Published Friday, February 9, 2001, in the Contra Costa Times
Far East County BART link proposed
By Jane Ramsey
Staff Writer
BRENTWOOD -- What may have seemed like the impossible dream for far
East County commuters may become a reality a lot sooner than anybody
had previously anticipated. The timeline for bringing BART service to
points beyond the Pittsburg/Bay Point station may be shortened to
three to four years if regional transit planners agree that the
concept is worth pursuing.
According to Mayor Mike McPoland, plans are being considered to
connect the far East County communities with the Pittsburg and North
Concord BART stations. The proposed system, dubbed eBART, calls for
lightweight, diesel trains that would run on existing freight tracks
of the Union Pacific-owned Mococo line.
"It's tremendously exciting news that they're even contemplating
this," McPoland said.
The commuter trains would run at maximum speeds of 75 mph, as often
as every 20 to 30 minutes during peak commute times. Stations would
be located in Pittsburg, Antioch and Brentwood, with possible
extension as far east as Tracy in the future.
Joel Keller, East County BART director, presented the idea to
McPoland about three weeks ago. Keller and Thomas Margro, BART
general manager, presented the concept of bringing rail service to
far East County at the Thursday meeting of Transplan, a regional
transportation-planning agency.
According to Keller, the goal of the presentation to Transplan was to
see whether the agency felt the concept was a viable alternative for
transportation and, if so, to accelerate a study to be done at the
same time as a study of the East County commute corridor.
Keller's recommendation to Transplan is to get behind the project and
instruct the Contra Costa Transit Authority to move quickly on
getting the study done with the commute corridor study already
started.
"I'd like to see it move forward concurrently," Keller said. "I see a
transportation crisis out there and it's not getting any better."
In his vision, Keller said BART would do the commuter rail
alternative study while outside consultants do the commute corridor
study. Both studies could be funded by the $7 million secured in a
bill by then-Assemblyman Tom Torlakson in the last legislative
session.
Keller also is scheduled to make a presentation of the project to the
Brentwood City Council at its regular meeting at 7:30 p.m. on Feb. 13.
The specially designed trains are lightweight, high-speed rail cars
that have been used in European urban rail transit for a number of
years. During peak commute hours, several of the cars can be linked
to hold large numbers of passengers. During off hours, when fewer
passengers are expected, the cars could be uncoupled to run singly.
Since federal transportation rules prohibit freight and passenger
trains from using the same lines, the right-of-way to the lightly
used Mococo line tracks would need to be purchased or leased from
Union Pacific. Gaining the right-of-way to the tracks would avoid
interference from existing freight traffic with the passenger service.
Although Keller said a transit agency in New Jersey is working with
track owners there to split use of existing rails with passenger
trains, it's not something he favors here. The risk of injuring
hundreds of commuters in the event of a collision between a
lightweight train and a freight or Amtrak passenger train is, in
Keller's estimation, a risk too big to take.
"Personally, I could not support (lightweight trains) and freight or
Amtrak use of lines. It's a big policy mistake," Keller said. "It
would be like a Suburban hitting a VW bug head on."
The system would be BART-managed with contracted operations similar
to those on the Capitol Corridor line running from Martinez to
Sacramento. Initial costs for the system, excluding track purchase,
would be approximately $100 million, with the operating costs for
service to Brentwood ranging from $3 million to $6 million per year.
Part of the capital costs for the system would go to upgrade the
Mococo line track for the passenger service trains.
"Substantial upgrades are needed to the line," McPoland said.
McPoland would like to see an agreement reached with Santa Clara
County officials where, in return for receiving BART service, Santa
Clara County would participate in a buy-in that would benefit
bringing service to Brentwood.
"I wouldn't support a plan for them receiving service without
remuneration for us," McPoland said.
McPoland would like to see the entire community of Brentwood and far
East County get behind the idea of commuter train service to the
area. He'll be checking his e-mail, mcpoland@cctrap.com, for
citizen's input.
"I want to hear from citizens on this," McPoland said.
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