County Connection riders in central Contra Costa County now have a route-by-route look at what could be cut if the bus agency doesn't find more money. The Central Contra Costa Transit Authority posted its Alternative Service Plan on Friday, Oct. 9. The plan would drop several express and weekend lines and make buses come less often on most local routes in Walnut Creek, Concord, Clayton, Pleasant Hill, San Ramon, Danville and Lamorinda.

The agency says it has a $6.5 million operating deficit this year. Its funding relies heavily on sales tax revenue that hasn't kept pace with inflation, so it has been spending reserves to keep current service running. The board-adopted plan is a contingency, not a decision. County Connection says it is "not a guarantee that service reductions will occur," just a roadmap if more funding doesn't arrive. The changes would cut about $6.5 million in operating costs by July 2029.

Routes that would be discontinued

  • Express routes 92X, 93X, 95X and 97X, which now run only at peak hours. The 92X and 95X appear in both the Central County and San Ramon Valley lists.
  • Route 18, which already runs only every 85 minutes after a schedule change that took effect June 7, the Walnut Creek Record reported.
  • Route 28, now every 50 minutes.
  • Weekend routes 301 and 315, now hourly.

Routes that would run less often

  • Central County: Route 5 from every 45 to every 60 minutes; Route 7 from every 20 to every 30; Route 16 from every 40 to every 60; Route 17 from every 50 to every 60; Route 20 from every 15 minutes to every 15 to 30; Route 21 from every 30 to 60 minutes to hourly; weekend Routes 310 and 320 from every 40 to every 60 minutes.
  • San Ramon Valley (San Ramon, Danville): Routes 21 and 35 would drop to hourly, and weekend Route 335 would go from every 40 to every 60 minutes.
  • Lamorinda (Orinda, Moraga, Lafayette): Route 6 would run every 60 minutes instead of every 30 to 60.

In Walnut Creek, Route 5 serves Creekside Drive, Kaiser Permanente Medical Center and Walnut Creek BART, the Walnut Creek Record noted. Routes 5, 7 and 16 are listed as free local routes.

The bigger funding picture

County Connection reports about 2.8 million rides a year across its bus and paratransit service, with 125 transit buses and 63 paratransit vehicles, according to the Walnut Creek Record. The paper also cited a California State Auditor review of six East Bay transit agencies, which found five could run through their reserves within one to five years without new money.

A regional transit sales tax, the Regional Transit Measure (Measure RTM), is on the Nov. 3 ballot. It would add a half-cent sales tax in Contra Costa, Alameda, San Mateo and Santa Clara counties and 1 percent in San Francisco for 14 years, raising about $980 million a year regionwide for county transportation agencies, the Record reported, citing Contra Costa News. County Connection's plan page does not say how the vote would affect these cuts. For more on the measure, see our Nov. 3, 2026 election guide and our regional transit measure explainer. AC Transit is holding its own contingency cut hearings on Oct. 14.

County Connection says it will post updates on its plan page in the coming months. Riders with questions can email [email protected] or call customer service at 925-676-7500, weekdays 6:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.