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Frequently Asked Questions about riding Wheels and Helpful Answers to make your trip a pleasant one.


Q. Can animals ride the bus?

A. Yes and no. All animals must be contained in a carrier with a lid, unless they are service animals (hearing or seeing eye dog, etc.).


Q. My train was just a little bit late, why didn’t the bus wait for us?

A. Operators are allowed to wait no more than 3 minutes for a late train. The schedules are designed to accommodate many different time points throughout our service area, so operators need to maintain their schedules as close as possible.


Q. Why don’t you use smaller buses or vans?

A. Most of our buses are in use during the peak hours, and the larger capacity is necessary to accommodate all the riders. We are, however, researching smaller buses to be used in demonstration projects.


Q. Can I bring luggage, packages or groceries on the bus?

A. Yes, as long as you can handle all your packages by yourself.


Q. What do I do if I left something on the bus?

A. While we can’t be responsible for any items left on the bus, call the Information Center at (925) 455-7500 as soon as possible. Items found are not logged into the lost and found until after 3 p.m. the following day, so follow up calls are a good idea.


Q. Where do I get a bus transfer?

A. When boarding the bus, ask the operator for a transfer. Transfers are good for one hour on weekdays and two hours on weekends, in any direction and can be used on up to two buses.


Q. Can I ask to use the wheelchair lift to board the bus?

A. Yes. If you are unable to climb the bus stairs, you may use the lift as a standee.


Q. What can I do if my bus is delayed along it's route and will not be able to meet my connecting bus as scheduled?

A. Our number one goal is to get you to your destination on time, and in comfort!  If there is any chance that you will miss your connecting bus, ask your driver to place a call to the dispatcher for assistance.  The dispatcher can call the driver of your connecting bus and request that he/she "hold" the bus for up to 3 minutes.


Q. I depend on Wheels to get me to and from work each day.  As a daily commuter, I like to know about and keep up with the current issues as they relate to public transportation.  Where can I get Information on new services in the Tri-Valley Area?

A. Glad you asked!  Just check out our website anytime and check out News & Events.  You will find information on new and expanded services.  In addition, you can review the agendas for the Board of Directors monthly meetings as well as subcommittee meetings.  We have also provided Wheels riders with a links page with links to local government, chamber of commerce and others; along with links to Bay Area transit agencies and some helpful commuter information resources to help you stay informed!


Q. I've heard that can leave my car behind and take a Wheels Express bus to work!
Where can I get more information on this service?

A. Wheels Route 70X is a Commuter Express Service to Walnut Creek that can save you time and money.  Best of all, you can ride in comfort and arrive to your destination relaxed and stress free!  Log on to our Schedules and Maps section on our web site for more information or call Wheels Customer Service at (925) 455-7500 to assist you in planning your commute.  Let us help you plan your next trip!


Q. Do you have an feature on your website to see where my bus is at?

A. Yes we do!  It's called Wheels Webwatch and it's our new Automatic Vehicle Locator (AVL), and we're the only transit agency in the area that has this available to our passengers!  Clicking on the link below will take you to an interactive map where you can see where your bus is at:

With this tool, you can plan to arrive at the bus stop in time to board your bus to your destination. Placing your mouse over any of the stops on the map will show the next 3 times a bus is due at that stop and over any of the streets, parks, etc will show the name of them. This information pops up in a small "Balloon" icon.  The other links on our Wheels WebWatch will provide with timetables (in addition to the ones in the Schedules/Maps section), predictions for the next bus and ADA accessible predictions.  The AVL system also assists the support personnel at the bus garage to help keep things running smoothly.  Please note currently Webwatch is on a different server and currently only works with Internet Explorer 5.5 or higher.  Also the maps are large, so be patient while it downloads.


Q. Do you have a have a door-to-door transit trip planner?

A. There is such a feature and it's called the Take Transit Trip Planner.  You can find it by going to our Trip Planner link on the Main and Schedules/Maps pages.  The Trip Planner is located on the Transitinfo.org site and it operated by the MTC.  On that page, you enter your starting point and destination and it will give you an itinerary with all the info you need to complete your trip, including any transfers, how long it would take and the cost of the trip.  Currently it covers most of the agencies in the Bay Area and is located on the 511.org transportation portal.


Q. I have a question about Wheels and I don't see it answered here?

A. If your question is not answered here and couldn't locate the information on our site, feel free to go to our Contact Us page and use the Comment Card or call us directly...our Wheels Information number is on the bottom of every page.

 

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