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WestCAT

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WestCAT
WestCAT branded Gillig Low-Floor BRT traveling along the JPX route
ParentWestern Contra Costa Transit Authority
Founded1977
Headquarters601 Walter Ave, Pinole
Service areaContra Costa County, California
Service typetransit bus, express bus, paratransit
Routes14
Stops300
Fleet57
Daily ridership4,944
Fuel typeDiesel, Gasoline, & Hybrid Electric
OperatorMV Transportation
Websitewestcat.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

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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.[1]: 4  The service territory covers approximately 20 sq mi (52 km2).[1]: 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.[1]: 4 

Since 1978, WestCAT has contracted a private operator to provide bus operation and supervision services.[1]: 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.[1]: 7  In 2013, the contract for fixed route and dial-a-ride services was awarded to MV Transportation.[1]: 4–5 

Fleet

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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 September 2022, WestCAT local, regional, and express fixed routes use 35- and 40-foot Gillig Phantom and Low Floor transit buses.[2]: 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.[2]: 20–22  For on-demand Dial-A-Ride service, WestCAT uses Ford E-450 Paratransit cutaway vans and Toyota Camry hybrid electric sedans.[2]: 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.[3]: 3–4 

Fixed-route service

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As of September 2013, WestCAT provides a network of local and express bus routes throughout western Contra Costa County.[4] 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.[1]: 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.[5]

Major transfer points for WestCAT routes connecting with other local transit agencies include:

Routes

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WestCAT fixed routes[6]
Route Number Direction Terminals Days of Operation Notes
North/East Terminal South/West Terminal Weekday Saturday Sunday / Holiday
Local Routes[a]
10 Loop Hercules Transit Center - Turquoise Yes No
11 Loop Hercules Transit Center - Crockett Yes No
12 Loop Hercules Transit Center - Mandalay/Bonaire Yes No
15 Loop Hercules Transit Center - Viewpointe Blvd Yes No
16 Loop Richmond Parkway Transit Center - Wright Ave/Doidge Ave Yes No
19 Loop Hercules Transit Center - Hilltop Mall Shopping Center No Yes No [19]
Regional Routes[b]
30Z East-West Martinez Amtrak Hercules Transit Center Yes No [30Z]
C3 East-West Hercules Transit Center
 Contra Costa College Yes No
Express Routes[c]
J
(JR/JL) 		North-South Hercules Transit Center
Weekdays
Willow/Viewpointe
Weekdays after 8pm & Weekends		 El Cerrito del Norte BART Yes [J]
JX North-South Hercules Transit Center El Cerrito del Norte BART Yes[d] No
JPX North-South Hercules Transit Center El Cerrito del Norte BART Yes No [JPX]
Transbay Routes[e]
Lynx North-South Willow Avenue
Commute trips
Hercules Transit Center
Non-commute trips		 Salesforce Transit Center

(San Francisco)

Yes No Limited [Lynx]
WestCAT discontinued fixed routes
Route Number Direction Terminals Days of Operation Notes
North/East Terminal South/West Terminal Weekday Saturday Sunday / Holiday
17 Loop Richmond Parkway Transit Center - Cypress/Broadmore Yes[d] No
18 Loop Richmond Parkway Transit Center - Tara Hills Yes[d] No
705 North-South MacArthur BART Temporary Transbay Terminal Yes No [Early Bird]
708 North-South El Cerrito del Norte BART 19th Street Oakland BART Yes No [Early Bird]

  • [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.[7] These routes were discontinued by 2024.[8]
  1. ^ Local routes are mostly operated as loops which use the Hercules Transit Center as a hub.
  2. ^ Regional routes are operated east/west to and from the Hercules Transit Center
  3. ^ Express routes are operated as feeder routes to BART, running north/south between the Hercules Transit Center and El Cerrito Del Norte BART station
  4. ^ a b c Does not operate mid-day
  5. ^ The Lynx Transbay route operates from Hercules Transit Center to the Salesforce Transit Center in San Francisco

Service Area

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AC Transit and WestCAT LYNX buses at Salesforce Transit Center
A WestCAT Lynx fixed route bus, alongside an AC Transit bus, at the Salesforce Transit Center in San Francisco.

WestCAT provides service to the communities of:

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.

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g Short-Range Transit Plan 2016-2026 (PDF) (Report). Western Contra Costa Transit Authority. 2016. Retrieved 21 March 2025.
  2. ^ a b c FINAL Short Range Transit Plan 2023–2028 (PDF) (Report). Western Contra Costa Transit Authority. July 2022. Retrieved 25 March 2025.
  3. ^ Western Contra Costa Transit Authority Zero-Emission Bus Rollout Plan (PDF) (Report). Western Contra Costa Transit Authority. April 20, 2023. Retrieved 25 March 2025.
  4. ^ WestCAT - Schedules and Routes
  5. ^ WestCAT - Lynx Wifi Information
  6. ^ "System Map with All Routes". Western Contra Costa Transit Authority. May 4, 2024. Retrieved 24 March 2025.
  7. ^ "Early Bird Express" (PDF). San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District. 2019.
  8. ^ "Early Bird Express". San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District. August 12, 2024. Retrieved 24 March 2025.
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