WestCAT
{{Short description|Public transportation service in Contra Costa County, California}}
{{Infobox Bus transit
| name = WestCAT
| logo = Westcatheader.png
| logo_size = 250
| image = Westcat_gillig_low_floor_brt.JPG
| image_caption = WestCAT branded Gillig Low-Floor BRT traveling along the JPX route
| company_slogan =
| parent = Western Contra Costa Transit Authority
| founded = 1977
| headquarters = 601 Walter Ave, Pinole
| locale =
| service_area = Contra Costa County, California
| service_type = transit bus, express bus, paratransit
| alliance =
| routes = 14
| destinations =
| stops = 300
| hubs =
| stations =
| lounge =
| fleet = 57
| ridership = 4,944
| fuel_type = Diesel, Gasoline, & Hybrid Electric
| operator = MV Transportation
| General Manager = Charles Anderson
| website = [http://www.westcat.org/ westcat.org]
}}
WestCAT is a public transportation service in western Contra Costa County (north of Alameda County). It is a service of the Western Contra Costa Transit Authority. Contra Costa County has four public bus transportation services, divided geographically into western (WestCAT), central (County Connection), and eastern (Tri Delta Transit) territories. Bayshore cities and communities along the western edge of Contra Costa and Alameda counties are served by the bi-county AC Transit, which is headquartered in Oakland, California.
History and governance
The Western Contra Costa Transit Authority was established in August 1977 as a Joint Exercise of Powers Agreement between Contra Costa County and the cities of Hercules and Pinole. It was created with the purpose of owning, operating and administering a public transportation system serving the area between the Richmond/El Sobrante border to the west and the Carquinez Bridge to the east.{{cite report |url=https://www.westcat.org/Content/Pdf/Short-Range-Transit-Plan-Public-FINAL.pdf |title=Short-Range Transit Plan 2016-2026 |date=2016 |publisher=Western Contra Costa Transit Authority |access-date=21 March 2025}}{{rp|4}} The service territory covers approximately {{cvt|20|sqmi}}.{{rp|8}}
WestCAT is governed by a 7-member Board of Directors and supported by professional staff of seven. The two cities of Pinole and Hercules are each represented by two board members, while the unincorporated communities of Crockett, Rodeo, and Montalvin Manor each have one representative, appointed by the Contra Costa Board of Supervisors.{{rp|4}}
Since 1978, WestCAT has contracted a private operator to provide bus operation and supervision services.{{rp|4}} Initially, three fixed routes were provided until September 1979, when all operations were switched to dial-a-ride. Fixed routes were reintroduced in July 1987.{{rp|7}} In 2013, the contract for fixed route and dial-a-ride services was awarded to MV Transportation.{{rp|4–5}}
Fleet
WestCAT's fleet started out with shuttle vans, and then used cutaway van chassis upfitted as minibuses by ElDorado National, Thomas Built Buses, and Starcraft.
{{as of|2022|09}}, WestCAT local, regional, and express fixed routes use 35- and 40-foot Gillig Phantom and Low Floor transit buses.{{cite report |url=https://www.westcat.org/Content/Pdf/SRTP%202023%20Final.pdf |title=FINAL Short Range Transit Plan 2023–2028 |publisher=Western Contra Costa Transit Authority |date=July 2022 |access-date=25 March 2025}}{{rp|20–22}} WestCAT also uses 45-foot Motor Coach Industries D4500 and Prevost X3-45 over-the-road coaches and 43-foot Alexander Dennis Enviro500 double-decker buses for the LYNX Transbay service.{{rp|20–22}} For on-demand Dial-A-Ride service, WestCAT uses Ford E-450 Paratransit cutaway vans and Toyota Camry hybrid electric sedans.{{rp|20–22}}
WestCAT published plans in 2023 to convert to a zero-emissions fleet by 2040. Starting in 2027, WestCAT will replace vehicles in its revenue fleet which reach their end of life on a one-for-one basis with hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles, based on service distances and terrain. Although the current replacement plan does not include battery electric buses, these may be selected as the technology improves.{{cite report |url=https://www.westcat.org/Content/Pdf/WCCTA%20FINAL-APPROVED%20ZEB%20Rollout%20Plan.pdf |title=Western Contra Costa Transit Authority Zero-Emission Bus Rollout Plan |date=April 20, 2023 |publisher=Western Contra Costa Transit Authority |access-date=25 March 2025}}{{rp|3–4}}
Fixed-route service
As of September 2013, WestCAT provides a network of local and express bus routes throughout western Contra Costa County.[http://www.westcat.org/schedules/ WestCAT - Schedules and Routes] In addition, WestCAT operates regional service between Martinez (Route 30Z) and the Hercules Transit Center and between the Hercules Transit Center and Contra Costa College (Route C3).
The (Local) routes are 10, 11, 12, 15, 16, 17, 18, and 19.
Express routes include JX, JL/JR (referred to as the "J" by most riders, the "L" designates via Lakeside Drive, and the "R" designates via Richmond Parkway), JPX (serves Pinole Valley residents wanting to go to the Hercules Transit Center or BART). These routes previously were provided by BART as "BART Express" bus service through a contracted bus operator; WestCAT assumed operations in 1998.{{rp|7}}
WestCAT also operates LYNX transbay service between the Hercules Transit Center and the Salesforce Transit Center in San Francisco with stops in the Rodeo Park and Ride located on Willow Avenue, North Shore Business Park near Bio-Rad, the Victoria by the Bay neighborhood in Hercules and the Hercules Transit Center. From the Hercules Transit Center the line then goes nonstop to San Francisco via the High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lanes on I-80. WestCAT currently offers free Wi-Fi service on the LYNX line.[http://www.westcat.org/lynx/wifi.html WestCAT - Lynx Wifi Information]
Major transfer points for WestCAT routes connecting with other local transit agencies include:
=Routes=
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|+WestCAT fixed routes{{cite web |url=https://westcat.org/home/SchedSysMap |title=System Map with All Routes |date=May 4, 2024 |publisher=Western Contra Costa Transit Authority |access-date=24 March 2025}} ! rowspan="2"|Route Number ! rowspan="2"|Direction ! colspan="2"|Terminals ! colspan="3"|Days of Operation ! rowspan="2"|Notes | ||
| North/East Terminal
! South/West Terminal ! Weekday | Saturday | Sunday / Holiday |
|---|---|---|
| colspan=8 style="font-size:125%;background:#fee;" | Local Routes{{efn|Local routes are mostly operated as loops which use the Hercules Transit Center as a hub.}} | ||
| style="background:#88c96f;color:#000;" | 10
| Loop ||colspan="2"| Hercules Transit Center - Turquoise || {{yes C}} || colspan=2 {{no X}} || | ||
| style="background:#188dc6;color:#fff;" | 11
| Loop ||colspan="2"| Hercules Transit Center - Crockett || colspan=2 {{yes C}} || {{no X}} || | ||
| style="background:#ed008d;color:#fff;" | 12
| Loop ||colspan="2"| Hercules Transit Center - Mandalay/Bonaire || {{yes C}} || colspan=2 {{no X}} || | ||
| style="background:#b4b92b;color:#000;" | 15
| Loop ||colspan="2"| Hercules Transit Center - Viewpointe Blvd || {{yes C}} || colspan=2 {{no X}} || | ||
| style="background:#047f40;color:#fff;" | 16
| Loop ||colspan="2"| Richmond Parkway Transit Center - Wright Ave/Doidge Ave || {{yes C}} || colspan=2 {{no X}} || | ||
| style="background:#672d93;color:#fff;" | 19
| Loop ||colspan="2"| Hercules Transit Center - Hilltop Mall Shopping Center || {{no X}} || {{yes C}} || {{no X}} || {{anchor|19}}[19] | ||
| colspan=8 style="font-size:125%;background:#ffe;" | Regional Routes{{efn|Regional routes are operated east/west to and from the Hercules Transit Center}} | ||
| style="background:#00a751;color:#fff;" | 30Z
| East-West || Martinez Amtrak || Hercules Transit Center || {{yes C}} || colspan=2 {{no X}} || {{anchor|30Z}}[30Z] | ||
| style="background:#005cac;color:#fff;" | C3
| East-West || Hercules Transit Center | ||
| colspan=8 style="font-size:125%;background:#efe;" | Express Routes{{efn|Express routes are operated as feeder routes to BART, running north/south between the Hercules Transit Center and El Cerrito Del Norte BART station}} | ||
| style="background:#57a849;color:#fff;" | J (JR/JL) | North-South || Hercules Transit Center | ||
| style="background:#f38221;color:#fff;" | JX
| North-South || Hercules Transit Center || El Cerrito del Norte BART || {{yes C}}{{efn|name=nonoon}} || colspan=2 {{no X}} || | ||
| style="background:#f38221;color:#fff;" | JPX
| North-South || Hercules Transit Center || El Cerrito del Norte BART || {{yes C}} || colspan=2 {{no X}} || {{anchor|JPX}}[JPX] | ||
| colspan=8 style="font-size:125%;background:#eef;" | Transbay Routes{{efn|The Lynx Transbay route operates from Hercules Transit Center to the Salesforce Transit Center in San Francisco}} | ||
| style="background:#8b0303;color:#fff;" | Lynx
| North-South || Willow Avenue | {{yes C}} || {{no X}} ||{{maybe|Limited}} || {{anchor|LYNX}}[Lynx] |
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|+WestCAT discontinued fixed routes ! rowspan="2"|Route Number ! rowspan="2"|Direction ! colspan="2"|Terminals ! colspan="3"|Days of Operation ! rowspan="2"|Notes | ||
| North/East Terminal
! South/West Terminal ! Weekday | Saturday | Sunday / Holiday |
|---|---|---|
| style="background:#975ca6;color:#fff;" | 17
| Loop ||colspan="2"| Richmond Parkway Transit Center - Cypress/Broadmore || {{yes C}}{{efn|name=nonoon|Does not operate mid-day}} || colspan=2 {{no X}} || | ||
| style="background:#00aded;color:#fff;" | 18
| Loop ||colspan="2"| Richmond Parkway Transit Center - Tara Hills || {{yes C}}{{efn|name=nonoon}} || colspan=2 {{no X}} || | ||
| style="background:#22b24c;color:#fff;" | 705
| North-South || MacArthur BART || Temporary Transbay Terminal || {{yes C}} || colspan=2 {{no X}} || {{anchor|Early Bird}}[Early Bird] | ||
| style="background:#0096da;color:#fff;" | 708
| North-South || El Cerrito del Norte BART || 19th Street Oakland BART || {{yes C}} || colspan=2 {{no X}} || [Early Bird] |
{{anchor|note}}
- [JPX] Richmond Parkway Transit Center service only during midday from 9:40am to 2:30pm, route also serves Hercules Transit Center.
- [J] JR Via Richmond Parkway and Blume Drive and JL Via Lakeside Drive.
- [Lynx] Route serves Hercules Transit Center, and most peak period services also serve Bio-Rad, all terminating at Victoria By The Bay. Also operates midday (non-commute) trips between San Francisco and Hercules Transit Center, and it does not serve Bio-Rad or Victoria By The Bay.
- [Early Bird] These routes were part of the BART Early Bird Express service, which provides a limited number of weekday bus trips in the early morning before regular BART rail operations begin.{{cite web |url=https://www.bart.gov/sites/default/files/docs/EBflyer_v12.pdf |title=Early Bird Express |publisher=San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District |year=2019}} These routes were discontinued by 2024.{{cite web |url=https://www.bart.gov/schedules/early-bird-express |title=Early Bird Express |publisher=San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District |date=August 12, 2024 |access-date=24 March 2025}}
{{notelist}}
Service Area
File:Salesforce Transit Center bus deck.jpg in San Francisco.]]
WestCAT provides service to the communities of:
{{div col |colwidth=12em}}
- Bayview
- Crockett
- El Cerrito
- Hercules
- Martinez
- Montalvin Manor
- Pinole
- Port Costa
- Richmond
- Rodeo
- San Francisco
- San Pablo
- Tara Hills
{{div col end}}
The local transportation demand management organization 511 Contra Costa also provides information for intermodal transfers throughout Contra Costa County, and works closely with WestCAT to help transit users make regional connections beyond their immediate service area.
{{clear}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [http://www.westcat.org/ WestCAT]
{{San Francisco Bay Area Public Transit}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Westcat}}
Category:Public transportation in Contra Costa County, California
Category:Bus transportation in California