Recommendations could lead to big changes

By Tyler Callister

Staff writer

Monday, April 21 (10:00am): Rossmoor’s longtime debate over transit service carried over into a passionate discussion during the Planning Committee’s meeting on April 10.

The committee evaluated transit service recommendations that could dramatically change what transportation looks like inside and outside of the gate. It marked the latest chapter in the modifications that began during the pandemic in 2020: switching from conventional bus schedules with fixed routes to on demand Dial-a-Bus and suspending Rossmoor’s weekend bus service while trying to fill the gap with shared ride services, from GoGo Grandparents to reimbursements from the Rossmoor Fund for Lyft and Uber rides.

Early during the transit presentation, committee member Dwight Walker expressed concern that the Rossmoor Fund, not GRF, has funded the Uber and Lyft weekend rides.

“I am troubled by the Rossmoor Fund, a charitable organization, getting donations to pay for a service that GRF has promised to residents. I believe it is the GRF’s responsibility to pay for that,” he said.

“Rossmoor Fund provides cards from Safeway for people to buy food, for people to buy prescriptions who can’t afford it,” Walker continued. “That money that is being used to pay for these rides is taking that away from potential recipients. I have a big problem with that.”

Many committee members agreed with Walker’s point, and after some deliberation, the committee passed a unanimous motion to continue exploring the issue, with the possibility of reimbursing Rossmoor Fund on the table.

Kelsey Clyma, senior manager of resident services, also introduced another possible answer for residents who need weekend transportation: Lyft passes funded by the city of Walnut Creek. These passes include a concierge option for residents who cannot use public transportation and need help scheduling rides. The committee asked staff to further evaluate how residents could make use of this service.

Clyma’s presentation also covered suggestions that could make transit service more attractive to residents beyond the current group of an average of 150 bus users a day.

One key recommendation is to transition from buses to smaller vehicles, which would enable easier passenger access and provide closer door-to-door service for residents. The committee was shown diagrams of various van configurations, including standard and commercial vans, and vans with paratransit ramps in the side or back.

This change could help alleviate the prolonged driver shortage as Class B licenses and passenger endorsement would not be needed. Additionally, the smaller vehicles are projected to be more fuel-efficient and less costly compared with traditional 12- to 16-passenger buses.

Staff is also currently researching the implementation of advanced dispatch software that would allow for same-day scheduling, optimized route creation, and the ability for residents to request rides via phone, app or computer. Planning Committee Chair Cheryl Hines said she favors expanding scheduling options because several residents have told her they cannot use the current phone-only system.

Another consideration staff presented would confine Rossmoor’s transportation to inside the gate and to the Rossmoor Shopping Center, which would mean ending service to downtown. Instead, residents would take Rossmoor transit to the Shopping Center, where they would utilize public transportation, including County Connection buses, which offer discounted senior fares, and the free Walnut Creek trolley.

General Manager Jeff Matheson noted that this change would involve multiple transfers for each trip.

“This is a huge shift. We’ve been providing downtown service in various forms for quite a while,” he said. “If you are typically used to calling and getting a Rossmoor bus and going to downtown and then coming directly back, you’re not going to be overly happy about this.”

Count resident Susan Manata, who spoke during the Residents’ Forum, among those who would be unhappy with this change. Manata, who favors a return to the fixed routes, explained that bus service for her “is not just an amenity but a necessity.”

She pointed out that many residents currently take the downtown Rossmoor bus to Kaiser Permanente.

“The thought of taking multiple buses to get to a doctor appointment is horrifying,” she said.

Pickleball courts roadmap

Community Services Director Ann Mottola told the committee that the city of Walnut Creek’s Planning Commission has given the green light for the construction of new pickleball courts, following a March 27 review. There were no appeals, and the project received formal approval effective April 8.

The GRF Board authorized staff to open the pickleball project for competitive bidding, contingent on receiving the competitive bids. Mottola presented a roadmap for the project that envisions receiving bids by July, seeking Board approval for a contract in mid- to late-summer and starting construction in September.

Part of the reason for a lengthy bid process, Mottola explained, is needing to finalize the timeline for relocating the golf irrigation line, which could impact the timeline and cost estimate for construction of the pickleball courts.

Phone book delivery

The committee also questioned whether Rossmoor News carriers should continue delivering the Rossmoor phonebook that is published by American Directory, an outside vendor, because GRF is offsetting some of the delivery costs.

Director of Communications Ann Peterson first brought this topic to the Planning Committee last year and was asked to track how deliveries went in 2025. Taking this year’s costs, an expected wage increase next year and how much American Directory said it can afford to pay for deliveries, GRF would need to offset $1,132 to deliver the phonebook door-to-door in Rossmoor next year, Peterson said. There is also a time factor as the staff delivering the phone books also handle weekly delivery of the newspaper.

“My circulation supervisor literally spends the entire month of January just trying to organize all of this,” she explained.

If the Rossmoor News doesn’t handle the delivery, American Directory would have to contract with an outside service to continue door-to-door service. Peterson said GRF could handle distributing phonebooks from centralized locations in Rossmoor, such as front desks, but American Directory’s advertisers might require home delivery.

Initially, the committee favored placing phone book delivery on hold for one year but then decided to table that decision to give Peterson time to try to negotiate with American Directory to reduce the $1,132 GRF would have to offset for delivery costs. Peterson will report back at the May committee meeting.