Celebrate Transit Month by riding AC Transit 72 buses

September is Transit Month, sponsored by Seamless Bay Area and San Francisco Transit Riders! AC Transit’s busiest bus line passes through our area on San Pablo Avenue. San Pablo Avenue is an incredibly rich place of useful destinations. Via a bus ride there is so much you can access on the Avenue or a short walk off of it: top grocery stories, libraries, music clubs, hardware stores, city halls, bicycle stores, outdoor gear, bakeries, coffee shops, BART stations, and more. And how do you access these things? The AC Transit 72 buses of course: 72, 72M, and 72R. The 72 and 72R takes you north as far as Contra Costa College and south through Berkeley and downtown Oakland to Jack London Square. The 72M goes north on San Pablo Avenue from Jack London Square and turns onto Macdonald Avenue in Richmond and delivers you as far as Point Richmond. The 72R is a rapid bus; fewer stops but gets you there faster.

If you don’t like waiting a lot at a bus stop and you have a smartphone, download the AC Transit app; it will tell you when the bus will arrive, as will Google Maps. Pay with the Clipper Card when you board to save fumbling with money; Clipper fares are also cheaper than paying with cash. Youth (5–18) and seniors (65+) and disabled pay half of the regular adult fare.