Category: Featured News Post

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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