Comments on: April 2009 BART Budget and Project Updates

By: daveo

daveo — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 01:22:01 +0000

You’ve made my point. The proposed alternatives are not airport connectors. They are local transit routes. Tourists or businesspeople and even Bay Area residents will not be any more likely to use Oakland airport if getting to Bart will require using some form of local Oakland surface transportation that is marginally better than Airbart. To have any positive impact, it needs to be direct airport to Bart connection that is grade separated and does not give the experience of local Oakland mass transit. Anything less is a waste of money.

By: dto510

dto510 — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 22:46:44 +0000

The BART Board today voted to examine Airport Connector alternatives in two weeks, and voted to accept and apply for federal funds and loans.

By: dto510

dto510 — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 22:45:27 +0000

DaveO is incorrect – those who “protest” the Airport Connector as proposed object only to its expense and its lack of intermediary stops. Using a more flexible transportation system like Bus Rapid Transit can provide a fast and reliable Airport connection while supporting economic development around the Airport and even transportation needs beyond the Coliseum BART station, all for less money than an aerial structure.

By: DaveO

DaveO — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 21:35:43 +0000

Those who protest the Oakland Airport Connector really have no sense of the big picture. The East Bay’s economy is in disarray, long ago eclipsed by the South Bay and, again today, by San Francisco. It will continue to erode and precious tax revenue for things like AC Transit will disappear along with it. The Airport connector and the extension to San Jose are lifelines for the East Bay to economic growth that will allow improvements in more basic levels of service.