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TRANSACTIONS NEWSLETTER ONLINE

Bus Service Bridges East Bay-West Bay Gap

Richmond-San Rafael Bridge
Route 40 traverses the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge.

MTC's welfare-to-work efforts are paying off with expanded service on Golden Gate Transit's Route 40, which traverses the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge. The beefed-up service is designed to connect the underutilized work force in North Richmond/West Contra Costa County with employment opportunities in Marin County.

The September expansion was financed with a $536,000 grant from MTC's Low-Income Flexible Transportation Program. Matching funds were provided by participating transit agencies (AC Transit, BART and Golden Gate Transit), Marin and Contra Costa counties, and the city of Richmond.

Route 40 was launched in 1991 as a partnership effort between MTC and local transit agencies. The route has linked the San Rafael Transit Center in Marin County with the El Cerrito del Norte BART station in the East Bay.

The infusion of new funding -- enough to support the expanded service for three years -- is helping to increase frequencies from 28 to 33 round trips weekdays, and from nine to 17 round trips on weekend days. Instead of halting at 8 p.m., the service will now run until approximately midnight seven days a week. In addition, there will be more stops on both sides of the Bay, and the route will now link to the Richmond BART/Amtrak station as well as BART's El Cerrito del Norte station. Golden Gate Transit also will offer a number of limited-stop, express trips.

For more information on Route 40, visit www.transitinfo.org, or call 817.1717 and follow the menu to Golden Gate Transit. For a brochure on the new service, e-mail events@goldengate.org.

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