WHEELS (California)

File:LAVTA wheels logo.png
Founded	1986
Headquarters	1362 Rutan Court, Suite 100, Livermore, California
Service type	bus service, paratransit
Routes	17 local routes and 15 select school routes
Stops	~500
Fleet	74 regular buses and 27 paratransit vehicles
Operator	Livermore Amador Valley Transit Authority
Website	wheelsbus.com

WHEELS is a bus service that provides public transportation in the Tri-Valley Region (southeast Alameda County) of the San Francisco Bay Area, in the United States. Started in 1986, Wheels offers service to various communities in three cities, and connects to Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) and Altamont Commuter Express (ACE) trains for connections to and from the greater Bay Area (Oakland, San Francisco, San Jose) and Central Valley (Stockton, Modesto, Tracy).

Wheels is operated by the Livermore Amador Valley Transit Authority (LAVTA), and it has carried nearly 2 million passengers annually.

Areas served

WHEELS operates in Alameda County, with limited service in Contra Costa County.

Alameda County:

• Dublin
• Livermore
• Pleasanton

Contra Costa County:

• Pleasant Hill
• San Ramon
• Walnut Creek

Fixed-route service

As of January 2011, Wheels operates twelve (12) local routes, two express routes, fifteen (15) select school routes, and two shuttle routes. Descriptions for all services are described below.

Local Routes

Note that routes that have a V on a route number means that it is a variation of the original route (i.e. express service, operating differently from regular route)

Route Number	Days of Operation	Direction	Terminals		Cities, Communities, and Attractions Served	Notes	Schedule Information
			North/East Terminal	South/West Terminal
1A East Dublin	Weekdays only	Clockwise loop	Dublin Pleasanton BART Station		Santa Rita Jail, Waterford Plaza, Koll Center, Hacienda Business Park (Rose Pavilion, Walmart, Oracle)	operates in the afternoon and evening; for morning service, see Route 1B	Routes 1/1A/1B Schedule
1B East Dublin	Weekdays only	Counterclockwise loop			Hacienda Business Park (Oracle, Walmart, Rose Pavilion, Koll Center), Waterfront Plaza, Santa Rita Jail	Operates in the morning; for afternoon and evening service, see Route 1A
1 East Dublin	Weekends	Clockwise loop			Santa Rita Jail, Waterford Plaza, Koll Center, Hacienda Business Park (Rose Pavilion, Walmart, Oracle)	Integrated with former shuttle Route 51
2 Dublin Ranch	Weekday peak periods only	East-West, then loop	Dublin Ranch Village (Fallon Middle School)	Dublin/Pleasanton BART Station	Emerald Point, Emerald Glen Park, Dublin Ranch Village		Route 2 Schedule
3 West Dublin	Weekdays and Saturdays	Loop	Dublin/Pleasanton BART Station		Hacienda Business Park, Stoneridge Mall, Safeway Offices, Dublin Plaza, Dublin Senior Center, Dublin High School, Dublin Swim Center, San Ramon Senior Center, Amador Lakes, Dougherty Road, West Dublin/Pleasanton BART (Dublin)	Mornings run clockwise, afternoons run counterclockwise	Routes 3/3V Schedule
3V West Dublin	Weekday peak periods only				West Dublin/Pleasanton BART (Pleasanton), Dougherty Road, Wells Middle School, Valley High School, Dublin High School, Dublin Swim Center, Shannon Park, Heritage Center, Kaiser Pleasanton, Hacienda Business Park
8A/8B Pleasanton	Weekdays only	North-South, then loop	Dublin/Pleasanton BART Station	Pleasanton (Bernal & Palomino)	Hacienda Business Park, DMV, Alameda County Fairgrounds, Downtown Pleasanton (Village High School, Oak Hill Center, Senior Center, Ridgeview Commons, Civic Center), Kottinger Park	Mornings serve Bernal Business Park from BART; afternoons serve Bernal Business Park to BART For peak period service between Bernal & Palomino and Dublin/Pleasanton BART, see Route 10V In Downtown Pleasanton, route operates as follows: Route 8A: BART → Civic Center → First & Neal → Kottinger Park → Senior Center → Ridgeview Commons → BART Route 8B: BART → Ridgeview Commons → Senior Center → First & Neal → Kottinger Park → Civic Center → BART	Routes 8/8A/8B Schedule
8 Pleasanton	Saturdays only			Downtown Pleasanton (Neal & First)	Hacienda Business Park, DMV, Alameda County Fairgrounds, Downtown Pleasanton (Pleasanton ACE Station, Village High School, Oak Hill Center, Senior Center, Ridgeview Commons)
9 Hacienda Business Park	Weekday peak periods only (limited holiday service)	Loop	Dublin/Pleasanton BART Station		Hacienda Business Park (Oracle, Walmart, CarrAmerica, Alameda Municipal Court, Hart Middle School, Chabot Drive)	Mornings operate clockwise; afternoons operate counterclockwise. Select trips originate from or continue as Route 70X at Dublin/Pleasanton BART Station.	Route 9 Schedule
10 Dublin-Livermore	Daily (including holidays)	East-West	Livermore (LLNL/Sandia Transit Hub)	Weekdays: Dublin/Pleasanton BART Station	Dublin Plaza, Dublin/Pleasanton BART, Valley Care Medical Center, Downtown Pleasanton (First & Neal), Shadow Cliffs Regional Park, Downtown Livermore (Livermore Transit Center, Livermore ACE Station), Livermore High School	Operates special schedules on Thanksgiving and Christmas Days Service to Stoneridge Mall weekdays (between 6am and 9pm) is operated by the Tri-Valley Rapid (see below)	Route 10 Schedule
				Early AM and late PM weekdays and weekends: Pleasanton (Stoneridge Mall)
10V Santa Rita Road	Weekday peak periods only		Pleasanton (Bernal & Palomino)	Dublin/Pleasanton BART Station	Valley Care Medical Center, Downtown Pleasanton	Operates as a complement to Route 10 from 6:30am to 9am, then 4:15pm to 7pm
11 Greenville Road	Weekday peak periods only	East-West, then loop	Livermore (Las Positas & Greenville)	Livermore Transit Center	Target, Las Positas Rd, Springtown	Operates counterclockwise from Las Positas & Vasco via Vasco, Northfront, Greenville, and Las Positas, with service to Preston St.	Route 11 Schedule
12 Dublin-Livermore	Daily (except Sundays)	East-West	Livermore Transit Center	Dublin/Pleasanton BART Station	Hacienda Crossings, Waterford Center, Costco, Las Positas College, Airway Blvd Park and Ride, Downtown Livermore (ACE Station)	Limited school days-only service operates via Hagemann Park	Routes 12/12V Schedule
12V Dublin-Livermore	Weekday peak periods only				Airway Blvd Park and Ride, Downtown Livermore (ACE Station)	Express service between Hacienda Road/I-580 and Airway Blvd/I-580; route does not serve Las Positas College
14 Downtown Livermore	Weekdays only	Loop	Livermore Transit Center		Junction Avenue Middle School, Chestnut, Olivina, Murrieta, Pine, P St, Fourth St, Civic Center, Livermore High School		Route 14 Schedule
15A Springtown	Daily (including holidays)	East-West, then loop	Livermore (Garaventa & Altamont Cr)	Livermore Transit Center	Junction Avenue Middle School, Walmart, Kaiser Livermore, Target, Springtown Golf Course, Christensen School	Clockwise loop around Springtown; route serves via Blueball & Galloway before serving Christensen School	Routes 15A/15B Schedule
15B Springtown	Weekday peak periods only					Counterclockwise loop; route serves via Blueball & Galloway after serving Christensen School
18A Granada	Weekday peak periods only (with special holiday service)	North-South, then loop	Livermore Transit Center	Granada High School	4th Street, Holmes Street, Granada Community Center, Mendelhall Middle School, Vineyard High School, Granada High School, Valley Medical Center	Clockwise loop; route serves Concannon, Arroyo, Superior, Lexington, and Holmes mornings only	Routes 18A/18B Schedule
18B Granada	Weekday peak periods only					Counterclockwise loop; route serves Concannon, Arroyo, Superior, Lexington, and Holmes afternoons only

Wheels also operated an All-Nighter route, Route 810, that ran between Downtown Livermore and Bay Fair BART Station in San Leandro, serving areas currently provided by the all-day Route 10. However, due to budget cuts and low ridership, this route has been eliminated on June 27, 2009.

Tri-Valley Rapid

Wheels launched its rapid transit service on January 24, 2011, called the Tri-Valley Rapid. Billed as "the next generation transit system", the Tri-Valley Rapid makes travel in the Tri-Valley area (namely Dublin, Pleasanton, and Livermore) easier, safer, and cleaner, and it incorporates similar features already used by Bay Area transit agencies, like AC Transit and Golden Gate Transit, including:

• Buses operating every 10 minutes during peak periods (6:15am to 9am, 3:45pm to 7pm) and 15 minutes all other times to provide maximum convenience for passengers
• Stops are mainly concentrated at major intersections and attractions
• All-day service (operates from 6:15am to 9:00pm on weekdays)
• New technologies (bus signal priority and queue jump lanes) that are used to move through traffic quickly
• New ultra low emission, low-floor buses with distinct styling
• Enhanced bus shelters with electronic bus arrival signs (similar to the NextBus deployed on AC Transit and San Francisco MUNI)

Schedule and stops served by the Tri-Valley Rapid

Express Routes

All express routes operate weekday peak periods only (between 5:00 and 9:00am and 3:30 and 8:00pm). Limited holiday service is provided on two routes on the following holidays:

• Martin Luther King Day
• Presidents' Day
• Day after Thanksgiving
• Christmas Eve (unless weekday service announced)
• New Year's Eve (unless weekday service announced)

Route Number	Direction	Terminals		Cities, Communities, and Attractions Served	Express Area	Direction of Travel		Notes	Schedule Information
		North/East Terminal	South/West Terminal			Morning commute	Afternoon commute
20X	East-West	Livermore Transit Center	Dublin/Pleasanton BART Station	Hacienda Business Park (Oracle), Vasco ACE Station, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, LLNL/Sandia Transit Hub, Mines Rd, First Street	Between Hacienda Road/I-580 (Pleasanton) and Greenville Rd/I-580 (Livermore)	Towards Livermore	Towards BART	Route operates special holiday service on select holidays	Route 20X Schedule Route 20X Holiday Schedule
70X	North-South	Pleasant Hill BART Station	Dublin/Pleasanton BART Station	Dublin, Walnut Creek (BART), Pleasant Hill	Between Dublin Blvd/I-680 (Dublin) and S Main St/I-680 (Walnut Creek)	Operates in both directions		Route operates special holiday service on select holidays. Select trips originate from or continue as Route 9 at the Dublin/Pleasanton BART Station.	Route 70X Schedule Route 70X Holiday Schedule
70XV			Pleasanton (Stoneridge Mall)	Pleasanton (Stoneridge & McWilliams), Walnut Creek (BART, Kaiser Hospital), Pleasant Hill	Between Stoneridge Dr/I-680 (Pleasanton) and S Main St/I-680 (Walnut Creek)	Towards Pleasant Hill	Towards Stoneridge Mall	Walnut Creek Kaiser served morning trip only

Shuttle Routes

Wheels' shuttle routes are numbered between 50 and 59, and these usually operate on certain days and at certain times only. These routes serve destinations close to BART and ACE stations.

Route Number	Days of Operation	Direction	Terminals		Cities, Communities, and Attractions Served	Notes	Schedule Information
			North/East Terminal	South/West Terminal
53	Weekday peak periods only	North-South	Stoneridge Mall	Pleasanton ACE Station	West Dublin/Pleasanton BART, Alameda County Fairgrounds	Operates via I-680 (both ways) and Stoneridge & McWilliams (NB only); bus schedules coordinated with ACE trains	Route 53 Schedule
54	Weekday peak periods only	North-South	Dublin/Pleasanton BART Station	Pleasanton ACE Station	Alameda County Fairgrounds, Bernal Business Park, Hopyard Rd, Hacienda Business Park (Hart Middle School, Willow Rd, CarrAmerica, Walmart, Oracle, Alameda Municipal Court, Rose Pavilion), Koll Center, Hacienda Crossings	Operates around the Hacienda Business Park and Bernal Business Park northbound AM and southbound PM; bus schedules coordinated with ACE trains	Route 54 Schedule

Select School Day Services

Wheels operates fifteen (15) dedicated Select School Day services (also called School Trippers) that bring students to and from schools in the cities of Dublin and Pleasanton, and these operate when schools are in session.

Regular Routes that Provide Select School Day Services: These routes provide additional trips to serve nearby schools along their main routes.

• 2 (East Dublin) to Fallon Middle School and Wells Middle School
• 3V (West Dublin) to Wells Middle School
• 11 (Greenville Road) to Livermore High School
• 12 (Dublin-Livermore) to Junction Middle School (ends at Airway Blvd Park and Ride)
• 18A/18B (Granada) to Granada High School, Mendelhall Middle School, and Vineyard High School

Select School Day-only Services: These trips are identified as routes numbered:

• In Dublin: in the 200s (two routes)
• In Livermore: one route (Route 16)
• In Pleasanton: in the 600s (twelve routes)

and these operate during school days only, with most morning trips leaving later on Wednesdays.

Route Number	Direction	School/s Served	Communities and Attractions Served	Schedule Information
16	East-West	Livermore High School East Ave. Middle School	Big Trees Park, East Avenue	Route 16 Schedule
201	East-West	Dublin High School	Central Pkwy, Tassajara Rd, Fallon Rd	Route 201 Schedule
202	East-West	Dublin High School	Dublin Ranch Villages, Dublin Blvd	Route 202 Schedule
601	East-West	Pleasanton Middle School	Ruby Hill, Bernal Avenue	Route 601 Schedule
602	North-South	Foothill High School	Downtown Pleasanton, Del Prado Park, Parkside, Valley Trails Park	Route 602 Schedule
603	East-West	Hart Middle School	Stoneridge, Muirwood Park	Route 603 Schedule
604	East-West	Foothill High School	Fairlands, Hacienda Business Park, Stoneridge, Muirwood Park	Route 604 Schedule
605	North-South, with Loop	Amador Valley High School	Fairlands, Amaral Park, Kamp Road	Route 605 Schedule
606	East-West, with Loops	Pleasanton Middle School	Vintage Hills, Tawny Park, Kottinger Drive	Route 606 Schedule
607	North-South	Hart Middle School	Laguna Oaks	Route 607 Schedule
608	North-South	Harvest Park Middle School	Mission Plaza, Amador Center, Nielsen Park, Amaral Park	Route 608 Schedule
609	North-South	Hart Middle School	Del Prado Park, Parkside Drive, Valley Trails	Route 609 Schedule
610	East-West	Hart Middle School	Fairlands, Valley Care Medical Center	Route 610 Schedule
611	North-South	Amador Valley High School	Ruby Hill, Vintage Hills, Tawny Park	Route 611 Schedule
612	East-West	Amador Valley High School Harvest Park Middle School	Del Prado Park, Harvest Park, Amador Valley Community Park	Route 612 Schedule

Transfer hubs

The major transfer points for the majority of Wheels' routes include:

• Dublin/Pleasanton BART Station (for Routes 1A, 1B, 1C, 2, 3, 3V, 8, 8A, 8B, 9, 10, 12, 12V, 20X, 51, 53, 54, and 70X)
  • Also the main transfer point for Amtrak Motorway, County Connection, Modesto Area Express (MAX), San Joaquin RTD, and Tri-Delta Express buses.
• Livermore Transit Center in Downtown Livermore (for Routes 10, 11, 12, 12V, 14, 15A, 15B, 16, 18A, 18B, 20X, and 55)
  • Also the main transfer point for ACE commuter trains.

Ticketing

Fares

Fares are effective 22 March 2009

Type	Adult (19-64)/Student (6-18)†	Senior (65+)/Disabled ‡
Local	US$2.00	US$1.00
Paratransit Service (Dial-A-Ride)	US$3.50	US$3.50

• † Children under six years of age may ride free, but must be accompanied by an adult.
• ‡ Appropriate identification must be presented to obtain the discounted Senior/Disabled fare.
• ₮ In order to facilitate passenger connections between Wheels and County Connection buses, transfer slips are issued upon request at the time the proper fare is paid. Transfer are valid for two hours.

Transfers

Transfers are given out to passengers only at time of boarding, and these are honored only on the day issued and are valid on any Wheels fixed route bus within two (2) hours after boarding.

Transferring to a Wheels-operated route from:

• Another Wheels-operated route: Free
• County Connection: Free
• ACE: Free
• BART: add $1.00 to the fare (applicable to all fare types)

Transfers from a Wheels-operated route to BART, however, are not honored.

Passes

Wheels offers for sale several bus passes or punch cards which provide a discount over cash fare:

• Monthly Pass (East Bay Value Pass) for US$60.00, valid on all Wheels, County Connection, Tri Delta Transit and WestCAT fixed-route buses
• Senior (65+)/Disabled Monthly Pass for US$18.00
• Farebusters Ticket Strips (10 Rides) for US$16.00

Connecting transit agencies

• ACE, at the Pleasanton, Livermore, and Vasco stations
• Amtrak California, at the Livermore Transit Center and the Dublin/Pleasanton BART Station
• BART, at the Dublin/Pleasanton and West Dublin/Pleasanton stations in Alameda County, and at the Walnut Creek and Pleasant Hill stations in Contra Costa County
• County Connection routes, at the Dublin/Pleasanton, Walnut Creek and Pleasant Hill BART stations, at shared stops in San Ramon along Alcosta Blvd., in Dublin along Village Pkwy., Dublin Blvd. Dougherty Rd., and at the Pleasanton ACE station
• Greyhound, at the Livermore Transit Center
• MAX Modesto BART Express, at the Dublin/Pleasanton BART station
• San Joaquin RTD Routes 160 and 171, at the Dublin/Pleasanton BART station
• Tri Delta Transit Delta Express, at the Dublin/Pleasanton BART station

The local transportation demand management organization 511 Contra Costa also provides information for intermodal transfers throughout the county and works closely with Wheels to improve regional transit options.

External links

• Livermore Amador Valley Transit Authority official website
• List of Wheels bus routes and descriptions