Three weeks ago, Hacienda Business Park introduced a shuttle bus program to supplement its existing promotion of carpooling, bicycling, vanpooling, walking and riding mass transit. The buses make four trips from the Bay Fair BART Station in San Leandro to Hacienda Business Park during morning commute hours.

Ridership on Hacienda Business Park's innovative shuttle bus program has greatly exceeded original expectations. “We’re delighted with the excellent turnout,” said Karen Fraser-Middleton, transportation manager at Hacienda Business Park. "Employees' eagerness to try out the service points to the need to provide transit service tailored to employees' work hours and work location.”

Hacienda's internal and lunchtime shuttle service has also been successful. The Park's internal shuttle bus service transports employees from building to building throughout the 857-acre park. The lunchtime shuttle runs every 10 minutes during lunchtime hours, carrying employees either to the downtown Pleasanton shopping area or the Stoneridge Mall shopping center on alternate days.

Fraser-Middleton said that she expects more employees to ride the shuttle as the program becomes established. "Our starting figures are uncommonly high for a new program, and we anticipate ridership to steadily increase as news travels among the employees,” she said.
 
"I've used the shuttle both to and from the Bay Fair BART Station and during lunchtime to go to the Stoneridge Mall," stated AT&T employee Craig Johnson. ''The buses are comfortable and convenient, and I can save my gas for use on the weekends.”
 
Johnson, who now commutes from the Lake Merritt BART Station to the Bay Fair Station, previously drove to work alone. "Passengers on the shuttle seem to enjoy it,” he added. "I've heard nothing but positive comments.”

Another passenger, Audrey Weatherby, an employee of Crum & Forster, said the new shuttle buses have made it more convenient for her to get to and from work. "I used to take a different bus from Bay Fair that let me off farther from my office than the Hacienda shuttle," she said. ''The Hacienda bus drops me off right in front of my office building. It's nice not to have to walk so far in the heat or in the dark.”

Many Hacienda employees took their inaugural ride aboard the shuttle fleet during last week's "Picnic in the Park" transportation fair. The fair attracted more than 1,000 of the business park's employees for a midday gathering of food, fun, fashion shows and transportation information.

To see a reproduction of the original article and edition of Pleasanton Pathways, visit: June 24, 1985