Although they live in a retirement home off Piedmont Avenue, the ladies make regular shopping trips to the downtown markets.

"We know Chinatown pretty well," Wong said, as the bus slowed down.

"The fish is about the freshest around," Lee added.

And with that, the ladies and their friends carefully descended the bus steps.

The ladies were using a service sponsored by local foundations and the city of Oakland that shuttles residents of senior housing complexes to destinations beyond walking distance, and then returns them home after they've completed their errands.

While Wong, Lee and their friends caught the weekly Chinatown route, the bus runs five other routes through the city each week. Some seniors buy groceries at Trader Joe's or Safeway. Others grab coffee at Starbuck's.

"Several seniors said they wouldn't be able to otherwise go shopping during the day," said Councilwoman Jane Brunner, whose office donated money for the service.

Seniors are using this shuttle at a time when public bus service is diminishing. Before the shuttle began two years ago, riders said they depended on the Alameda-Contra Costa Transit District, which estimates it transports 12,000 seniors each day. However, budget cuts made the public bus service less dependable and more expensive.

The ladies have been making the trip to Chinatown together for several years. They used to take an AC Transit bus that stopped at another corner. However, the bus line changed and no longer stopped as close to their destination, Wong said. The walk grew longer than they could manage. Transfers cost 25 cents -- an expense that can add up for people living on minimal, fixed incomes.

Now, the district is planning to slash about $4 million in annual operating costs at the end of the month. The district announced it will cancel three bus lines and other services around the two counties. It has already terminated 45 of 152 lines in 2004, said Jim Gleich, the district's deputy general manager.

And more cutbacks are expected. The governor's budget calls for slashing $20 million each year over the next two years from the district -- cuts that Gleich said will further reduce paratransit services for seniors and people with disabilities, though he said it is unclear by how much.

A demand will grow for more local shuttles like Oakland's, he said. "As we do fewer and fewer, (cities) have to pick up some of the slack," Gleich said.

The offices of Oakland council members Jane Brunner, Nancy Nadel and Henry Chang contributed to purchasing the bus the ladies rode. The city's paratransit department funds most of the service, which costs about $180,000 each year.

Some of the women on their way to lunch said they prefer the shuttle to AC Transit buses. It offers more room, and is quiet.

And friendlier, according to Julie Cooksey, who was also taking the shuttle to lunch. She said AC Transit riders can be less polite.

"People don't give up their seats," she said.

For information about the bus service (510) 986-8913.

Reach Bruce Gerstman at (510) 748-1681 or by e-mail at bgerstman@cctimes.com.