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Ten days after the second round of service cuts to AC Transit this year, bus riders and their allies will be joined by Alameda County Supervisors Keith Carson and Supervisor Nate Miley, Richmond Mayor Gayle McLaughlin and other elected officials at a rally to launch the AC Transit Accountability Campaign. They will gather at 5:15 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 9 at 14th and Broadway in Oakland. The campaign aims to raise sufficient and sustainable funds to return AC Transit to its pre-2010 service levels. Bus riders are asking Alameda County's elected officials - from the local to the Congressional level - to join them and fight for AC Transit riders just like they fought for BART's Oakland airline travelers. 

"When BART was short $70 million to complete its three-mile Oakland Airport Connector (OAC), elected officials from Oakland, Alameda County and Congress all pitched in and found the money," said Jana Lane, AC Transit Bus Rider and member of Genesis. "Now AC Transit is short $56 million and is cutting core service to thousands of riders, and no one seems to be paying any attention." 

Among the OAC's top supporters were Oakland Mayor Ron Dellums and City Councilmember Larry Reid, Alameda County Supervisor Scott Haggerty, Alameda County Transportation Commission Chair Mark Green, State Assemblyman Sandre Swanson, U.S. Rep. Barbara Lee and Senator Dianne Feinstein. When the OAC lost $70 million in federal stimulus money for BART's failure to comply with civil rights rules, BART was scrambling to make up the loss. These elected officials stepped in and helped find funds and swap other monies at the federal, state and local level. Bus riders are asking for the same treatment of AC Transit's system. 

With the upcoming Federal Transportation Bill reauthorization, the development of the Countywide Transportation Plan and the Regional Transportation Plan, along with the reauthorization of Alameda County's Measure B sales tax, there are plenty of opportunities to increase AC Transit's funding to reverse its cuts and protect its service for the long-term. 

"We know that the funding is out there, we just need to put our heads together, roll up our sleeves and make it work for AC Transit," said Janet Mack, AC Transit bus rider and member of ACCE.  

"We can't afford any more cuts to our service - as it means that students will be missing school, fathers and mothers will be losing job opportunities, the sick will have a harder time getting to their doctors and the list goes on and on. Not to mention that bus drivers - members of our community- are losing their jobs," said Roy Womack, a member of the Building Opportunities for Self Sufficiency (BOSS) Community Organizing Team. 

AC Transit cut approximately 7.5% of its service in March and slashed another 7.5% on October 31st. It plans on cutting another 6% of service on December 19th, which looks like roughly half of all weekend service eliminated completely and two-thirds of owl/overnighter service eliminated completely. This will bring service to its lowest levels in 30 years. For more detailed information on the upcoming cuts, see the attachment.  

WHAT: Rally to Kick-off AC Transit Accountability Campaign 

WHEN: Tuesday, November 9th, 2010 at 5:15pm 

WHERE: Corner of 14th Street and Broadway, Oakland, California 94612 (in front of the Walgreens) 

WHO: Supervisors Keith Carson and Nate Miley, Richmond Mayor Gayle McLaughlin, Berkeley City Councilmember Kriss Worthington and members of ACCE, Building Opportunities for Self Sufficiency (BOSS), Center for Progressive Action, Genesis (an affiliate of the Transportation Equity Network), Public Advocates, Richmond Progressive Alliance, United Seniors of Oakland and Alameda County, and Urban Habitat