Funding for Pleasanton Ridge Shuttle Service Was Approved in January, District Official Says

The East Bay Regional Park District's shuttle service for Pleasanton Ridge hikers so far has 36 people signed up for 63 spots on its first three planned service days, according to the district's recreation services manager.

Anne Kassebaum, EBRP Recreational Services manager, said in a phone interview with Patch Monday that funding for the test program was approved by the park district's board as part of its 2013 budget, approved in January.

(Related blog posting: Shuttle Service on Pleasanton Ridge? Preposterous!)

Kassebaum said $2,500 was budgeted to pay for staff time for a total of 12 days of service through October. So far the district is taking reservations for trips on May 4, May 15 and June 19. (The shuttle will make three trips per day.) She said the district already owns vehicles but that the budget won't cover mileage or gas for the 1.5-hour roundtrip (Click here to see shuttle route). The 7-passenger van will travel about 24 miles to make one loop, according to rough calculations made by Patch using RouteBuilder.

The fee to ride is $10 for residents and $12 for non-residents.

The van will travel from the park's staging area on Foothill Boulevard south of Castlewood to Santos Ranch Road. It will head up Santos and enter the park via a fire road, where it will make two stops and then exit on the west side of the park on Palomares Ranch Road and then take Interstate 580 east back to Foothill. 

Hikers will have the choice between a 4-mile hike drop-off point and a difficult 9-mile hike drop-off point. Hikers will not be picked up.

Kassebaum said she wasn't comfortable addressing questions about whether any environmental issues were considered or whether the public was given a chance to weigh in during the public meeting process. 

She said she would let Patch know who could answer more questions about those issues.

EBRP currently offers shuttles for park users from parking lots at Point Pinole and Castle Rock Regional Park, but those short trips don't require any fire roads to be used and are on flat routes.

Shuttle riders will not be allowed to bring bicycles or dogs on the shuttle.