Routes within the East Bay area are assigned numbers, trans-bay routes are assigned letters. Streetcar routes within the East Bay area were either assigned numbers originally 1 through 9, or letters, although in 1928 the letters were replaced with new numbers 10 through 18. Shuttle or feeder routes, previously without letters, were assigned numbers in the 20's. Routes 28-29-30 were local routes in Richmond.
Streetcar routes 31-32-33 were local streetcar services operating over trans-bay trackage, operationally a separate division. Those local services were replaced with buses in 1931 and 1932, while trans-bay services continued to be provided by rail. Route 31 was the Alcatrez route, and no similar route presently exists.
Bus routes were assigned numbers beginning in 1928, starting with 51. This includes the earliest bus routes created replacing streetcar routes.
Former route numbers are listed in three columns. First are bus route numbers from during the 1970's and 1980's, followed by two columns for street car route numbers after and before 1928. "New Bus" routes are generally followed by the original bus route numbers assigned in 1928 or later.
For a period of time, portions of certain routes had both streetcars and buses, for various reasons. Most notable were the main routes 72 San Pablo Avenue north of Oakland, and former route 82 E. 14th Street south of Oakland. Those streetcar lines were eventually shortened, with through bus service from downtown Oakland covering the outer segments. Also, bus service existed on Telegraph Avenue from 1927 to 1931, supplementing streetcars which operated express.
A few route segments were acquired 10/20/35 from Oakland Motor Bus Lines, which was previously West Oakland Motor Bus Lines, which had evolved from a jitney operation. A few additional segments were municipal operations introduced by the city of Alameda, absorbed into Key System routes in 1936. The west portion of the route was originally introduced by the Key System on 7/10/24, discontinued 10/1/28.
In 1933, Peerless Stages introduced four bus routes between Oakland and Hayward, competing with the Key System in San Leandro, but not carrying local passengers within Oakland. On 2/1/36, the Key System acquired three of the Peerless routes. Peerless retained a route via 14th St., as part of its Oakland-San Jose service but not carrying local passengers north of Hayward. Peerless Stages was formed in 1921, having evolved from a jitney operation, which had begun in 1914. In 1973, some Peerless service was sold to the newly formed Santa Clara County Transit District.
Route W replaced Southern Pacific Railroad route 4 in 1941. At the same time, Southern Pacific discontinued its route 6 on Lincoln Ave. in Alameda and Key System introduced replacement bus route T, but that route was eventually discontinued.
Rail service into Richmond had been replaced with buses in 1933. But during World War II, Richmond became a major center of ship building. A temporary electric railway extension into Richmond was constructed in 1942, using portions of the Southern Pacific 9th Street line and new trackage paralleling the Southern Pacific steam main line, and using the San Pablo streetcar route in and out of downtown Oakland. The line was in operation from 1/18/43 to 9/30/45.
Not listed are routes serving Fremont and Newark numbered in the 200's, or special routes numbered in the 300's, or school routes numbered in the 600's.
Route Route Former Early Horse Electric Streetcars
Number Name Route Streetcar Cars Streetcars Disc./Buses
Numbers Company Introduced
1 International (E. 14th St.) 82 8 8 OSL&H 1892 11/28/48
San Lorenzo (disc.) -- - - OSL&H 1892 11/ 3/27
Dutton (disc. 1928) -- New Bus 64 1928
6 Telegraph 40 5 5 ORR 1869 1893 11/28/48
Telegraph (bus/disc. 1931) -- New Bus 58 2/ 1/27
7 Arlington 7 6 N 1907 6/27/48
10 E. 14th St. south 82 8 8 OSL&H 1892 11/28/48
12 Grand 12 12 C 1905 6/27/48
12 ML King Jr. (Grove Ave.) 15 3 3 OCSR 1891 11/28/48
W. 12th St. (disc. 2010) 12 14 H CAR 1893 3/28/48
14 7th St. 12 New Bus 85 (Oakland MBL) 1929
14 14th St. 12 New Bus 86 (Oakland MBL) 1929
14 East 18th St. 14 14 H EOSR 1892 3/28/48
14 High St. (Leona Heights) 79 16 K CR 1896 4/ 1/36
Park Ave. (disc.) 17 25 - ORR 1887 1897 3/27/37
Rockridge (Chabot) (disc.) 17 New Bus 70 3/15/25
Cemetery (disc. 1943) -- 27 - P&MV 1879 1895 3/31/37
Alcatrez (disc.) 17 31 L ORR 1893 9/30/46
18 Shattuck 43 4 4 OCSR 1891 11/28/48
18 ML King Jr. (Grove Ave.) 15 3 3 OCSR 1891 11/28/48
19 Buena Vista 61
20 Park St. 64 9 9 AO&P 1895 5/ 3/33
20 Otis Dr. 63
San Jose Ave. (disc.) 64 9 9 AO&P 1895 5/ 3/33
21 Bay Farm 63 New Bus 2 (Municipal) 8/ 4/30
22 Southland 92
29 Hollis 14 12 C P&MV 1881 1893 10/20/35
29 Lakeshore Ave. 18 18 E 1904 3/28/48
32 B Street 80 New Bus 80 (Peerless) 1933
32 Castro Valley-Miramar 84
33 Oakland Ave. 11 11 B P&MV 1896 6/26/48
33 Park Blvd. 18 18 E EOSR 1895 3/28/48
Piedmont Pines (disc. 2010) 18 New Bus 77 6/21/34
36 Adeline St. 14 12 C P&MV 1878 1893 10/20/35
36 Dwight 65 24 - 1909 2/ 1/38
6th St. (to Z 2010) 65 24 - 1909 2/ 1/38
37 Santa Clara-Underwood 90
37 Whitman 91
39 Fruitvale 53 22 - HP&F 1882 1893 3/ 1/37
40 Foothill Blvd. 40 7 7 1912 7/31/38
40 Foothill Blvd. (south) 40 New Bus 55 9/15/24
40 Bancroft Ave. 43
Highland (disc. 2010) 42
Piedmont Ave. (to V 2010) 42 10 A P&MV 1879 1895 6/ 1/48
Portland-Santa Fe (disc.) 43 New Bus 76 1/11/37
45 Sobrante Park 83
45 Seminary Ave. 56 New Bus 56 9/15/24
45 Millsmont 56 New Bus 61 7/14/25
46 82nd Avenue 46 New Bus 46 12/ 9/41
47 Maxwell Park 87 New Bus 40 1/14/40
48 Castro Valley 80
48 Redwood-Seven Hills 91
Route Route Former Early Horse Electric Streetcars
Number Name Route Streetcar Cars Streetcars Disc./Buses
Numbers Company Introduced
51 University Ave. 51 5 5 CU&F 1891 1901 2/ 1/37
51 College Ave. 51 6 6 1904 9/30/46
51 Santa Clara Ave. 51 1 1 AO&P 1875 1893 10/30/28
Neptune B. (disc. 1940's) -- New Bus 50 10/ 1/29
High St. (to O 2010) 51 - - AO&P 1875 1893 10/30/28
52 Cedar 51
Montclair (disc. 1932) -- New Bus 53 5/14/21
54 35th Ave. 54 New Bus 54 9/15/24
38th Ave. (disc.) 54 11 J 1907 3/30/46
57 40th Street 57 32 - OCSR 1892 5/27/31
57 MacArthur Blvd. 57 New Bus 57 3/15/25
Broadway Ter. (to V 2010) 59 - - 1907 1/29/28
60 2nd St.-CSUEB 91
62 W. 8th St. 83 3 3 OCSR 1892 2/12/36
62 8th Ave. 15 17 F EOSR 1895 6/21/33
62 23rd Ave. 64 23 - OSL&H 1893 6/21/33
65 Euclid 8 4 D 1900 6/27/48
65 Grizzly Peak 8 New Bus 75 10/10/37
67 Spruce 67 3 3 1900 5/23/32
68 Huntwood (disc. 2010's) 77
70 Appian 71
70 Rheem Ave. 78 New Bus 48 8/30/42
71 Rumrill 78 New Bus 78 12/30/45
72 San Pablo Ave. 72 2 2 ORR 1873 1899 11/28/48
72 Berkeley-Richmond 72 2 2 ES&S 1902 11/ 7/33
72 Richmond (Richmond Ferry) 72 30 - ES&S 1902 11/ 7/33
Auto Ferry (disc. 1930's) -- New Bus 63 1/14/25
73 Hegenberger 57
73 73rd Ave. 57 New Bus 57 9/15/24
74 23rd St. 69 29 - ES&S 1905 7/ 3/32
75 Farnsworth-Merced 81
76 Cutting 78 New Bus 47 10/ 1/42
76 7th St. (6th St.) 69 28 - ES&S 1905 7/ 3/32
79 Colusa Ave. 67 New Bus 62 11/ 1/26
80 Ashby-6th St.-Pierce New
81 Ashby 65 - - 1909 5/16/28
83 Clawiter 86
84 Somerset (disc. 2010's) 91 New Bus 91 9/21/45
85 Washington 81
85 Soto 77
86 Winton 86
88 Sacramento St. 88 33 - 1926 2/28/32
88 Market 88 New Bus 88 10/20/35
W. 16th St. (disc.) 88 12 F OCSR 1893 6/27/48
So. Pacific Depot (disc.) 88
89 Mulford Gardens (Davis) 55 New Bus 45 1/27/42
89 Wicks 81
Chestnut St. (disc. 1942) 89 - - 1918 6/19/35
90 90th Ave. 56 26 - 1911 1/15/32
93 Hacienda-Meekland 81 New Bus 81 (Peerless) 1933
93 San Lorenzo Village 93
94 Hayward Highlands New
95 Fairview 95
96 West Alameda 64 New Bus 1 (Municipal) 8/ 4/30
96 Alameda Naval Air Station 42 New Bus 42 1/ /41
96 E. 8th St.-5th Ave. 14 - - EOSR 1892 3/ 9/31
96 MacArthur Blvd. (Hopkins) 15 10 G HP&F 1875 1893 3/27/48
97 Hesperian 93
98 Edgewater 57
98 98th Ave. 83
98 Golf Links (disc. 2010's) 56
99 San Leandro-Hayward 82 8 8 OSL&H 1892 3/10/35
99 Mission 82
Route Route Former Early Horse Electric Streetcars
Number Name Route Streetcar Cars Streetcars Disc./Buses
Numbers Company Introduced
Route Route Former Streetcars
Number Name Route Disc./Buses
Numbers Introduced
Oakland (disc.) A A 4/20/58
B Trestle Glen B B 4/20/58
C Moraga Ave. C C 4/20/58
CB Broadway Terrace C
E Claremont E E 4/20/58
F Adeline F F 4/20/58
FS North Berkeley F
G Solano G G 7/26/41
H El Cerrito H H 7/26/41
J Sacramento
L Pierce L New Bus 5/ 9/37
LA Hilltop New
LC Hilltop New
M San Mateo Bridge New
NL MacArthur Limited N New Bus 5/ 9/37
NX Grand Lake-Laurel New
NX1 Grand Lake New
NX2 Laurel New
NX3 Eastmont New
NX4 Castro Valley New
NXC Castro Valley P&R New
O Santa Clara O New Bus 8/26/41
O High St. 51 - - AO&P 10/30/28
OX East Alameda Express W1
P Oakland Ave. C
S West Hayward S
Washington Manor (disc.) S
SB Newark S
U Stanford Express New
V Piedmont Ave. 42 10 A P&MV 6/ 1/48
V Broadway Ter. 59 - - 1/29/28
V Park Blvd. V New Bus 2/25/40
W Otis W SP-4 1/18/41
Z 6th St. 65 24 - 2/ 1/38
Route Route Former Streetcars
Number Name Route Disc./Buses
Numbers Introduced
Early histories for the trans-bay services are not yet available, but all Key System routes were introduced between 1903 and 1911. And the Southern Pacific suburban routes were electrified in 1911 and 1912.In 2010, due to funding problems, several routes were discontinued or shortened. And at certain locations, the East Bay routes were discontinued, and only the trans-bay routes remained.
AO&P Alameda Oakland & Piedmont Electric Railroad
CR California Railway
CAR Central Avenue Railway
CU&F Claremont University & Ferries Street Railroad Co.
EOSR East Oakland Street Railway
ES&S East Shore & Suburban Railway
HP&F Highland Park & Fruitvale Railroad
OCSR Oakland Consolidated Street Railway
ORR Oakland Railroad
OSL&H Oakland San Leandro & Haywards Electric Railway Consolidated
P&MV Piedmont & Mountain View Railway Co.
Old Route No. Street Company Period Of Cable Car Operation 2 San Pablo Ave. ORR 1886 to 1899 10 Piedmont Ave. P&MV 1890 to 1895 11 Oakland Ave. P&MV 1890 to 1896Steam Railroad Route
The Leona Heights line was originally a steam railroad line on a private right of way, beginning in 1888, and electrified in 1896. The replacement bus route, introduced in 1936, would operate on High St.