AC Transit is asking East Bay riders to weigh in this week on a Contingency Service Plan that would cut about 16 percent of bus service — roughly one in six service hours — if voters reject November's Regional Transit Measure and no other long-term funding appears.

The Alameda-Contra Costa Transit District board will hold public hearings Wednesday, Oct. 14, at 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. in the second-floor board room at 1600 Franklin Street in downtown Oakland, with Zoom access and Spanish, Cantonese and Mandarin interpretation. The board will not take final action that night; comments are due by Oct. 14 and will feed into later decisions. Open houses run in the lobby from noon to 2 p.m. and 4 to 6 p.m.

What the worst-case plan would do

AC Transit projects a roughly $200 million four-year funding shortfall, including annual deficits near $50 million to $53 million beginning in fiscal 2027-28. Without sustainable funding by December 2026, the district says cuts could start in June 2027. The contingency plan keeps about 93 percent of lines in service, aims to protect the Primary Route Network (including Lines 1T, 6, 9, 18, 40, 51A, 51B, 52, 57 and the 72/72M/72L corridor), and continues to prioritize Equity Priority Communities such as West and East Oakland, South Berkeley, Richmond and the San Pablo/MacDonald corridors.

Even so, the published change chart shows real losses: Lines 19, 46L, 802, 805 and 840 would be eliminated; several Transbay and All-Nighter lines would lose trips or weekend service; many local lines would drop to every 30 to 60 minutes and run roughly 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., or in some areas 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. The district says as many as 100 buses could leave daily service and up to 300 jobs could be at risk. It also notes that at least 30,000 students ride AC Transit to school each day.

Why riders are watching Proposition RTM

The plan is explicitly tied to Proposition RTM, the regional sales-tax increase authorized by Senate Bill 63. If approved Nov. 3, the half-cent tax in Alameda, Contra Costa, San Mateo and Santa Clara counties (1 percent in San Francisco) would raise roughly $980 million a year for 14 years; AC Transit expects about $52 million to $58 million of that annually. Richmondside reported that about 6 percent of AC Transit's 136,000 daily riders have Richmond ZIP codes — roughly 8,000 people — and that nurses, night-shift workers and students told reporters less frequent buses would force costly rideshares or long walks.

Board President Diane Shaw said the district hopes the plan never takes effect but must prepare and hear from people who depend on the network. Riders can comment by email at [email protected], by phone, by mail to 1600 Franklin Street, Oakland, CA 94612, or at the Oct. 14 hearings. A board decision meeting is listed for Dec. 9 if needed; for more on the ballot measure, see our Nov. 3, 2026 Bay Area election guide.