Category: Featured News Post

LAVTA on freeway with other traffic

LIVERMORE, Calif.– LIVERMORE, Calif. – At their November Board meeting, the Livermore Amador Valley Transit Authority Board of Directors approved Wheels 2030, the Agency’s next Strategic Plan that will anchor the agency’s mission, vision, and values across five new goal areas over a five-year horizon.

LAVTA developed Wheels 2030 in response to the Tri-Valley’s current and future mobility needs, setting an ambitious agenda to keep the agency at the forefront of transportation leadership through 2030 and beyond.

“We are thrilled that the Board adopted Wheels 2030,” LAVTA Executive Director Christy Wegener said. “At this pivotal and transitional time in the post-COVID world of public transit, taking a strategic approach to the changes necessary for transit to thrive in the Tri-Valley helps the agency prioritize it’s resources and initiatives.”

A Collaboratively Developed Plan

Wheels 2030 represents a phased approach and was developed collaboratively with consultant MIG group and LAVTA’s board of directors with input from senior agency executives and LAVTA stakeholders.

“Wheels services remain a vital transit alternative in the Tri-Valley, prioritizing reliability, accessibility and safety. The board is committed to developing a system that strengthens public confidence in transit and promotes greater mobility options,” Board Chair Julie Testa stated.  “Wheels 2030 is the framework to develop a world-class transit system. I look forward to working with all stakeholders to execute this vision.”

The result is a strategic plan that responds to local, regional, and national trends and challenges. This includes local growth, Bay Area priorities, a need for new funding sources, post-pandemic shifts in commuter travel patterns, and evolving workforce trends.

Download the complete Wheels 2030 plan.

Refreshed Vision, Mission, Goals and Core Values

The Wheels 2030 strategic plan presented an opportunity for LAVTA to refresh its vision and mission statements.

Mission: The mission of the Livermore Amador Valley Transit Authority (Wheels) is to enhance mobility through access to safe, customer oriented, reliable, and affordable public transportation.

Vision: LAVTA is an essential link in the Bay Area transportation network, providing an attractive, high quality, and reliable alternative to the private automobile for all those who depend upon it and all those who choose to use it.

Through Wheels 2030, LAVTA places a holistic emphasis on the entire customer experience including innovative passenger services, safe and reliable operations, and coordination with partners across the region.

For more information on Wheels and its services, visit www.wheelsbus.com or contact customer service at 925-455-7500. Keep up to date with rider alerts, schedule changes, and agency news by following us on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.

About the Livermore Amador Valley Transit Authority

The Livermore Amador Valley Transit Authority (LAVTA) was created in 1985 by the cities of Dublin, Livermore, Pleasanton, and Alameda County. In addition to passenger fares, the agency is supported financially by federal, state and local agencies, including Alameda County Transportation Commission Measures B and BB. LAVTA supports sustainability by reducing vehicle trips, traffic congestion and improving air quality.

LAVTA on freeway with other traffic

Youth Programs Bolster Transit Trial and Service Success

LIVERMORE, Calif.– The Livermore Amador Valley Transit Authority (LAVTA), operator of Wheels bus service in the Tri-Valley, continues to see ridership increases highlighting the success of its “Wheels in Motion” network realignment. In August 2024, the Wheels system saw approximately 126,000 boardings, a 7% year-over-year increase. Total systemwide ridership for the year was over 1.35 million passengers, an increase of 18% over the prior fiscal year. Wheels post-pandemic ridership recovery remains strong, with almost 80% of pre-covid ridership returning on weekdays and 100% on weekends.

“It’s a remarkable pace of recovery, especially in context of the Bay Area transit system as a whole. The year over year ridership gain of 18% makes Wheels a standout success.” said LAVTA Board of Directors Chair Evan Branning. “The partnerships with our school districts continue to grow as does student ridership in the Tri-Valley. I’m proud of the proactive approach the agency has taken to assessing rider needs.”

In addition to providing connections for commuters, Wheels supports students with convenient routes serving neighborhoods near school campuses throughout the Tri-Valley. At the beginning of summer, Wheels launched a Youth Ride Free promotion, followed by the annual Try Transit to School promotion which offered free rides on Wheels for the first four weeks of school.

Alex Dion, a student at Dublin High School and regular Wheels bus rider, commented, “Every day I ride Route 4 and Route 30R home from school. The forty minutes spent aboard are the highlight of my day: it’s the only time I get to truly relax and destress from school. I rely on and trust Wheels for reliable, peaceful and comfortable transportation.”

Several factors contributed to the increased year-over-year ridership growth:

  • In March, Wheels updated the schedules of Wheels Rapid routes, the 10R and 30R, to match the new BART 20-minute frequency. Routes 10R and 30R provide BART connectivity at the Dublin/Pleasanton Station. Additional Rapid service on weekends was also implemented.
  • Also in March, Wheels launched new local Route 4 serving Central Dublin and Route 18 serving South Livermore. Wheels also restored services that were suspended due to the pandemic including Route 11 serving Greenville and the 580X between Livermore and BART.

For more information on Wheels and its services, visit www.wheelsbus.com or contact customer service at 925-455-7500. For real-time arrivals and to plan your next transit trip, download the Transit App. Keep up to date with company news, schedule changes and rider alerts by following us on Facebook, Instagram and X @wheelsbus.

About the Livermore Amador Valley Transit Authority

The Livermore Amador Valley Transit Authority (LAVTA) was created in 1985 by the cities of Dublin, Livermore, Pleasanton, and Alameda County. In addition to passenger fares, the agency is supported financially by federal, state and local agencies, including Alameda County Transportation Commission Measures B and BB. LAVTA supports sustainability by reducing vehicle trips, traffic congestion and improving air quality.

The Livermore Amador Valley Transit Authority (LAVTA) Board of Directors has announced the selection of Christy Wegener to serve as the agency’s new Executive Director. Wegener previously worked at LAVTA from 2014 through 2018 as the Director of Planning and Operations. For the last four years, she has been the Director of Planning for the San Mateo County Transit District (SamTrans), responsible for strategic and operations planning for the district. In response to the Board’s selection, Wegener said, “The Wheels bus system is near and dear to my heart and I am thrilled for the opportunity to return. I am excited to work with my former LAVTA colleagues and to improve mobility options throughout the Tri-Valley.”

Alameda County Supervisor David Haubert, who serves as Chair of the LAVTA Board, said “We are very pleased that Christy was interested in returning to LAVTA. During her previous tenure here, she helped lay the groundwork for many of the innovative projects that have been implemented over the past few years, including the introduction of Shared Autonomous Vehicle technology, the Go Tri-Valley partnership with Uber and Lyft, and a fixed route system redesign that led to increased ridership. These efforts played a large role in LAVTA being named the top transit agency in North America in 2020.”

Wegener has spent nearly 20 years in the transit industry, having previously worked for the Sacramento Regional Transit District and the Fairfax County (VA) Department of Transportation. During her career, she has been recognized as one of Mass Transit Magazine’s Top 40 under 40 and is a graduate of the American Public Transportation Association’s Leadership APTA program. She holds a Master’s in Public Policy from California State University Sacramento, and a Bachelor’s in Psychology and Sociology from the University of California, Davis.

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