Press Release, January 31, 2014.
SAN PABLO, CA – At the January 31, 2014 meeting of the West Contra Costa Transportation Advisory Committee (WCCTAC), its board of directors from the cities and transit agencies of West Contra Costa County and Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors voted to establish a study of high-capacity transit options along the Interstate 80 corridor as a priority for the agency. The resolution read, in part, “… that the West [Contra Costa] Transportation Advisory Committee (WCCTAC) supports the study of high occupancy transit options in the I-80 corridor within West Contra Costa, including a possible rail extension, bus rapid transit or other options necessary to improve the flow of people and goods within and through the corridor…”
Interstate 80 Corridor Study Will Include wBART as an Option
The Interstate 80 Corridor Study will be an open-ended study of high-capacity transit options that can connect the broader West Contra Costa County communities with existing BART services at either the Richmond or El Cerrito del Norte BART Stations. At the conclusion of the comprehensive study, a preferred option for addressing the corridor’s needs would be selected by local elected officials. Different rail technologies and alignments – a group of options commonly referred to as wBART – will be part of the options that will be examined in the study.
The Interstate 80 corridor from Crockett to the Bay Bridge is among the most-congested commute corridors of the region and the State of California. In addition, a vast volume of the ridership at both the Richmond and El Cerrito del Norte BART Stations (40% and 60%, respectively*) consists of persons who reside in San Pablo, El Sobrante, or areas north of the City of Richmond.
For more information about wBART and its history, visit BART Director Zakhary Mallett’s webpage on the subject. wBART was and remains a key priority of Director Mallett’s.
* Data obtained from the April 2013 BART Ridership Report.
Contact: Zakhary Mallett, BART District 7 Director, 510-815-9320
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