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C.104

To:	Board of Supervisors
From:	Transportation, Water & Infrastructure Cte
Date:	January 11, 2011

Contra

Costa

County

Subject:

Status Report on the eBart Project

APPROVE	OTHER
RECOMMENDATION OF CNTY ADMINISTRATOR	RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD COMMITTEE

Action of Board On: 01/11/2011

APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED

OTHER

Clerks Notes:

VOTE OF SUPERVISORS

AYE:

John Gioia, District I Supervisor
Gayle B. Uilkema, District II Supervisor
Mary N. Piepho, District III Supervisor
Federal D. Glover, District V Supervisor

Contact:

Steve Goetz, 925-335-1240

I hereby certify that this is a true and correct copy of an action taken and entered on the minutes of the Board of Supervisors on the date shown.
ATTESTED: January 11, 2011
David Twa,

BY:	, Deputy

RECOMMENDATION(S):

ACCEPT report from the Transportation, Water and Infrastructure Committee on the status of the eBART project.

FISCAL IMPACT:

None to the General Fund.

BACKGROUND:

Planned BART Extension in East Contra Costa County

BACKGROUND: (CONT'D)

The Board has requested the Committee monitor the status of the eBART project. The following report summarizes the history of the project's development up to its current construction schedule.

In 2000, the Contra Costa Transportation Authority (CCTA) and BART formed a partnership to conduct the SR 4 East Corridor Transit Study, which covered an approximately 23-mile corridor from Pittsburg to the unincorporated communities of Byron and Discovery Bay in East County. This study looked at a full range of bus and rail transit improvements in the corridor. When the study was completed, a unanimous recommendation was made to advance a transit extension based on a rail technology using independently propelled rail cars known as “Diesel Multiple Units,” or DMUs. This fuel-efficient technology uses rail cars that have engines that can burn low sulfur diesel fuel that meets state and federal air emission standards.

In 2002, BART and CCTA agreed to move forward with the environmental analysis and preliminary engineering of the DMU extension into East County. The proposed plan called for extension of eBART approximately 23 miles east of the existing terminus (Bay Point) in order to provide direct service to the communities of Pittsburg, Antioch, Oakley, Brentwood, and Byron/Discovery Bay. The project has been segmented into phases due to funding constraints. Phase 1 will provides tracks within the median of the State Route 4 freeway with new stations east of Railroad Avenue in Pittsburg and east of Hillcrest Avenue in Antioch. The station entrance will be on the north side of the westbound lanes, the pedestrian bridge will cross over the westbound lanes, and the platform will be in the median.

Funding

Currently, funding is only available for Phase 1 of the project. Capital costs for Phase 1 are totaled at approximately $462 million (2009 dollars). The project cost and funding sources breaks down as follows:

Measure J Transportation Sales Tax1*	135.0
Prop 1B - State Transit Assistance (STA)	40.0
Regional Measure 2 (RM 2)	96.0
Regional Measure 1 (RM 1)	52.0
AB1171	115.0
Subregional Transportation Fees (ECCRFFA)	6.0
Traffic Congestion Relief Program (TCRP)	5.0
State Transportation Improvement Program - Regional (STIP-RIP)	13.0
TOTAL	462.0

*Measure J funds shown in escalated dollars.

Current Project Status and Summary

Phase 1 of the eBART project broke ground on October 29, 2010. BART is in the process of awarding the construction contract for the transfer station east of the Pittsburg/Bay Point BART station and related track work. The transfer station will provide a platform where BART trains will meet eBART trains and allow passengers to transfer between the trains by crossing the platform. Completion of the Highway 4 widening is anticipated to occur in December 2014; and the eBART project in 2015.

Nothing about eBART precludes upgrading the system to conventional BART standards in the future. The alignment (right of way) and structures are compatible with conventional BART trains.

BART would like to extend service beyond Hillcrest Avenue. There are two possible future alignments: the Mococo corridor owned by Union Pacific Railroad, and the median of the Highway 4 Bypass. According to BART, the Bypass alignment is more likely. The next station site could be near the intersection of Laurel Avenue and the Bypass. BART suggests that 40% more of the population in East County would potentially be served with this additional station. According to BART, constructing this 3-to-4 mile extension would cost about $100 million. BART sought a federal grant to study an extension this past summer, but was unsuccessful. BART staff has indicated they are continuing to look for funding to study an extension of eBART.

CONSEQUENCE OF NEGATIVE ACTION:

None.

CHILDREN'S IMPACT STATEMENT:

Not Applicable.