Facing a budget crunch, earlier this year AC Transit proposed significant reductions in bus service -- especially reductions in route frequency and hours. For people who depend on public transit to get to work, school, or other important travel, such changes can cause considerable disruption.

On Nov. 18 the AC Transit Board of Directors started considering a Revised Service Adjustments Plan proposal. According to the Ride AC Transit blog, the revised plan "restores nearly half of the service hours originally proposed to be cut." If you want to make an official comment on this proposal, you must do so by 5pm on Dec. 2.

...Yes, that's next Wednesday. See official comment instructions at the end of this article.

Check the new proposal to see route-specific details on the difference between the originally proposed change and the current proposal.

The layout is a bit difficult to read, unfortunately -- but if bus access is important to you, it's worth giving this chart a look. Will the new proposed changes actually cause less disruption for Oaklanders?

This new proposal has a big "IF." According to the Ride AC Transit blog, the smaller service cuts can happen ONLY IF AC Transit succeeds in diverting $35 million from funding that its East Bay Bus Rapit Transit project receives from the federal Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality program.

If AC Transit can't shift that funding, the originally proposed services changes would most likely result. (UPDATE NOV. 25: AC Transit official says the agency will almost certainly be able to find a way to fund the revised proposal. See story.)

What happens next: According to the Ride ACT blog, "The Board of Directors is expected to consider adopting the Revised Service Adjustments Plan at its December 16 meeting at 6:00 p.m. The Board may adopt, modify, reject, or defer any of the changes proposed. The service changes would likely go into effect March 2010."

IMPACTS ON OAKLANDERS? YOUR VIEWS WANTED!

How might service changes might affect people throughout Oakland, especially in areas that already have limited transit access. More eyes can help assess whether the new proposal  So...

OaklandLocal readers, here's my call for help:

Check out the current AC Transit service proposal. How would the original and revised proposed changes affect you, or your neighborhood, or less-advantaged communities in Oakland? How would you adapt? What might you have to give up? Would one option be significantly better than the other for you?

Please post your observations in the comments below. Where possible, be specific about routes, schedules, and community impacts. Also, I'll update this post if more info is forthcoming from AC Transit that could help riders evaluate the changes.

SHARE YOUR VIEWS ON THE BUS CHANGES WITH AC TRANSIT

AC Transit says that comments on the revisions must be submitted by 5 pm on Dec. 2. Here's how you can register your comment for official consideration:

• Online comment form 
• In person at the community open house on December 1 (see below)
• E-mail planning@actransit.org
• Postal mail to the AC Transit Board of Directors, 1600 Franklin Street, Oakland, CA 94612
• Fax (510) 891-4874

A week from today, AC Transit is having an open house at its headquarters in downtown Oakland for interested locals to discuss potential impacts of the bus service changes.Details:

Tuesday, December 1, 5-7 pM
AC Transit General Offices
1600 Franklin Street
2nd Floor Board Room, Oakland
Take the bus: All lines serving downtown Oakland (also BART to 19th Street)

For more details, here's the full AC Transit General Manager's memo, presented to the board Nov. 18:

2009 AC Transit Revised Service Adjustment Proposal (SAP) GM Memo

Photo illustration by Monica's Dad, via Flickr, CC license.