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Rider outrage causes AC Transit to stop downtown shithole Oakland bus detour

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Three days after AC Transit announced it was cutting off service 
to five blocks of Broadway in downtown Oakland on weekends 
because of concerns about crowds and crime, the transit agency 
reversed itself and said it would resume service at these bus 
stops.

In a statement to The Oaklandside, AC Transit spokesperson 
Robert Lyles said the detour will end on Friday, Mar. 8 and bus 
operators will resume full service at stops on Broadway between 
14th and 20th streets.

In a post announcing the decision on AC Transit’s website, the 
agency wrote: “We deeply regret the confusion and sincerely 
apologize for any inconvenience caused by this misunderstanding. 
Rest assured, we are committed to ensuring clear and transparent 
communication moving forward to prevent such misunderstandings 
in the future.”

To prevent crowds that slow down buses, the resumption of the 
normal schedule will include an increased presence of law 
enforcement in the area.

“Ensuring the removal of roadway obstacles is essential for 
preventing future bus line detours,” Lyles said. “Oakland Police 
will now allocate additional overtime officers, and the Alameda 
County Sheriff’s Office will collaborate by monitoring the 
operation of transit service along the Broadway corridor.”

AC Transit operators have been concerned about crime between 
14th and 20th Street on Broadway for nearly 18 months. Shootings 
at 14th and Broadway in 2022 prompted an increased presence from 
the police department at the time, including blocking vehicular 
access at night. According to an email thread between the city 
and AC Transit, bus operators supported the detour because it 
made them feel safer and would cut down on delays caused by 
double-parked cars and other obstructions.

District 3 Councilmember Carroll Fife opposed the detour because 
she said it would unfairly affect late-night workers. She said 
she has heard from police that crime and other disturbances 
haven’t been a problem on Broadway for months.

“I want to express our gratitude to AC Transit for collaborating 
with our office to recognize the significance of providing 
equitable and comprehensive bus services to this vital transit 
hub,” Fife said after learning of the agency’s decision to end 
the detour. “Ensuring reliable and accessible public 
transportation on Broadway is not only essential for maintaining 
the safety of our community but also for fostering the 
prosperity of the Uptown/Downtown Business district.”

AC Transit Board member Sarah Syed, who spoke to police, bus 
riders, business owners, and transit riders last week to gauge 
whether the detour would help, said she is pleased the agency’s 
operations team changed their minds. She also celebrated on her 
Instagram page.

“I’m glad management has seen the error of imposing bus detours 
under the guise of public safety. I am seeking a report from the 
general manager on detours on Broadway on March 27 so the board 
can learn what went wrong here and discuss how moving forward AC 
Transit can do better by riders, the public, and local 
government partners,” she told The Oaklandside.

Syed said she would like AC Transit to adopt a policy requiring 
more public conversation whenever staff want to implement a 
detour.

AC Transit Board member Jean Walsh, who represents Ward 2, told 
The Oaklandside that restoring bus service on Broadway “was the 
right thing to do,” but roads blocked by double-parked cars do 
affect the agency’s overall service, and solutions need to be 
found.

“For every person who contacted me, I know there were hundreds 
more who were left standing by the side of the road at night, 
not knowing where their bus was,” Walsh said. “Honestly, it 
shouldn’t take a huge advocacy push to get something so basic as 
transit service to a major downtown core restored.”

Safe streets advocates also welcomed the news. George Spies of 
Traffic Violence Rapid Response told us his group thought the 
use of crime as an excuse not to serve the busy nightlife on 
Broadway was a “loaded trope.”

“Oakland has a thriving and busy nightlife district that needs 
robust transit service,” he said. “There is simply far more 
demand right now than the current configuration can accommodate, 
and transit riders should not be penalized when they are doing 
the thing we want: not crowding the streets with private 
vehicles.”

Spies also said that car idling and double parking could be 
solved by reducing private vehicle access at night and expanding 
pedestrian access. These are steps that would have to be taken 
by the city, not AC Transit.

Public outcry about the detours was evident on The Oaklandside’s 
Instagram post about the changes.

On commenter, Rose Guilano, wondered if forcing bus riders to 
walk further in the middle of the night might be creating a more 
dangerous situation rather than improving safety.

Another Instagram commenter named Chaton22 said it didn’t make 
sense that AC Transit would skip the Broadway stops downtown, 
directly connecting the bus service to BART.

Oakland resident Taylor Sweeney was distraught that the change 
would impact service workers but also noted it would lead to 
more people using car services to get out of nightlife 
establishments, leading once more to the crowds the initiative 
sought to prevent.

“Do you want people to risk drunk driving cause they can’t rely 
on a bus to get back home? Do you want tons of rideshares double 
parked,” she wrote. “This is ridiculous and extremely 
counterproductive.”

https://oaklandside.org/2024/03/07/rider-outrage-causes-ac-
transit-to-stop-downtown-oakland-bus-
detour/?utm_source=newsshowcase&utm_m
edium=gnews&utm_campaign=CDAqEAgAKgcI
CjC7yZsLMP_TswMw5e3QAQ&utm_content=rundown

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