BART gets city funds, criticism BART gets city funds, criticism (December 02, 2005)

Hosterman calls trains 'dirtier,' prices higher
by Jeb Bing

BART executive John Reynolds came to Pleasanton two weeks ago to cinch a deal he had negotiated with the City Council for a $1 million contribution to the system's reserve that BART needed before starting work on a second station here.

The $71.5-million station, to be called West Dublin-Pleasanton, will be built near the parking garages on both the Pleasanton and Dublin side of the tracks that will accommodate 1,140 cars.

In addition to the $1 million from Pleasanton, Dublin is putting $10.5 million into the special reserve and Alameda County is adding another $4 million.

Reynolds, head of BART's Property Development Division, got his money, but not before fielding an hour of questions, comments and some strong criticism from council members.

Mayor Jennifer Hosterman complained that BART trains "are getting dirtier, ridership is down and prices are going up."

"Unless BART starts looking like other mass transit agencies in the country that offer dependable fast, clean service for a reasonable price, BART will continue to be in trouble," she told Reynolds.

In his response, Reynolds said BART was just rated as the No. 1 transit agency in the country by the American Public Transit Agency this year.

"Well, congratulations. I find that surprising," she retorted.

Councilman Matt Sullivan asked why BART decided to build a second station in Pleasanton, just a short distance from the one at Hacienda Business Park.

"A lot of people are asking me why Pleasanton should spend money for another BART station," he said. "I'm not sure of the rationale for that."

Reynolds said BART West was planned years ago when the tracks were laid to Pleasanton. It was scheduled to be built in the late 1990s, but the recession at the end of the decade cut private funding that had been promised for the project, postponing it until now. The new station will be funded by a private-public sector partnership with new office buildings, a hotel and restaurants on the Dublin side taking the lead in financing the facility.

He also said that Safeway, Stoneridge, Schwab, the Heinz Corporation and E-Loans representatives said their firms have opened offices here and expanded their businesses on the assurance that a BART West would open nearby.

"The Mills Corporation that owns Stoneridge has told us that they based their current expansion plans on the fact that BART would provide good public transit to their stores," Reynolds said.

"We also see this new station as a release valve to the heavy traffic at the existing station," he added. "It will help moderate traffic in Pleasanton by being the station most accessible by bus, cars, bicycles and pedestrians."

The station, to be located near an off-ramp from southbound I-680, will also be convenient to commuters from San Ramon, Danville and other cities to the north, where BART hopes to generate new ridership.

Reynolds said the special reserve from Pleasanton, Dublin and the county will be held for five years, and only used if ridership and unforeseen financial problems affecting bond payments and operating expenses at BART West fall short. After five years, if the funds are still available, they will be refunded.

Reynolds also said that the BART board of directors is considering charging for parking at all of its stations, including BART East, the existing station, and at the two garages it will build at Bart West.

"As a transit agency, we're probably no different than a lot of other government entities that are faced with major revenue challenges," Reynolds said. "Paid parking is certainly one thing the board is looking at."

Councilman Steve Brozosky said that he's concerned that BART commuters who use the new West station might park at Stoneridge to avoid the parking fee.

"I'm hoping you're going to watch that and that we don't have to send a Pleasanton police officer over there to live to keep commuters out of Stoneridge," Brozosky said.

Construction work on the new two-story station will start next spring, with completion scheduled in 2007.

2

E-mail a friend a link to this story.