Wheels (California)

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A Wheels bus at Livermore station in 2018
Parent	Livermore Amador Valley Transit Authority
Founded	1986
Headquarters	1362 Rutan Court, Suite 100, Livermore, California
Service area	Tri Valley
Service type	Bus service Paratransit
Routes	9 local routes, 3 express routes, 3 shuttle routes, 15 select school trippers
Stops	~500
Destinations	Livermore, Dublin, Pleasanton
Hubs	Dublin/Pleasanton BART
Stations	Livermore Transit Center
Fleet	74 buses
Daily ridership	5,737 daily (1.7 million annually)
Operator	MV Transportation
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 Corridor 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.^[1]

Areas served[]

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

Alameda County:

• Dublin
• Pleasanton
• Livermore

Contra Costa County:

• Pleasant Hill
• San Ramon
• Walnut Creek

Fixed-route service[]

As of March 2020, Wheels operates seven (7) local routes, two (2) Rapid routes, three (3) express routes, fifteen (15) select school trippers and three (3) shuttle routes.^[2][3] Descriptions for all routes are described below.

Local Routes[]

Note that routes with an X are express routes. And routes with an R are Rapid routes

Route	Days of Operation	Direction	North/East Terminal	South/West Terminal	Cities, Communities, and Attractions Served	Service Frequency	Schedule Information
1 Santa Rita County Jail	Everyday	Loop	Dublin/Pleasanton BART Station		East Dublin, Emerald Point, East County Hall of Justice, Santa Rita County Jail	Operates every 30 mins. during the day. And every 60 mins. on weekends	[1]
2 Dublin Ranch	Monday-Friday	East-West, then loop	Dublin Ranch Village,Fallon Middle School, Positano & Valentano	Dublin/Pleasanton BART Station	East Dublin, Emerald Point, Emerald Glen Park, Dublin Ranch Village	Operates hourly during peak times (commute hours)(Currently Suspended due to Covid-19)	[2]
3 Stoneridge	Everyday	Loop	Dublin/Pleasanton BART Station	Stoneridge Mall	Dublin/Pleasanton BART Station, Stoneridge Dr., Stoneridge Mall	Operates every 30 mins. during most of the day on weekdays, 60 mins. midday and at night, and 40 mins. on weekends.	[3]
8 Hopyard	Everyday	Bi-directional	Dublin/Pleasanton BART Station	Bernal & Palomino	Hopyard, South Pleasanton, Downtown Pleasanton, Pleasanton Senior Center	Operates every 30 mins. during peak periods and 60 mins. midday and weekends	[4]
10R (RAPID) Dublin-Livermore	Everyday	East- West	Livermore Transit Center (ACE)	Dublin/Pleasanton BART Station	Dublin/Pleasanton BART Station, Walmart, Stanford Health Care-Valley Care Medical Center, Downtown Pleasanton, Shadow Cliffs Regional Recreation area, Downtown Livermore, Livermore Transit Center (ACE)	Operates every 15 mins. on weekdays during peak and midday hours. And every 30-60 mins. weekday evenings and weekends.	[5]
11 Greenville	Monday-Friday	Bi-directional	Vasco ACE Station	Livermore Transit Center (ACE)	Livermore Transit Center (ACE), Las Positas, Livermore industrial area, Vasco ACE Station	Operates hourly commute hours only (Currently Suspended due to Covid-19)	[6]
14 Pleasanton-Livermore	Everyday	East- West	Livermore Transit Center (ACE)	Dublin/Pleasanton BART Station	Livermore Transit Center (ACE), Livermore Civic Center, Downtown Livermore, Jack London Blvd., San Francisco Premium Outlets, Stoneridge Dr., Dublin/Pleasanton BART Station	Operates 30-45 min. during commute hours, evenings (excluding last westbound bus). And hourly midday and weekends.	[7]
15 Springtown	Everyday	East-West, then loop	Livermore (Scenic & Vasco)	Livermore Transit Center	Junction Avenue Middle School, Walmart, Kaiser-Livermore, Target, Springtown Golf Course, Christensen Middle School	Operates every 30 mins., until 7:30 pm. Every 60 mins. till after midnight and on weekends	[8]
30R (RAPID) Dublin-Livermore	Everyday	East- West	Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory	W. Dublin/Pleasanton BART Station	Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, East Ave., Downtown Livermore, Livermore transit Center (ACE), Portola Ave., Las Positas Community College, North Canyons Pkwy, Costco, Dublin Blvd., Dublin/Pleasanton BART Station, Dublin Civic Center, W. Dublin/Pleasanton BART Station	Operates every 15 mins. on weekdays during peak and midday hours. And hourly on weekday evenings and weekends.	[9]

• Wheels also operated an All-Nighter route, Route 810, that ran between Downtown Livermore to 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 was eliminated on June 27, 2009.^[4]

Tri-Valley Rapid[]

On January 24, 2011, Wheels launched its first Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) service called the "Tri-Valley Rapid", dubbed route "R" for short. Billed as "the next generation transit system", the Tri-Valley Rapid makes travel in the Tri-Valley area (Dublin, Pleasanton, and Livermore) cleaner, easier, and faster. Route R was a route that ran parallel to its parent route-route 10 from Stoneridge Mall to the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. As of August 2016, Wheels rolled out a second Rapid route numbered "30R" along with new and modified routes throughout the system. Route 10 was then modified and renumbered as route "10R". Wheels Rapid service incorporates similar features already used by local Bay Area transit agencies, like AC Transit and Golden Gate Transit, including:

• Buses operating every 15 minutes from 5:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. on weekdays. And 15 minutes all other times to provide maximum convenience for passengers
• Stops are mainly concentrated at major intersections and attractions along the route
• All-day service (operates from 4:30 a.m. to 1:40 a.m. on weekdays)
• New technology using bus only lanes with signal priority also known as "Queue Jump Signals" at certain intersections
• New low floor, ultra low emission hybrid buses with distinct styling and free on board Wi-Fi
• 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 (redirects to wheelsbus.com)

Express Routes[]

All express routes operate weekday peak periods only (between 5:00 and 9:00 am and 3:30 and 8:00 pm). Holiday service is not currently provided by express routes.

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 Vasco	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	Dublin/Pleasanton BART Station, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Vasco ACE Station, N Mines Road, Livermore Transit Center (ACE)	Towards Livermore	Towards BART	Route operates Monday-Friday during commute hours only	Route 20X Schedule [10]
70X Pleasant Hill	North-South	Pleasant Hill BART Station	Dublin/Pleasanton BART Station	Dublin/Pleasanton BART, Walnut Creek BART, Pleasant Hill BART	Dublin/Pleasanton BART Station, Dublin Blvd., Dublin Civic Center, I-680, Walnut Creek BART Station and Pleasant Hill BART Station	Operates in both directions		Route operates Monday-Friday during commute hours only	Route 70X Schedule [11]
580X 580 Express	East- West	Livermore Transit Center (ACE)	Dublin/Pleasanton BART Station	Dublin/Pleasanton BART Station, I-580, North Livermore Ave., Livermore Transit Center (ACE)	Dublin/Pleasanton BART Station, I-580, Livermore Transit Center (ACE)	Operates in both directions		Route operates Monday-Friday during commute hours only	Route 580X Schedule [12]

Shuttle Routes[]

Wheels shuttle routes are numbered between 50 and 59, and usually operate on certain days or at certain times only. These routes serve destinations close to BART, local events, office and industrial parks, and ACE stations.

• Holiday service is currently provided by routes 53 and 54 on Martin Luther King Jr.'s day and President's day.^[5]

Route Number	Days of Operation	Direction	Terminals		Cities, Communities, and Attractions Served	Notes	Schedule Information
			North/East Terminal	South/West Terminal
52	Seasonal	North-South	Dublin/Pleasanton BART Station	Pleasanton ACE Station	Dublin/Pleasanton BART Station, Alameda County Fairgrounds	Operates only when the Alameda County Fair is in season
53	Weekday peak periods only	North-South	Stoneridge Mall	Pleasanton ACE	West Dublin/Pleasanton BART, Alameda County Fairgrounds, Stoneridge Mall, Kaiser-Pleasanton	Operates via I-680 (both ways) and Stoneridge & McWilliams (NB only); bus schedules coordinated with ACE trains
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

Select School Day Services[]

Wheels operates fifteen (15) dedicated Select School routes (also known as School Trippers) that bring students to and from schools in the cities of Dublin and Pleasanton. These routes only 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) Fallon Middle School
• 14 (Pleasanton-Livermore) Livermore High School, Hart Middle School
• 10R (Pleasanton-Livermore) Amador Valley High School, Granada High School
• 30R (Dublin-Livermore) Livermore High School, East Ave. Middle School

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

• Dublin schools: 500 series routes
• Pleasanton schools: 600 series routes

These operate during school days only, with most morning trips leaving later on Wednesdays in Dublin, and trips leaving later on Wednesdays and Thursdays in Pleasanton.

Dublin

Route Number	Direction	School/s Served	Communities and Attractions Served	Schedule Information
501 (A, B, & C)	East-West	Dublin High School	Positano, Fallon Road, Silvera Ranch, Tassajara Road, Central Pwky, Dublin High School	Route 501 Schedule
502	East-West	Dublin High School	Dublin Ranch Village, Central Pkwy, Wildwood Rd, Dublin High School	Route 502 Schedule
503	East-West	Dublin High School/ Wells Middle School	Dublin & Marshall Canyon WB, Shannon Park, Dublin High School, Wells Middle School	Route 503 Schedule
504	East-West	Dublin High School	Gleason Dr, Antone Way, Dublin Ranch, Dublin High School	Route 504 Schedule

Pleasanton Schools

Route Number	Direction	School/s Served	Communities and Attractions Served	Schedule Information
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

Transfer hubs[]

The major transfer points for Wheels routes include:^[6]

• Dublin/Pleasanton BART Station routes: 1, 2, 3, 8, 14, 10R, 20X, 30R, 54, 70X, 580X.
  • Also the main transfer point for Amtrak Motorway, County Connection, Modesto Area Express (MAX), San Joaquin RTD, and Stanislaus Regional Transit (StaRT).
• W. Dublin/Pleasanton BART Station routes: 3, 30R, 53.
• Livermore Transit Center in Downtown Livermore routes: 10R, 11, 14, 15, 20X, 30R, 580X.
  • Also the main transfer point for ACE commuter trains and Amtrak Motorway.

Ticketing[]

Fares[]

Fares are effective 1 January 2019 ^[7]

Type	Adult (18-64)/Student (6-17)†	Senior (65+)/Disabled ‡
Local	US$2.00	US$1.00
Paratransit Service (Dial-A-Ride)	US$3.50	US$3.50

• Children under 6 ride free and must be with an adult
• Appropriate identification must be presented to obtain the discounted Senior/Disabled fare.

Transfers[]

Transfers are given out to passengers only at time of boarding if Clipper Card is used, are honored only on the day issued, and are valid on any Wheels or Rapid fixed route bus within two (2) hours after boarding.^[8]

• Local Wheels route to another Wheels route: Free with transfer using Clipper Card
• County Connection: Free with transfer using Clipper Card
• ACE: Free with a valid and visible ACE train ticket
• BART to Bus: $1 discount with a white BART to Bus ticket upon exiting the BART Station (you can't use a regular BART ticket)
• Bus to BART: $2.00 (you can't use a regular BART ticket)

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

Connecting transit agencies[]

• ACE, at the Pleasanton, Livermore, and Vasco stations
• Amtrak California, at the Livermore Transit Center and Dublin/Pleasanton BART Station
• BART, at Dublin/Pleasanton and West Dublin/Pleasanton stations in Alameda County, and at the Walnut Creek and Pleasant Hill BART stations in Contra Costa County
• County Connection at the Dublin/Pleasanton, Walnut Creek and Pleasant Hill BART stations, Pleasanton ACE station, and at shared bus stops along Dublin Blvd.
• MAX Modesto BART Express to Modesto, at the Dublin/Pleasanton BART station
• San Joaquin RTD Route 150 to Stockton, Tracy, and Lathrop at the Dublin/Pleasanton BART Station
• Stanislaus Regional Transit (STaRT) to Patterson from the Dublin/Pleasanton BART station

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

All-Time roster[]

Fleet Numbers	Thumbnail	Year	Manufacturer	Model Number	Engine	Transmission	Notes
0701-0702		2007	Gillig	Low Floor BRT HEV 29' (G30E102R2)	Cummins ISB	Allison H 40 Hybrid System	Purchased via San Joaquin RTD Purchasing Consortium.
0901-0902		2009	Gillig	Low Floor BRT HEV 29' (G30E102R2)	Cummins ISB	Allison H 40 Hybrid system	These coaches are used for the Wheels Rapid routes. These buses are branded with the Wheels Rapid paint scheme and are equipped with free Wi-Fi Wi-Fi.
0903-0914		2009	Gillig	Low Floor BRT HEV 40' (G30D102N4)	Cummins ISB	Allison H 40 Hybrid system	These coaches are used for the Wheels Rapid routes 10R and 30R and are equipped with free Wifi.
1101-1104		2011	Gillig	Low Floor HEV 29' (G30E102R2)	Cummins ISB6.7	Allison H 40 Hybrid system	Coaches 1103 and 1104 are used on the Wheels Rapid routes and are equipped with free Wi-Fi.
1601- 1610		2016	Gillig	Low Floor BRT HEV 35' (G30B102N4)	Cummins ISB6.7	BAE Systems HybriDrive	These coaches are for the Rapid routes on 10R and 30R. These buses are branded with the Wheels Rapid paint scheme and are equipped with free Wi-Fi and USB/Cell phone charging outlets.
1611-1620		2016	Gillig	LowFloor BRT HEV 40' (G30D102N4	Cummins ISB6.7	BAE Systems HybriDrive	Coach 1611 is for the 54 Hacienda Business Park route and stands out due to its distinct branding of the American flag in honor of the "Built Locally" slogan for supporting local, American jobs and workers. Coaches 1617-1620 are premium commuter styled buses equipped with free Wi-Fi, high-back reclining seats and USB/cell phone charging outlets.
1701-1711		2017	Gillig	Low Floor BRT HEV 40'	Cummins ISB6.7	BAE Systems HybriDrive	Coaches 1701 and 1702 are painted in the original Wheels red, white and blue paint scheme. Coach 1711 is a premium, commuter styled bus equipped with free Wi-Fi, high-back reclining seats, and USB/cell phone charging outlets.
1712-1720		2017	Gillig	Low Floor BRT HEV 29'	Cummins ISB6.7	Allison

References[]

External links[]

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