SMART, County Connection Offer New Routes to Complement BART

By Hacienda Network Staff Writer

With the opening of the Dublin/Pleasanton BART extension, other transit agencies are modifying their services to complement BART's. These services include commuter bus services from Contra Costa County as well as Stockton, Lathrop, Manteca, and Tracy.

County Connection

The County Connection, the bus service of the Contra Costa County Transit Authority, is making several changes to their services. Three routes 970, 259, and 121 will connect Contra Costa County with Dublin/Pleasanton BART.

Route 970, the San Ramon/Dublin-Pleasanton BART Commuter Express, will provide express service between the new BART station and San Ramon. The route will operate on weekdays from 6:56 am to 8:40 am and from 4:30 pm to 6:30 pm. The Route 970 cash fare is $1.25.

Route 121, an existing route, connects Walnut Creek with the new BART station via the San Ramon Valley. The route will change in San Ramon, with the Dublin/Pleasanton BART station, instead of the Stoneridge Mall, serving as the transfer location between the County Connection and WHEELS. The Route 121 cash fare is $1.00

New to the County Connection menu is Route 259, the San Ramon shuttle. This route, which will be serviced by a 15-passenger van, travels between the County Connection Transit Center and the new BART station. Service will be provided from 6:00 am to 6:00 pm and an off-route service is expected as well. Basic cash fare for passengers using the shuttle is $1.00.

For more information on any County Connection services, call (510) 676-7500.

Traveling SMART

The San Joaquin Regional Transit District (SMART) is offering two new commuter buses to the Dublin/Pleasanton BART station, in addition to their existing Hacienda express bus. The buses connect Stockton, Lathrop, Manteca, and Tracy to the new station and Hacienda.

The monthly pass fare to the Dublin/Pleasanton BART station is $110 from Stockton, $105 from Manteca, $100 from Lathrop, and $95 from Tracy.

Seats are reserved on a first-come, first-served basis by calling Jon Quick at (209) 948-5566, x628. Daily round-trip passes can be purchased on a space available basis for $9. Call Quick at the number above at least 24 hours in advance for daily pass reservations.

BART #1 serves west Stockton, Lathrop, and Tracy. The bus leaves Stockton weekday mornings at 4:46 am, with an additional Stockton stop at 4:58 am. A stop is made in Lathrop at the Factory Outlet Mall at 5:14 am, then at Tracy at 5:34 am. BART #1 arrives at the Dublin/Pleasanton BART station at 6:13 am. In the evening, the bus leaves BART at 5:15 pm, with its final stop in Stockton at 6:40.

BART #2 serves east Stockton, Manteca, and Tracy. The bus leaves Stockton at 5:29 am, then stops in Manteca at 5:45 am, Tracy at 6:10 am, and arrives at BART at 6:49 am. In the evening, the route begins at Dublin/Pleasanton BART at 6:15 pm and finishes its route in Stockton at 7:33 pm.

The Hacienda route leaves Stockton at 5:32 am, arriving in Hacienda at Rosewood Drive and Owens Drive at 7:02 am and at Willow Road and Gibraltar Drive at 7:05 am. In the afternoon, the bus leaves Willow Road and Gibraltar Drive at 4:30 pm and Rosewood Drive and Owens Drive at 4:35 pm, arriving in Tracy at 5:10 pm, Manteca at 5:30 pm, and Stockton at 5:50 pm.

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