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High-Capacity Study; Increased Bicycle Storage
March 28, 2015
Dear Reader:
At the March 27 meeting of the West Contra Costa Transportation Advisory Committee (WCCTAC), the WCCTAC Board unanimously supported moving forward with the West Contra Costa High-Capacity Transit Study and also expressed support for increasing the availability and security of bicycle storage at BART stations.
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High-Capaicty Transit Study Moves Forward!
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You most-certainly are aware that one of my priorities as a BART Director has been to
advocate for a BART extension to San Pablo, Hilltop, Pinole, and Hercules. Over these past two-and-a-half years, I have worked diligently to get to the first step of that long-term goal, which is to initiate a study to assess this potential. Through extensive political negotiations, that effort was accomplished yesterday when the WCCTAC Board voted unanimously to award a contract for a high-capacity transit study in West Contra Costa County. By expanding the study from being a BART extension study to being a high-capacity transit study, it ensures a level of objectivity since all transit options that have the potential to provide a viable, high-capacity transit alternative to driving in
the corridor – including a BART extension, an alternate rail technology service like diesel-multiple unit technology (Wikipedia definition), expanded express bus services, and ferry services – will be competitively evaluated.
The selected prime consultant for the project is Parsons Brinckerhoff and at least six (6) community outreach meetings are expected of the consultant team as they evaluate different alternatives.
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Local Support for Expanded Secure Bicycle Storage at BART Stations
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The committee board also discussed an expansion of the bike rack system in West Contra Costa County (i.e., providing more bike racks at more locations so that bicycling in West Contra Costa County more convenient).
As you are likely already familiar, the BART Board of Directors lifted a ban on bikes on commute period trains in October 2013, but emphasized at that time that due to our trains’ crowd levels, we encourage bicyclists to only bring their bikes on-board if it is necessary or as a last resort. In some cases, that “last resort” is realized prematurely for no reason other than the lack of secure bicycle storage at our stations. Bicycle thefts from bike racks at BART stations occurs much too regularly and bicyclists have expressed needing more secure bicycle storage at our stations, including bicycle lockers and bike stations, in order to feel more comfortable leaving their bikes at their origin station rather than bringing them on-board.
The WCCTAC Board expressed support of investing in these amenities at West Contra Costa County BART stations. Such investment won’t only help reduce the impacts that bikes have on passenger experiences on crowded BART trains, but will also have a local impact of promoting biking to/from BART stations in lieu of other access options – most notably, driving.
Photo Credit: Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC)
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