Majority of riders want wider aisles in Fleet of the Future

By MELISSA JORDAN
BART Senior Web Producer

A large majority of riders are telling BART they would give up 2 inches of seat width in exchange for wider aisles. The wider aisles are designed to make it easier for customers on crowded trains to get to the train doors to exit. Wider aisles also will make the new cars more spacious and comfortable for standees during peak periods.

BART is hosting seat labs to gather public input on the project to replace its entire fleet of train cars, the oldest in the nation, with the Fleet of the Future. BART invites you to tour a mobile, interactive seat lab where you can try out new train car seating designs and give feedback on Saturday, June 18, 11 am – 3 pm at Prewett Family Park and Community Center, 4701 Lone Tree Way, Antioch, in the parking lot (adjacent to the water park).

“It’s totally OK to get a little bit closer if it means more space to accommodate people,” Carrie Harvilla, a BART rider who toured a seat lab Thursday in Union City, said as she filled out a survey.

BART’s current seats, at 22 inches, are among the widest of any transit system.

In a recent seat lab controlled for random sampling, about 90% of those surveyed said they found 20-inch-wide seats acceptable. Those customers picked wider aisles at the expense of slightly narrower seats, which would still be fairly wide relative to others in the industry. “I prefer the width of the current seats, but I understand that there are tradeoffs to be made,” Christian Schultz, another visitor to the Union City seat lab, added.

A design with wider aisles could make it easier for people to get on and off trains efficiently, with the potential to get trains in and out of stations more quickly. Another benefit would be better accommodation for people with disabilities. Robin Guild, who toured the seat lab in Union City and who uses a wheelchair, said wider aisles would make things easier for him.

Other findings of the controlled sample were that 63% preferred forward-facing to sideways seats; 97% found 27 inches of legroom acceptable (compared to 29 inches currently); and respondents rated cleanliness at 6.28 and comfort at 4.88 on a scale with 1 being “not at all important” and 7 being “very important.”

Armrests were a toss-up with 49% preferring no armrests and 36% wanting armrests, within the margin of error making it about equal. Download the complete survey results.

The results of the randomized sample will be tracked against results coming in from a series of demonstrations for the general public, featuring a mini version of the seat lab. The mini version of the survey includes questions about seat width; armrests; accommodations for bikes, luggage ands strollers; passenger information; seat materials; and other design ideas.

ACCOMMODATING DIFFERENT NEEDS

At Thursday’s event in Union City, rider Michael Jordan said that accommodating people with disabilities should be a priority. “There’s got to be access to available seating near the doors,” he said, suggesting more prominent signage of the notice that seats must be given up for people with disabilities. “The signs now are too small,” he said.

Anna Sanchez was thinking about needs of parents as she pushed her baby in a stroller down the seat lab aisles while her two older children, ages 10 and 8, helped fill out the survey. “We ride BART every day, Monday through Friday,” she said. “I wanted them to come out and see this because they’ll be riding BART when these new trains get here.” The seat labs are just one of the ways BART is gathering public input.

MORE SEAT LABS SCHEDULED

Six seat labs for the general public have now been completed — one each in San Francisco, Pittsburg, Richmond, Union City and two in Oakland. Five more are planned by the end of June to complete the calendar — at Dublin/Pleasanton, Pleasant Hill, South San Francisco and tentatively one for Antioch and another in San Francisco. (See bart.gov/cars for the schedule.) Surveys from the general public labs will be analyzed and added to the mix.

In addition, BART is collecting email feedback, with more than 1,000 comments already received from the public. (Submit yours here). The general public seat labs already have collected around 1000 surveys. Earlier versions of the seat lab sought comments from groups of riders with specific concerns, such as riders with disabilities, senior citizens and bicyclists. Another version was the controlled sample described above.

The feedback will be shared with industrial designers, who will use it to come up with three renderings that incorporate the most-requested features and try to balance tradeoffs for the best possible interior design. Then, later this summer, there will be another round of public input on those three models. Based on that public input, BART will give design guidance to the company that ultimately will build the train cars. Five builders have submitted proposals for the job.

Sign up to receive updates on the Fleet of the Future, or submit your feedback, at www.bart.gov/cars.

The display of indifference to human suffering by Alameda police and firemen during the drowning of Raymond Zack is reminiscent of a case I handled in Contra Costa County.

On July 19, 2009, I begged the Human Resources Director to use “wise managerial discretion in preventing what could be a catastrophic mistake should XXX deteriorate to an irreversible physical condition.” As union steward, I was writing a letter on behalf of a county employee of the Employment and Human Services Department who was experiencing major life difficulties.

In a one and a half-year period, XXX saw the death of her mother and brother, hospitalization of her husband and foreclosure of her home. The string of tragedies weakened her physical and emotional well-being resulting in frequent absences from work. Due to the absences, her salary was not enough to cover a $24.61 automatic deduction payment share towards her medical insurance, a benefit available to all county employees.

The County Auditor sent a deficit notice to her foreclosed home even though the paycheck issued by the same County Auditor had always been sent to her work. Unaware of the situation, XXX made no payment and her medical insurance was cancelled. According to county policy, it could not be re-instated until the next benefit enrollment period one year later.

XXX faced an impossible vicious cycle. She needed daily medication to function. Without medical insurance she had to buy her own medicine. However, without medication, she was too sick to work and earn enough money to pay for medication. In desperation, XXX applied for Medi-Cal from the very department she worked in. XXX was told in a denial letter that since her employer provided medical insurance, she was not entitled to public assistance.

I was called to represent XXX for excessive absences. I appealed for re-instatement of her medical insurance as a solution to her attendance issues. I sent, via certified mail, my own personal check to pay for the unpaid balance. The check was returned.

For one year, XXX struggled with sporadic work attendance. When benefit enrollment time came, she was eager to again receive medical insurance and, finally, resolve medical and attendance issues. However, simultaneous to the re-instatement of her medical insurance, XXX was fired for excessive absences. Again, I begged; this time, to the Director of the Employment and Human Services Department, for a one month chance to prove that, with medical insurance and medication, XXX can maintain acceptable attendance.

To all efforts, I repeatedly heard a resounding “NO” from the Human Resources Director, Personnel Benefits Manager, Director and Assistant Director of Employment and Human Services Department, the five members of the Merit Board and the State Administrative Law Judge.

Employment termination was not the final tragedy. XXX died in February 2011 at the age of 42; apparently from irreversible deterioration of her physical condition.

Sadly, we cannot undo her untimely death. We can only hope for a county government that does not enshrine callous protocol and policy over justice and compassion.

Cynthia Ruehlig

The Arts & Cultural Foundation, once again in partnership with the Antioch Historical Society, will host the 7th Celebration of Art 2011 Exhibit at the Antioch Historical Society Museum. This is a non-juried exhibit with no required theme, with 50+ local artists participating in the event. The event begins on Saturday, June 25th, with an artist reception from 2-4 p.m. and continues through July 16th.

Artists who have signed up for the exhibit so far are: Chris Jacques, Julia Offord, Kay Kirby, Michelle Ramirez, Mauricio Ramirez, Sherry Cummings, Anthony Woodruff, Laurie DiMaggio, Bob Driskell, Tom Dudziak, Nordyn Anderson, Mayette Ignacio, Joel Summerhill, Gigi Miller, Sandy Gangwer, Ken Tomlin, Sherry Morris, Easy Gonzalez, Kathleen Henderson, Andre Salvador, Lisa Slazar, Fred Hoskins, Jean-Louise Cucuel, Karen Nelson Kelly, Milian C M Correa, Michele Brady, Dale Burkhardt, Deela Hubbartt, Kyoko Campbell, Linda Faulkenberry, Kelsey Burkhart, Susan Burkhardt, Helen Elizabeth, FroGard Butler, John Goodner, Kaitlyn Campbell, Paul Schorr, Clyde Cox, Lita Andino, Rosalinda Grejsen, Lee Williams, John Nicolini, Pat Prejza, Mary Lamb, Gloria Pohan.

The event, artist reception and entry to the museum are free. The Antioch Historical Society Museum is located at 1500 W. 4th Street in Antioch and is open Wednesdays & Saturdays, from 1-4 PM. Admission to the museum is free. Please email Diane@Art4Antioch.org or call (925) 325-9897 if you would like additional information.

The Arts & Cultural Foundation of Antioch is proud to host the FREE ANTIOCH SATURDAY SUMMER CONCERTS SERIES every Saturday evening in July and August from 6-8 pm.

Due to the generosity of the Lesher Foundation, the summer concert series has expanded to include every Saturday in July and August. The concert venue is once again Waldie Plaza (2nd and I Streets) in the Rivertown district in downtown Antioch. Bring your blankets, lawn chairs, picnic dinners and enjoy music, and a cool breeze off the Delta. This is a great opportunity to visit the downtown restaurants before or after the concerts. There is no alcohol or smoking permitted in Waldie Plaza.

The series kicks off on the holiday weekend, Vocal Ease & the Boogie Men, a local favorite, performing a variety of nostalgic music from the 40’s, 50’s & 60’s on Saturday, July 2nd. The lineup continues on July 9th with 80’s RetroManiax, Special Request on July 16th, Juke Joint on July 23rd, Mojo Addiction on July 30th, PhDs on August 6th, Rodeo House on August 13th, Harvey & the Wall Bangers on August 20th and the final concert will be Mixed Nuts on August 27th.

The concert series is made possible by a grant from the Lesher Foundation and the following sponsors: City of Antioch, Arts & Cultural Foundation of Antioch, East Contra Costa Times, Give Always to Others & Company (GATO), the Antioch Chamber of Commerce, FastSigns and Clay, Millias, & Co, LLP.

For more information, visit www.art4antioch.org or contact Diane Gibson-Gray at the Arts & Cultural Foundation at 925.325.9897 or e-mail Diane@Art4Antioch.org.

On June 4 at approximately 12:45 a.m., Antioch police received a call about people gambling near a bar at 2500 Sycamore Drive. When officers arrived, they found several people kneeling on the ground with money and dice in front of them. As the officers approached, most of the gamblers fled.

One person, Aaron Harris, 42, of San Francisco, walked toward the officers. The officers observed that Harris had body armor under his sweatshirt. Harris acknowledged that he was wearing the body armor. As the officers looked closer at Harris, they saw that he had a gun inside the front pocket of his sweatshirt.

The officers attempted to give direction to Harris so that they could take him into custody. Instead, he neglected the commands and began to resist arrest. After a struggle Harris was taken into custody and the loaded gun was recovered.

During the apprehension, an unknown person fired off two rounds in the parking lot of the bar. Additional officers responded and gained control of the situation. The person responsible for firing off the rounds was never located.

Harris was booked into the Martinez Detention Facility for numerous firearm violations, felon in possession of body armor and resisting arrest. He has a lengthy criminal history, which includes a 1989 conviction for possession of crack cocaine for sale in San Mateo County and a 1994 Contra Costa County conviction for assault with a firearm, first degree burglary and possession of a firearm by a felon. He was sentenced to state prison in both of these cases.

Anyone with information regarding this incident is encouraged to contact Detective Mortimer with the Antioch Police Department at (925) 779-6941.

The United States Air Force Band of the Golden West’s Jazz Ensemble, “The Commanders” will present a free concert of classic big band jazz music at the El Campanil Theatre. The concert will take place on June 12th at 4:00 pm. For more information, please call 925-757-9500 or visit the theatre’s website: www.elcampaniltheatre.com. The free concert is made possible through a sponsorship by PG&E.

While it is a free concert, tickets are required and may be obtained through the website or by phone. Tickets are currently in short supply and all remaining seats are accessible only via stairs.

Under the musical direction of TSgt Jim Butler, this thrilling 20-piece big band performs for audiences throughout the West Coast. Music ranging from the Big Band sounds of the 1940’s to more contemporary sounds ensures an exciting concert that will rouse audiences of all musical tastes.

The United States Air Force Band of the Golden West is stationed at Travis Air Force Base, California. As the only remaining active duty Air Force band west of the Rockies, its geographic area of responsibility includes Washington, Oregon, Nevada, Idaho and California. The Band of the Golden West has performed for gubernatorial inaugurations, with guest artists such as Toni Tennille, Marvin Stamm, and Bob Hope, and for the fans of the Oakland A’s, San Francisco Giants, Oakland Raiders, and the San Francisco 49ers. The band has been seen and heard by thousands in performances throughout its touring region.

There will be a public hearing on Wednesday, June 8th at 5:30 p.m. in the Delta Diablo Sanitation District board room at 2500 Antioch-Pittsburgh Highway, Antioch.

You should have received a Notice of Proposed Sewer Service Charge Increases, informing us of a proposed 7.5% increase in fees. That breaks down to 4.8% for costs of treatment, capital improvements etc and 2.7% to begin funding a dedicated reserve fund to pay for advanced wastewater treatment facilities to meet new regulatory requirements.

I’m opposed the this excessive rate increase for the following reasons:

The Board previously approved a 4.6% increase in wastewater sewer service charges and recycled water service charges for the fiscal year ending June 2010, and at the April 2010 meeting approved a 4.8% rate increase for sewer service charges for FY 2010/11. Note, expenses increased 9% (2010 vs. 2009) while revenues increased by 18%.

In 2009 the district paid off the 2001 COP and the 2000 revenue bonds and did not issue any new bonded debt. Also at the July 2010 Board meeting, the Board adopted a Retiree Health Funding Plan and employees agreed to start contributing 1 % of their salaries to the fund with the % to increase to 3% by July 2012. (Terms of the bargaining units MOU with the District was extended by 3 years to June 30, 2018)

Another rate increase is not warranted at the present time.

By Elizabeth Rimbault

With the changing of political representatives every two years and city managers averaging every five years, some issues become lost in history and eventually misrepresented by people that were not around when the issue was discussed. I don’t believe original intent should be changed or lost just because city records of the past failed to be totally clear. One such issue is the participation of the Antioch Historical Society as a beneficiary of the Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT) or Motel Tax.

For many years by virtue of ordinance the City of Antioch charged a motel tax of 7 percent and used the income in the general fund. In the early 1990’s a 3 percent increase in the tax was proposed to support the arts, culture and history in the City of Antioch. An advisory ballot measure was written by then City Attorney Bill Galstan, which asked if the citizens of Antioch would support increasing the motel tax by 3% with the proceeds being used to support the arts, culture and history activities within the community.

The members of the Historical Society soundly supported the measure and worked diligently for its passage. Society members wrote some of the arguments in favor of the measure in the ballot packet. The president of the Historical Society was appointed to the Civic Arts Commission to represent the interest of the Society in the programs that would be funded by the tax.

After its passage and confirmation by the council led by Mayor Joel Keller in 1992, the president of the Historical Society dropped off the Civic Arts Commission due to illness. The Arts Commission continued on, spending the tax that in early years harvested a range between $120,000 and $160,000 for the fund, however frequently forgetting the support and inclusion of the Historical Society.

When it became obvious the commission would continue to ignore the Historical Society that by all intent was included in the fund, former Mayor Verne Roberts and historical member Jim Boccio went to the mayor and City Manager Lee Walton and petitioned to have the situation corrected. An admission the Society had dropped through the cracks was made and a $5,000 annual stipend was immediately budgeted from the fund for the Historical Society. Over the years the amount increased to $6,000, and then under Mayor Don Freitas it was increased to $12,000. In addition to the money from the fund, the water bill for the grounds at the museum was waived.

In the late 1990’s with further discussion, all parties were reminded that the Arts, Culture and History Fund was established by an “advisory” ballot measure, which meant in times of extreme financial difficulty the entire fund could be diverted to the General Fund of the city. Several other things changed by the new century when the Civic Arts Commission was disbanded, the arts program was placed under City Manager Ramsey, and funding for historical became part of the recreation budget. Regardless of those changes, the Antioch Historical Society noted the financial difficulties of the city two years ago and voluntarily removed the stipend from their own budget.

In direct conflict with rather harsh statements made by City Manager Jim Jakel at the April Council meeting, the Society has not received the stipend now in two years. They have continued to receive free water for the grounds and have worked diligently to be good stewards of that water, being the lowest usage of any non-profit in the city receiving water. All of this having been said, the Society members understand and approve of the Council limiting the motel tax fund to the $18,000 brought in this recession year, and further limiting those funds to the preservation of the Lynn House Art Gallery that the City owns and is responsible for.

What is not understood is why the Historical Society has been singled out for the loss of all water from the water fund. Between the ball fields, the Senior Center and the Historical Museum, the museum has the least amount of usage, and provides a major asset to the culture of this community for free to all citizens. Last year the city subsidized the Water Park for over $850,000, and this budget subsidizes the Water Park for another $300,000-plus. But the children of downtown Antioch will rarely be able to travel to Southeast Antioch, or afford the fee for entry this summer, while the museum will welcome them inside twice a week, and to our grounds all week long, with no fee at all.

With the help and support of the community from the original ballot measure in 1992, to the continued support of citizens through donations, volunteers and attending our fundraisers, the Society has been able to provide a state award-winning museum to this community, and has directed our last three years of grants to paying for bus transportation from every elementary school to the museum as we partner with our schools for education.

In years of recession the council and the city needs the continued support of all of our non-profits to preserve the human element of our community. The council does not need to single out one organization in what appears punitive against a group that has only worked to support, and validate the work of our council for the benefit of it’s citizens.

As a former councilmember and mayor pro tem, I know what I voted for in July of 1992, confirming the use of the 3 percent TOT for the Arts, Culture and Historical Fund, and I remember clearly the original intent of the ballot measure. I hope and pray that with the intent of continuing that mutual partnership for the benefit of the community, that the council will reverse its prior decision and restore the water usage for the grounds at the Antioch Historical Society Museum.