Notes From Last Week's BART to Livermore Meeting

Last Wednesday night BART held it's last public meeting, part of a series of meetings held throughout the fall of last year, gaining input on the release of it's draft environmental report for the BART to Livermore extension. Following these meetings, a final report will be released this summer. Several possible alignments were presented to the public. AC Supervisor Haggerty, BART Board member John McPartland, and BART's Malcolm Quint were all in attendance.

So, here's the rundown. As with the last meeting I was at, there were two predominant views among those who appeared at the meeting. BART should either go down the freeway toward the Altamont ending near Greenville Road, or go through downtown ending near Greenville or Vasco Road. The arguments in favor of a freeway extension mainly centered around traffic, noise pollution, and safety issues. Plus, I should point out, the freeway route is the "least" expensive of the alignments proposed. Arguments in favor of a downtown route (including yours truly), centered around access and the growing development downtown. There are multiple routes proposed for either of these options, with speakers adding one or two more suggestions that night. Almost all routes include connections with Altamont Commuter Express.

Here are some of the highlights from the speakers that night:

-A board member of Zone 7 Water Agency urged not to build a route going through the gravel yards south of the freeway due to visual and noise pollution. Many gravel pits have been turned into lakes, and later will become part of parks and recreation. Right? Who wants the sound of trains ruining their camping experience..in ten to twenty years?

-A member of the Fremont City Council strongly warned against a downtown terminus to the route, referencing his city's own experience with their station. Luckily, he mentioned, the Warm Springs station was being constructed, and would alleviate most of their congestion issues. Hmm..

-One speaker happened to be a worker from the quarry where one of the alignments is proposed to go through. He expressed deep concern primarily since the line would be built on a levee separating two of the man-made lakes on an aerial platform. Details, Details.

-A couple of speakers relayed their grievances with the cost and time frame of the project. One cited BART's inabilities to address current systematic problems and inefficiencies, it's choice of expensive broad gauge rail, and also questioned if the expansion was worth doing. Were one of you guys there!? Another speaker even referenced the speed in which the Transcontinental Railroad was built in comparison to the current project. Oh those pesky state and federal regulations that slow everything down!

-Still, there were some speakers who were worried that the extension would not fit the "character" of the city, or that it would bring certain "elements" along with it. Ah, those old evergreens.

The evening certainly turned out to be interesting and informative. I'm glad I went, and voiced my opinion as well. I look forward to seeing how this will all turn out. Thanks for reading!