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Oakland Has a New Rapid Bus Line (And It’s Free For 90 Days)

Meet “Tempo” – AC Transit’s brand new $232 million shiny rapid bus serving 46 new platform stations
By - posted 8/13/2020 No Comment

Thank you KPIX5 for letting us know that the brand new AC Transit ‘Tempo’ rapid bus system finally opened for riders this week after four years of construction.

Tempot, an express bus line through Oakland, debuted on Sunday. The system cost $232 million to set up and serves 46 new platform stations and has 27 new 60-foot coaches. Buses have a dedicated bus lane along International Blvd. (with new traffic signal technology to prioritize lights for the bus)

The cost to ride Tempo will be the same as other AC Transit local service but all rides on Tempo Line 1T are FREE through November 8, 2020.

The buses are scheduled to arrive every 10 minutes from 6am to 7pm (and every 15 minutes from 7pm to Midnight). For late night service the bus runs every 60 minutes on weekdays and every 30 minutes on weekends from Midnight to 5:59am.

The service runs from San Leandro BART down International Blvd. and then down Broadway in Oakland. – See the route map

How Tempo Was Built

Major construction on Tempo Line 1T started in August 2016 and ended in June 2020. The project has delivered major improvements to people in Oakland and San Leandro including:

  • 46 stations with attractive canopies, wheelchair accessible sloped sidewalks , lights, cameras, seating, Clipper card readers, ticket vending machines, trash cans, map cases, and wayfinding signs
  • 11 platforms with unique, artistically enhanced windscreens and handrails designed by local artists
  • The new San Leandro Transit Center at the entrance to the San Leandro BART Station
  • 8 miles of new bike lanes, making it safer for cyclists to navigate the East Bay
  • 9.5 miles of new curb-to-curb pavement, providing a smoother and safer ride for all vehicles
  • 35 new signals to slow traffic and save lives
  • 515 new curb ramps that enhance mobility for people using wheelchairs and strollers
  • More than 450 new high visibility crosswalks that increase pedestrian safety
  • 13 miles of fiber optic cabling that will power the system
  • 292 trees and new landscaping along the corridor