WestCAT

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. The service territory covers approximately . 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. Since 1978, WestCAT has contracted a private operator to provide bus operation and supervision services. 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. In 2013, the contract for fixed route and dial-a-ride services was awarded to MV Transportation. ==Fleet==

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. , WestCAT local, regional, and express fixed routes use 35- and 40-foot Gillig Low Floor transit buses. 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. ==Fixed-route service==

As of September 2013, WestCAT provides a network of local and express bus routes throughout western Contra Costa County. 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. Major transfer points for WestCAT routes connecting with other local transit agencies include: • Hercules Transit Center in Hercules • Hilltop Mall Shopping Center in Richmond • Richmond Parkway Transit Center in Richmond • El Cerrito del Norte BART in El Cerrito • Martinez Amtrak Station in Martinez • Salesforce Transit Center in San Francisco Routes • [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. These routes were discontinued by 2024. ==Service Area==

in San Francisco. WestCAT provides service to the communities of: • Bayview • Crockett • El Cerrito • Hercules • Martinez • Montalvin Manor • Pinole • Port Costa • Richmond • Rodeo • San Francisco • San Pablo • Tara Hills 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==