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All Nighter (bus service)

All-Nighter, with black and yellow owl and moon crescent mascot.

The All Nighter is a night bus service network in the San Francisco Bay Area, California. Portions of the service shadow the rapid transit and commuter rail services of BART and Caltrain, which are the major rail services between San Francisco, the East Bay, the Peninsula, and San Jose. Neither BART nor Caltrain operate owl service due to overnight track maintenance; the All Nighter network helps fill in this service gap. The slogan is, "Now transit stays up as late as you do!"

History

The service launched initially in December 2005, and fully launched on March 19, 2006.[1][2] BART performs overnight maintenance on its tracks, which requires the agency to shut down third rail power. Since there are no redundant BART lines, service is discontinued during maintenance hours.[3] BART and Caltrain riders who previously faced uncoordinated substitute bus transit service after midnight can now take advantage of the coordinated All Nighter bus service.

N-Judah Owl Muni bus at Market and Fifth (August 2018)

The service is operated by AC Transit, Muni, SamTrans, and VTA.[3] The agencies have a network of timed transfers, and half-hourly weekend service was implemented between downtown San Francisco and several BART stations along the Richmond and Fremont lines.[4] More frequent weekend service was later implemented as the Late Night Bus Pilot Program, funded by BART's operating budget, after a 2011 study concluded that shifting BART hours to stay open later but also start service later on weekends would adversely impact low-income and minority workers who rely on BART for their commute.[3]

AC Transit Route 800 operates along Market Street in San Francisco; this is the first AC Transit route to operate anywhere within San Francisco beyond the Transbay Terminal.[5] On weekends, Route 800 is extended to 24th and Mission.[3]

VTA Route 22, which runs all day, carries approximately 20% of all VTA bus riders. The late night Route 22 has earned the nickname "Hotel 22" for the homeless that form the majority of riders for the overnight runs.[6] In January 2019, VTA proposed cutting service on Route 22 between 1 a.m. and 4 a.m. to help close a budget deficit.[7] In April, the agency recommended continuing overnight service, but working with other agencies to redirect homeless riders to shelters.[8]

The service is funded by Regional Measure 2 (RM2), which voters approved in 2004.[9] The measure increased tolls by $1 on state-owned bridges in the Bay Area.

Before the AllNighter

Overnight transit service throughout the Bay Area predated the All Nighter initiative. Overnight service has consistently operated within San Francisco, but service outside of San Francisco has been inconsistent, rising and falling with the financial fortunes of the various transit agencies.

24-hour service was one of the issues considered in the Metropolitan Transportation Commission's 2001 Lifeline Network study, which detailed the transportation needs of economically disadvantaged individuals.[13]

Discontinued routes

The All Nighter service initially included County Connection Route 820, which operated between downtown Oakland and central Contra Costa County.[5][14] This route was discontinued effective December 28, 2008 due to budgetary problems and low ridership.[15][16][17][18] Route 820 operated between downtown Oakland and Concord BART.

WHEELS Route 810 was another initial service offering which operated between Bay Fair BART in San Leandro and Livermore via Dublin/Pleasanton BART.[5] Route 810 was discontinued effective June 27, 2009 due to budgetary problems and low ridership.[19]

Additional service from Bay Fair BART to Castro Valley BART via AC Transit Route 880 was discontinued effective March 28, 2010 due to that agency's budgetary problems. Route 880 operated between Bay Fair BART and Castro Valley BART.

Weekend service to Pittsburg/Bay Point BART via AC Transit Line 822 was introduced as a one-year pilot program in December 2014;[20] it was discontinued one year later effective December 20, 2015 due to low ridership. Line 822 operated weekends from San Francisco to Pittsburg/Bay Point BART via Oakland, Pleasant Hill BART and Walnut Creek BART.

Late Night Transportation Working Group

In April 2014, Supervisor Scott Wiener formed the Late Night Transportation Working Group to study options for improved public transportation in and around San Francisco.[21] In September, the Working Group announced that BART would test more frequent service for AC Transit route 800, cutting headways from 30 to 20 minutes, and introduce service from San Francisco to Pittsburg/Bay Point BART via a new AC Transit route 822.[22]

Service area

Service in Contra Costa and Alameda counties (including Alameda, Berkeley, Fremont, Hayward, Oakland, Richmond and San Leandro) is provided by AC Transit. AC Transit also operates Transbay service to and from San Francisco over the San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge.

Service in San Francisco is provided by the San Francisco Municipal Railway. Service on the Peninsula is provided by SamTrans in San Mateo County with connections to San Francisco and Palo Alto. Service in the South Bay is provided by the VTA in Santa Clara County between Palo Alto and San Jose.

All Nighter service generally operates daily between midnight and 5 a.m. AC Transit's Transbay service operates until 6 a.m. on Saturdays and 8 a.m. on Sundays and designated holidays to correspond with the times BART is not operating.

Transfer points

The All Nighter network has two primary pulse transfer points where routes are coordinated to meet and provide direct transfers between agencies.[23]

Secondary timed transfer points are located at seven different locations in San Francisco. The transfer point between SamTrans and VTA is near the Palo Alto Transit Center, which connects SamTrans route 397 with VTA route 22; the routes are not coordinated.

Service gaps

The All-Nighter network operates primarily in dense areas centered on Oakland and San Francisco. No overnight service is provided to several parts of the Bay Area:

Among the major bridges crossing the Bay, only the San Francisco Bay Bridge has All Nighter service, connecting San Francisco and Oakland.

Routes

The All Nighter network officially consists of 20 bus routes.[24]

BART shadow service is provided by AC Transit routes 800 (between San Francisco and Richmond) and 801 (between Oakland and Fremont) in the East Bay, Muni route 14 in San Francisco (between Embarcadero and Daly City), and SamTrans route ECR on the Peninsula (between Daly City and San Francisco International Airport). Caltrain shadow service is provided by VTA route 22 (between Palo Alto and San Jose) and SamTrans route 397 (between San Francisco and Palo Alto, including stops at SFO).

AllNighter service to San Francisco International Airport is provided by both SamTrans route ECR (operating on a shortened route to Daly City, where it connects with Muni) and SamTrans route 397. Service to Oakland International Airport is provided by AC Transit routes 73 and 805.

Notes
  1. ^ a b c d e Emulates BART.
  2. ^ Runs close to BART from Embarcadero to Daly City.
  3. ^ Combination of the 9 San Bruno and 47 Van Ness daytime bus lines.
  4. ^ a b Emulates Caltrain.
  5. ^ Combination of the K Ingleside, T Third, 8 Bayshore, 28 19th Avenue and 30 Stockton daytime bus and rail lines.
  6. ^ Parallels BART service between 19th St/Oakland and San Leandro
  7. ^ a b c Not officially part of the All Nighter network.
  8. ^ Run at all times. Route is supplemented in its entirety by Route 805.
  9. ^ Operates until about 4 a.m. Combination of portions of the 71 and 76 daytime bus lines.
  10. ^ Parallels BART service to Richmond. Combination of portions of the F, 6, 51B, and 72M daytime bus lines.
  11. ^ Parallels BART service to Fremont. Combination of portions of the 1, 10, and 99 daytime bus lines.
  12. ^ Serves a portion of the 72/72M daytime bus line.
  13. ^ Combination of portions of the NL, 12, 57, and 73 daytime bus lines.
  14. ^ Serves a portion of the 40 daytime bus line.
  15. ^ Combination of portions of the 51A and 51B daytime bus lines.
  16. ^ Combination of portions of the ECR, 281, 292, and 296 daytime bus lines.
  17. ^ Runs close to BART between Daly City and San Francisco International Airport.

Initial list of routes

The initial service providers for the All Nighter service in 2006 were AC Transit, Muni, SamTrans, County Connection, and Wheels.[25] Most headways were 60 minutes, with the exception of Muni (30 minutes except 45 minutes on the 25-Treasure Island) and AC Transit (30 minutes on weekend routes 800 and 801).[26]

References

  1. ^ "New Transbay Service To Begin March 19". AC Transit. 10 February 2006. Retrieved 9 August 2018.
  2. ^ Maitre, Michelle (22 March 2006). "Live a little: All Nighter ready to roll". East Bay Times. Retrieved 10 August 2018.
  3. ^ a b c d "Enhanced Late Night Bus Service Pilot". AC Transit. Archived from the original on 8 August 2018. Retrieved 9 August 2018.
  4. ^ "GC 05-071c, Attachment A" (PDF). AC Transit. 15 June 2005. Retrieved 9 August 2018.
  5. ^ a b c Herel, Suzanne (22 March 2006). "Agencies introduce All Nighter buses". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 10 August 2018.
  6. ^ Emmons, Mark (31 October 2013). "Homeless turn overnight bus route into Hotel 22". San Jose Mercury News. Retrieved 10 August 2018.
  7. ^ Richards, Gary (16 January 2019). "Bus route known as Hotel 22 may have to limit service". San Jose Mercury News. Retrieved 4 March 2019.
  8. ^ "VTA Releases Final Recommendations for 2019 New Transit Service Plan" (Press release). Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority. April 5, 2019.
  9. ^ "Approved Projects: RM2 (Regional Measure 2) Owl Network". AC Transit. Retrieved 9 August 2018.
  10. ^ a b "1: AC Transit Today" (PDF). AC Transit: Short Range Transit Plan, FY 2002 – FY 2013 (Report). AC Transit. 2003. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2006-10-08. Retrieved 2006-08-06.
  11. ^ "SamTrans adds owl service to SFO bus schedule, new overnight service will aid airport employees" (PDF) (Press release). San Francisco International Airport. 18 January 2001. Archived from the original (PDF) on 12 March 2006. Retrieved 9 August 2018.
  12. ^ Route 22 Website Archived September 19, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
  13. ^ Lifeline Transportation Network Report: 2001 Regional Transportation Plan for the San Francisco Bay Area (PDF) (Report). Metropolitan Transportation Commission. December 2001. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2006-09-28. Retrieved 10 August 2018.
  14. ^ Cuff, Denis (17 September 2008). "Night Owl bus may be grounded". East Bay Times. Bay Area News Group. Retrieved 10 August 2018.
  15. ^ Cuff, Denis (27 December 2008). "East Bay Roundup: Bus Route Discontinued". East Bay Times. Bay Area News Group. Retrieved 10 August 2018.
  16. ^ County Connection to cut bus service, raise fares
  17. ^ Cuff, Denis (27 December 2008). "All Nighter bus route ending". East Bay Times. Bay Area News Group. Retrieved 10 August 2018.
  18. ^ December Service Changes[permanent dead link]
  19. ^ "Wheels Announces Phase II Service Reductions Effective June 27, 2009" (Press release). Wheels. 27 May 2009. Archived from the original on 2011-06-16. Retrieved 10 August 2018.
  20. ^ "AC Transit to Expand Its Late Night Bus Service" (Press release). AC Transit. 8 October 2014. Retrieved 9 August 2018.
  21. ^ Cabanatuan, Michael (22 April 2014). "Ride on to sunrise". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 10 August 2018.
  22. ^ Cabanatuan, Michael (30 September 2014). "Hope for late-night transit dawns; BART to roll out test project". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 10 August 2018.
  23. ^ "GC Memo No. 05-071c" (PDF). AC Transit. 15 June 2005. Retrieved 9 August 2018.
  24. ^ a b "AllNighter Service: All Nighter Routes". Metropolitan Transportation Commission. Retrieved 9 August 2018.
  25. ^ "All Nighter – Late Night Bay Area Transit: Now transit stays up as late as you do!". 511.org. 2005. Archived from the original on 2006-04-09. Retrieved 10 August 2018.
  26. ^ "All Nighter Route Map" (PDF). 511.org. 2006. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2006-09-08. Retrieved 2018-08-10.

External links