View source for WestCAT

{{Short description|Public transportation service in Contra Costa County, California}}
{{Infobox Bus transit
| name            = WestCAT
| logo            = Westcatheader.png
| logo_size       = 250
| image           = Westcat_gillig_low_floor_brt.JPG
| image_caption   = WestCAT branded Gillig Low-Floor BRT traveling along the JPX route
| company_slogan  = 
| parent          = Western Contra Costa Transit Authority
| founded         = 1977
| headquarters    = 601 Walter Ave, [[Pinole, California|Pinole]]
| locale          = 
| service_area    = [[Contra Costa County, California]]
| service_type    = [[transit bus]], [[express bus]], [[paratransit]]
| alliance        = 
| routes          = 14
| destinations    = 
| stops           = 300
| hubs            = 
| stations        = 
| lounge          = 
| fleet           = 57
| ridership       = 4,944
| fuel_type       = Diesel, Gasoline, & Hybrid Electric
| operator        = [[MV Transportation]]
| website         = [http://www.westcat.org/ westcat.org]
}}
'''WestCAT''' is a public transportation service in western [[Contra Costa County]] (north of [[Alameda County, California|Alameda County]]). It is a service of the '''Western Contra Costa Transit Authority'''. Contra Costa County has four public bus transportation services, divided geographically into western (WestCAT), central ([[County Connection]]), and eastern ([[Tri Delta Transit]]) territories. Bayshore cities and communities along the western edge of Contra Costa and Alameda counties are served by the bi-county [[AC Transit]], which is headquartered in [[Oakland, California]].

==History and governance==
The Western Contra Costa Transit Authority was established in August 1977 as a [[Joint Powers Authority|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, California|Richmond]]/[[El Sobrante, Contra Costa County, California|El Sobrante]] border to the west and the [[Carquinez Bridge]] to the east.<ref name=SRTP-2016>{{cite report |url=https://www.westcat.org/Content/Pdf/Short-Range-Transit-Plan-Public-FINAL.pdf |title=Short-Range Transit Plan 2016-2026 |date=2016 |publisher=Western Contra Costa Transit Authority |access-date=21 March 2025}}</ref>{{rp|4}} The service territory covers approximately {{cvt|20|sqmi}}.<ref name=SRTP-2016/>{{rp|8}}

WestCAT is governed by a 7-member Board of Directors and supported by professional staff of seven.  The two cities of [[Pinole, California|Pinole]] and [[Hercules, California|Hercules]] are each represented by two board members, while the unincorporated communities of [[Crockett, California|Crockett]], [[Rodeo, California|Rodeo]], and [[Montalvin Manor]] each have one representative, appointed by the Contra Costa Board of Supervisors.<ref name=SRTP-2016/>{{rp|4}}

Since 1978, WestCAT has contracted a private operator to provide bus operation and supervision services.<ref name=SRTP-2016/>{{rp|4}} 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.<ref name=SRTP-2016/>{{rp|7}} In 2013, the contract for fixed route and dial-a-ride services was awarded to [[MV Transportation]].<ref name=SRTP-2016/>{{rp|4–5}}

==Fleet==
WestCAT's fleet started out with shuttle vans, and then used [[cutaway van chassis]] upfitted as [[minibus]]es by [[ElDorado (bus manufacturer)|ElDorado National]], [[Thomas Built Buses]], and [[Forest River (company)|Starcraft]].

{{as of|2024|07}}, WestCAT local, regional, and express fixed routes use 35- and 40-foot [[Gillig]] [[Gillig Low Floor|Low Floor]] transit buses.<ref name=SRTP-2028>{{cite report |url=https://www.westcat.org/Content/Pdf/SRTP%202023%20Final.pdf |title=FINAL Short Range Transit Plan 2023–2028 |publisher=Western Contra Costa Transit Authority |date=July 2022 |access-date=25 March 2025}}</ref>{{rp|20–22}} WestCAT also uses 45-foot [[Motor Coach Industries]] [[MCI D-Series|D4500]] and [[Prevost (bus manufacturer)|Prevost]] [[Prevost X-Series|X3-45]] over-the-road coaches and 43-foot [[Alexander Dennis]] [[Alexander Dennis Enviro500 MMC|Enviro500]] double-decker buses for the LYNX Transbay service.<ref name=SRTP-2028/>{{rp|20–22}} For on-demand Dial-A-Ride service, WestCAT uses [[Ford E-450]] Paratransit cutaway vans and [[Toyota Camry]] hybrid electric sedans.<ref name=SRTP-2028/>{{rp|20–22}}

WestCAT published plans in 2023 to convert to a zero-emissions fleet by 2040. Starting in 2027, WestCAT will replace vehicles in its revenue fleet which reach their end of life on a one-for-one basis with [[hydrogen fuel cell]] electric vehicles, based on service distances and terrain. Although the current replacement plan does not include [[battery electric bus]]es, these may be selected as the technology improves.<ref>{{cite report |url=https://www.westcat.org/Content/Pdf/WCCTA%20FINAL-APPROVED%20ZEB%20Rollout%20Plan.pdf |title=Western Contra Costa Transit Authority Zero-Emission Bus Rollout Plan |date=April 20, 2023 |publisher=Western Contra Costa Transit Authority |access-date=25 March 2025}}</ref>{{rp|3–4}}

==Fixed-route service==
As of September 2013, WestCAT provides a network of local and express bus routes throughout western [[Contra Costa County]].<ref>[http://www.westcat.org/schedules/ WestCAT - Schedules and Routes]</ref> 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 [[Bay Area Rapid Transit|BART]] as "BART Express" bus service through a contracted bus operator; WestCAT assumed operations in 1998.<ref name=SRTP-2016/>{{rp|7}}

WestCAT also operates LYNX transbay service between the Hercules Transit Center and the [[Salesforce Transit Center]] in [[San Francisco, California|San Francisco]] with stops in the Rodeo Park and Ride located on Willow Avenue, North Shore Business Park near [[Bio-Rad]], the Victoria by the Bay neighborhood in Hercules and the Hercules Transit Center. From the Hercules Transit Center the line then goes nonstop to San Francisco via the High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lanes on I-80. WestCAT currently offers free [[Wi-Fi]] service on the LYNX line.<ref>[http://www.westcat.org/lynx/wifi.html WestCAT - Lynx Wifi Information]</ref>

Major transfer points for WestCAT routes connecting with other local transit agencies include:
* '''[[Hercules Transit Center]]''' in [[Hercules, California|Hercules]]
* '''[[Hilltop Mall Shopping Center]]''' in [[Richmond, California|Richmond]]
* '''[[Richmond Parkway Transit Center]]''' in [[Richmond, California|Richmond]]
* [[El Cerrito del Norte (BART station)|El Cerrito del Norte BART]] in [[El Cerrito, Contra Costa County, California|El Cerrito]]
* [[Martinez (Amtrak station)|Martinez Amtrak Station]] in [[Martinez, California|Martinez]]
* [[Salesforce Transit Center]] in [[San Francisco]]

===Routes===
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|+WestCAT fixed routes<ref>{{cite web |url=https://westcat.org/home/SchedSysMap |title=System Map with All Routes |date=May 4, 2024 |publisher=Western Contra Costa Transit Authority |access-date=24 March 2025}}</ref>
! rowspan="2"|Route Number
! rowspan="2"|Direction
! colspan="2"|Terminals
! colspan="3"|Days of Operation
! rowspan="2"|Notes
|-
! North/East Terminal
! South/West Terminal
! Weekday !! Saturday !! Sunday / Holiday
|-
| colspan=8 style="font-size:125%;background:#fee;" | Local Routes{{efn|Local routes are mostly operated as loops which use the [[Hercules Transit Center]] as a hub.}}
|-
! style="background:#88c96f;color:#000;" | 10
| Loop ||colspan="2"| [[Hercules Transit Center]] - Turquoise || {{yes C}} || colspan=2 {{no X}} ||
|-
! style="background:#188dc6;color:#fff;" | 11
| Loop ||colspan="2"| Hercules Transit Center - [[Crockett, California|Crockett]] || colspan=2 {{yes C}} || {{no X}}  ||
|-
! style="background:#ed008d;color:#fff;" | 12
| Loop ||colspan="2"| Hercules Transit Center - Mandalay/Bonaire || {{yes C}} || colspan=2 {{no X}} ||
|-
! style="background:#b4b92b;color:#000;" | 15
| Loop ||colspan="2"| Hercules Transit Center - Viewpointe Blvd || {{yes C}} || colspan=2 {{no X}} ||
|-
! style="background:#047f40;color:#fff;" | 16
| Loop ||colspan="2"| [[Richmond Parkway Transit Center]] - Wright Ave/Doidge Ave || {{yes C}} || colspan=2 {{no X}} ||
|-
! style="background:#672d93;color:#fff;" | 19
| Loop ||colspan="2"| Hercules Transit Center - [[Hilltop Mall|Hilltop Mall Shopping Center]] || {{no X}} || {{yes C}} || {{no X}}  || {{anchor|19}}<small>[[#note|[19]]]</small>
|-
| colspan=8 style="font-size:125%;background:#ffe;" | Regional Routes{{efn|Regional routes are operated east/west to and from the Hercules Transit Center}}
|-
! style="background:#00a751;color:#fff;" | 30Z
| East-West || [[Martinez (Amtrak station)|Martinez Amtrak]] || Hercules Transit Center || {{yes C}} || colspan=2 {{no X}} || {{anchor|30Z}}<small>[[#note|[30Z]]]</small>
|-
! style="background:#005cac;color:#fff;" | C3
| East-West || Hercules Transit Center<br /> || [[Contra Costa College]] || {{yes C}} || colspan=2 {{no X}} ||
|-
| colspan=8 style="font-size:125%;background:#efe;" | Express Routes{{efn|Express routes are operated as feeder routes to BART, running north/south between the Hercules Transit Center and El Cerrito Del Norte BART station}}
|-
! style="background:#57a849;color:#fff;" | J<br /> (JR/JL)
| North-South || Hercules Transit Center<br /><small>Weekdays</small><br /> Willow/Viewpointe <br /><small>Weekdays after 8pm & Weekends</small>|| El Cerrito del Norte BART || colspan=3 {{yes C}} || {{anchor|J}}<small>[[#note|[J]]]</small>
|-
! style="background:#f38221;color:#fff;" | JX
| North-South || Hercules Transit Center || El Cerrito del Norte BART || {{yes C}}{{efn|name=nonoon}} || colspan=2 {{no X}} || 
|-
! style="background:#f38221;color:#fff;" | JPX
| North-South || Hercules Transit Center || El Cerrito del Norte BART || {{yes C}} || colspan=2 {{no X}} || {{anchor|JPX}}<small>[[#note|[JPX]]]</small>
|-
| colspan=8 style="font-size:125%;background:#eef;" | Transbay Routes{{efn|The Lynx Transbay route operates from Hercules Transit Center to the Salesforce Transit Center in San Francisco}}
|-
! style="background:#8b0303;color:#fff;" | Lynx
| North-South || Willow Avenue<br/><small>Commute trips</small><br/>Hercules Transit Center<br/><small>Non-commute trips</small> ||[[Salesforce Transit Center]]
[[Salesforce Transit Center|(San Francisco)]]
| {{yes C}} || {{no X}} ||{{maybe|Limited}} || {{anchor|LYNX}}<small>[[#note|[Lynx]]]</small>
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|+WestCAT discontinued fixed routes
! rowspan="2"|Route Number
! rowspan="2"|Direction
! colspan="2"|Terminals
! colspan="3"|Days of Operation
! rowspan="2"|Notes
|-
! North/East Terminal
! South/West Terminal
! Weekday !! Saturday !! Sunday / Holiday
|-
! style="background:#975ca6;color:#fff;" | 17
| Loop ||colspan="2"| Richmond Parkway Transit Center - Cypress/Broadmore || {{yes C}}{{efn|name=nonoon|Does not operate mid-day}} || colspan=2 {{no X}}  ||
|-
! style="background:#00aded;color:#fff;" | 18
| Loop ||colspan="2"| Richmond Parkway Transit Center - [[Tara Hills, California|Tara Hills]] || {{yes C}}{{efn|name=nonoon}} || colspan=2 {{no X}}  ||
|-
! style="background:#22b24c;color:#fff;" | 705
| North-South || MacArthur BART || [[Temporary Transbay Terminal]] || {{yes C}} || colspan=2 {{no X}} || {{anchor|Early Bird}}<small>[[#note|[Early Bird]]]</small>
|-
! style="background:#0096da;color:#fff;" | 708
| North-South || El Cerrito del Norte BART || 19th Street Oakland BART || {{yes C}} || colspan=2 {{no X}} || <small>[[#note|[Early Bird]]]</small>
|}
{{anchor|note}}
* [[#JPX|[JPX]]] Richmond Parkway Transit Center service only during midday from 9:40am to 2:30pm, route also serves Hercules Transit Center.
* [[#J|[J]]] JR Via Richmond Parkway and Blume Drive and JL Via Lakeside Drive.
*[[WestCAT#Lynx|[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|[Early Bird]]] These routes were part of the BART [[Bay Area Rapid Transit#Early Bird Express|Early Bird Express]] service, which provides a limited number of weekday bus trips in the early morning before regular BART rail operations begin.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bart.gov/sites/default/files/docs/EBflyer_v12.pdf |title=Early Bird Express |publisher=San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District |year=2019}}</ref> These routes were discontinued by 2024.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bart.gov/schedules/early-bird-express |title=Early Bird Express |publisher=San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District |date=August 12, 2024 |access-date=24 March 2025}}</ref>
{{notelist}}

==Service Area==
[[File:Salesforce Transit Center bus deck.jpg|alt=AC Transit and WestCAT LYNX buses at Salesforce Transit Center|thumb|A WestCAT Lynx fixed route bus, alongside an AC Transit bus, at the [[Salesforce Transit Center]] in San Francisco.]]
WestCAT provides service to the communities of:
{{div col |colwidth=12em}}
* [[Bayview, Contra Costa County, California|Bayview]]
* '''[[Crockett, California|Crockett]]'''
* [[El Cerrito, Contra Costa County, California|El Cerrito]]
* '''[[Hercules, California|Hercules]]'''
* [[Martinez, California|Martinez]]
* [[Montalvin Manor, California|Montalvin Manor]]
* '''[[Pinole, California|Pinole]]'''
* [[Port Costa, California|Port Costa]]
* '''[[Richmond, California|Richmond]]'''
* '''[[Rodeo, California|Rodeo]]'''
* [[San Francisco]]
* [[San Pablo, California|San Pablo]]
* '''[[Tara Hills, California|Tara Hills]]'''
{{div col end}}

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.
{{clear}}
==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.westcat.org/ WestCAT]
{{San Francisco Bay Area Public Transit}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Westcat}}
[[Category:Public transportation in Contra Costa County, California]]
[[Category:Bus transportation in California]]
[[Category:1977 establishments in California]]
[[Category:Transit agencies in California]]