would be replaced by select trips on Route 99X. The proposal also includes offering free rides on Route 99X. Further information on the proposed changes is provided below.

Service & Fare Change Proposal

Route 99X began operating in August 2018 and is funded by the Low Carbon Transit Operations Program (LCTOP) cap and trade grant program. Since its launch, the route has not attracted much ridership and continues to underperform compared to other express routes. Given its low performance, changes are being proposed to increase efficiency and productivity. The proposal also includes consolidation of Route 27, which currently provides limited trips within North Concord. The proposed new alignment and schedule would:

  • Provide a faster and more direct connection between North Concord BART and Martinez Amtrak;
  • Continue serving high usage stops like North Concord BART, Concord Adult Homeless Shelter, Morello/Arnold, Martinez Amtrak, and Mason Circle;
  • Eliminate route segments with little to no ridership on both Routes 27 and 99X, including Pike Ln, the Pacheco Transit Center, Muir Rd, and Arnold Dr;
  • Improve transfer connections with Amtrak; and
  • Preserve existing service levels overall, including hours and frequency

Since the consolidation of Route 27 into Route 99X would result in current riders on Route 27 paying the higher Express route fare when using Clipper, the proposal also includes making Route 99X fare-free.

Staff reports:

Service Change ProposalDownload
Route 99X Free Fares ProposalDownload

How to Comment

Comments can be submitted in writing via mail, email, or online, or at the scheduled public hearing. Written comments must be received by May 10, 2023.

  • Add a comment on this post (bottom of page)
  • Mail your comment in writing to:
    Director of Planning & Marketing
    2477 Arnold Industrial Way
    Concord, CA 94520
  • Email planning@countyconnection.com
  • Speak at the public hearing on Thursday, May 18, 2023 at 9:00 am (in person or via teleconference):

It is anticipated that the Board of Directors will take action on the proposed program at their regular meeting scheduled for May 18, 2023, following the public hearing.

Public Hearing: Weekend Monument Free Expansion

Notice of Public Hearing

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.

How to Comment

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.

Public Hearing: 2023-2028 Short Range Transit Plan

Notice of 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.

Review the draft plan here:

Draft 2023-2028 Short Range Transit PlanDownload

How to Comment

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.

Clipper START & Youth Fare Pilot Programs

Notice of Public Hearing

The Central Contra Costa Transit Authority (County Connection) will hold two public meetings and one public hearing to gather comments on the proposed implementation of two one-year pilot programs offering a 20% discount on single-ride Clipper fares for eligible low-income adults as part of the regional Clipper START program, and for youth ages 6-18.

Proposed Program

In May 2018, the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) approved implementation of a pilot Regional Means-Based Fare Program (later named Clipper START) to provide discounted fares for low-income adults. The initial 18-month pilot, which launched in July 2020, was limited to four of the larger transit systems in the Bay Area: BART, Caltrain, Golden Gate, and Muni. Adults (ages 19-64) with incomes at or below 200% of the federal poverty level are eligible for the discount, which is provided using a specially encoded Clipper card. MTC is providing funding to partially offset the cost of the program.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, MTC has elected to use funds from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act to expand the Clipper START program to other transit operators in the region, including County Connection.

County Connection is proposing to join the regional Clipper START program and offer a discount of 20% off the regular, single-ride Clipper fare for qualifying individuals. Since the program is limited to adults and County Connection does not offer a discounted fare for youth, staff is also proposing the implementation of a 20% discount off the regular, single-ride Clipper fare for youth riders (ages 6-18) when using a Youth Clipper card. The table below summarizes the proposed discounts.

Fare TypeCurrent Clipper FareProposed Clipper START & Youth Fare
Local route$2.00$1.60
Express route$2.25$1.80
BART transfer$1.00$0.80

All cash fares, as well as passes on Clipper, will remain the same. Fares would also remain unchanged for low-income riders who elect not to apply for the Clipper START discount, as well as youth who choose not to use a Youth Clipper card. Seniors (ages 65+) and people with disabilities would continue to receive a 50% discount, and children under 6 will continue to ride free.

If approved, County Connection would begin offering the Clipper START and youth fare discounts as a one-year pilot starting in January 2021. The program will be evaluated in partnership with MTC and the other participating operators to determine the feasibility and potential funding sources for continuing the program beyond December 2021. Due to current uncertainty around schools reopening and ridership demand among youth, the pilot period for the youth fare discount may need to be adjusted in order to ensure adequate usage data is available for evaluation.

Public Meeting PresentationDownload

How to Comment

Comments can be submitted in writing via mail, email, or online, or at the scheduled public meetings. Written comments must be received by November 10, 2020.

  • In writing to:
    Director of Planning & Marketing
    2477 Arnold Industrial Way
    Concord, CA 94520

It is anticipated that the Board of Directors will take action on the proposed fare discounts at their regular meeting scheduled for November 19, 2020, following the public hearing.

Proposed Continuation of Monument Free Program

The Public Hearing originally scheduled for March 19, 2020 has been cancelled and rescheduled for April 16, 2020.

DUE TO COVID-19, THIS MEETING WILL BE CONDUCTED AS A TELECONFERENCE. Click here for more info.

Notice of Public Hearing

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 weekday Routes 11, 14, and 16, as long as funding remains available for the program through the Low Carbon Transit Operations Program (LCTOP) or another similar funding source. 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 March 11, 2020.

How to Comment

  • In writing to:
    Director of Planning & Marketing
    2477 Arnold Industrial Way
    Concord, CA 94520
  • At the public hearing:
    Thursday, April 16, 2020 at 9:00 am
    County Connection Board Room
    2477 Arnold Industrial Way
    Concord, CA 94520

It is anticipated that the Board of Directors will take action on the proposed fare program at their regular meeting scheduled for April 16, 2020, following the public hearing.