ACTION ALERT: AC Transit Fares for Youth May Double

Tell AC Transit you oppose the fare increase!

Public Comment Line: (510) 891-7293

Say: "No to Youth Fare increase, no to senior and disabled increase and no to service cuts!'

Residents should also attend a Rally and Public Hearing on May 21st, 3:00 PM at Oakland City Hall (1 Frank Ogawa Plaza - map)

The TJWG is asking all residents to call AC Transit General Manager Rick Fernandez at (510) 891-4753 and your local board member to voice their opposition to the proposed fare increases for ALL RIDERS, especially, the outrageous hikes for youth and senior passes. We’ve included some key talking points and contact information below.

If you live in the East Bay please contact your local AC Board Member, as well. (see below for contact information)

The Transportation Justice Working Group is gearing up to fight these increases. AC Transit has scheduled a May 21st Public Hearing scheduled for 4pm (Oakland City Hall, 1 Frank H. Ogawa Plaza - map)

• Proposals include increases of 86% for the youth pass, 40% for the senior/disabled pass and 14% for their adult pass and a 25 cent base fare increase.
• 227,000 people every day depend on AC transit to get to work, school, and other daily need. The proposed increases are unfair and in a time where Bay Area families are facing increasing unemployment, mortgage foreclosures and inflation we know fare increases for public transportation must be prevented.
• Ask AC Transit management and the Board to please consider all alternatives (including seeking additional federal support and funding from Alameda County and the Metropolitan Transportation Commission) before imposing harsh fare increases and service cuts
• 61% of all of AC Transit riders are considered “transit-dependent,” meaning that they lack access to a car.
• Students depend on AC Transit to get to school, after-school programs and jobs. A 2005 survey found that 4 out of 5 students ride AC Transit at least twice a week and, of those, 76% report having had to use their lunch money to pay for their bus fare. (Study by Kids First Oakland/REAL HARD of over 1,000 high school students in AC Transit’s district)
• 30,000 youth ride AC Transit daily. An increase in the cost of the Youth Pass will disproportionately impact these low-income families and their children.

Please contact Bob at (510)-839-3716 bob (at) urbanhabitat (dot) org or Lindsay (510)-844-1191 or
Lindsay (at) urnbanhabitat (dot) org for more information about the TJWG and this campaign.

Make TWO CALLS today:

Rick Fernandez (General Manager of AC Transit Board)
(510) at 891-4753

AC Transit Board Members

1. Chris Peeples (President – At large)
Email: cpeeples@actransit.org
Telephone: 510-891-7151
Fax: 510-658-1425

2. Rebecca Kaplan (Vice President – At large)
Email: rebeccak@igc.org
Telephone: (510) 891-7146
Fax: (510) 891-7157

3. Joe Wallace (Ward 1: El Sobrante, San Pablo, Richmond, El Cerrito, Albany, Kensington and most of Berkeley)
Email: jwallace@actransit.org
Telephone: (510) 891-7143
Fax: (510) 234-7689

4. Greg Harper (Ward 2: Emeryville, Piedmont, South Berkeley and North Oakland)
Email: gharper@actransit.org
Telephone: (510) 891-7145
Fax: (510) 420-8913

5. Elsa Ortiz (Ward 3: City of Alameda, most of Oakland, and Northern part of San Leandro)
Email: eortiz@actransit.org
Telephone: (510) 891-7211
Fax: (510) 891-4705

6. Rocky Fernandez (Ward 4: Most of San Leandro, Castro Valley, San Lorenzo, Ashland, the other unincorporated areas of Alameda County and Eastern Hayward)
Email: rrfernan@actransit.org
Telephone: (510) 891-7154
Fax: (510) 891-4705

7. Jeff Davis (Ward 5: Fremont, Newark and most of Hayward)
Email: jsdavis@actransit.org
Telephone: (510) 891-7171
Fax: (510) 891-4705