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The BART Board of Directors voted unanimously today to direct staff to advance the proposed BART to Livermore Project.
The project would extend BART five miles to a transfer station, and express bus service. Preliminary estimates are a daily ridership of about 21,000 new riders in 2035.
“It’s also important to note that as we move forward, we’ll do so with full public access and public participation,” said BART Board President John McPartland. “We’re going to listen to and respond to our potential riders in the Tri-Valley and to the Bay Area as a whole.”
The next step to develop the project includes an environmental review, conceptual engineering, the development of Ridership Development Plans, and an analysis of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act.
The board also directed staff to initiate a partnership that would, among other things, seek external funding sources so the project would have no impact on funding for essential BART capital needs.
“We’re hoping to form a closer partnership with the city of Livermore and the Alameda County Transportation Commission as we study this critical link to the Tri-Valley,” McPartland said.
A BART extension to Livermore was initially identified in the 1957 Rail Plan, the first blueprint for the BART system. In 2007, the San Francisco Regional Rail Plan affirmed a Livermore extension as a vital link needed to connect to the regional rail network.
The environmental review will examine the impact of alternative alignments and modes of transportation, and no BART money will be used for it.
The overall cost for the project is still being studied, with estimates ranging from $800 million to $1.2 billion.
By Dolores Fox Ciardelli
By Dolores Fox Ciardelli
By Dolores Fox Ciardelli
If the BART board had any sense, they would make Livermore a stop on a line extended at least to Tracy, to alleviate the I580 traffic situation during commute hours.
Did I read that right? Five miles for a billion dollars? While I think this extension is a good idea, I have to wonder at the cost…
Dear Dolores,
One can imagine a Livermore BART station as a major wine tasting center!
What a great way to start and finish your daily grind!
Smile!