Paid for primarily by federal stimulus funds, and taxpayer-supported Measure J county sales tax and bridge toll increases
This month, the Contra Costa Transportation Authority (CCTA) commemorates Caldecott Tunnel Fourth Bore’s 10 years of service alleviating congestion on Highway 24. Caldecott’s award-winning fourth bore was constructed on time and under budget at a cost of $417 million and finally allowed two permanently dedicated tunnels to service traffic in each direction. The passage was opened to traffic on November 15, 2013, successfully reducing travel times, enhancing safety for Caltrans maintenance workers, and improving mobility for those driving from east Contra Costa County to Oakland and San Francisco.
At the time of the groundbreaking on January 22, 2010, the shovel-ready Fourth Bore was the largest American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 stimulus funding in the nation of $194.3 million, a testament to the regional importance of the project and the hard work of the project team. Contra Costa County’s Measure J provided $125 million, the Bay Area Regional Measure 2 Bridge Toll increase provided $44.8 million, and the state provided $19.9 million.
“Ten years ago, we opened the fourth bore with much anticipated fanfare,” CCTA Chair Federal Glover said. “Many drivers today don’t remember when Caltrans workers had to shift the middle bore direction at least twice a day to provide lanes for peak commuters. On some weekdays the direction of the middle bore could change up to six times, which was so inefficient for the 160,000 daily drivers who used the Caldecott each day and unsafe for the workers who were responsible for changing lanes.”
Prior to the tunnel opening, Caltrans reported westbound motorists experienced 52,585 vehicle hours of delay a month. After the fourth bore opened in 2013, the vehicle hours of delay dropped to 12,020 – a 77 percent improvement. CCTA 2023 data shows a continued reduction in delays compared to 2013 data compiled before the tunnel opened. Eastbound delays show a 42 percent reduction of vehicle hours of delay, while westbound delays show an 80 percent improvement – meaning fewer hours drivers waste sitting in traffic. (See Fourth Bore Project Fact Sheet)
Officials and CCTA staff gather for the Caldecott Tunnel Fourth Bore ribbon cutting on Nov. 15, 2013. Photo: CCTA
“The Caldecott Tunnel Fourth Bore is a remarkable project that has served Bay Area drivers well since 2013,” CCTA Executive Director Timothy Haile said. “CCTA’s landmark project will continue to be a legacy for decades to come.”
About the Contra Costa Transportation Authority
The Contra Costa Transportation Authority (CCTA) is a public agency formed by Contra Costa voters in 1988 to manage the county’s transportation sales tax program and oversee countywide transportation planning efforts. With a staff of twenty people managing a multi-billion-dollar suite of projects and programs, CCTA is responsible for planning, funding and delivering transportation infrastructure projects and programs throughout the County. CCTA also serves as the county’s designated Congestion Management Agency, responsible for putting programs in place to manage traffic levels. More information about CCTA is available at ccta.net.
The Antioch Police Department had been awarded a grant from the Office of Traffic Safety for Traffic
Enforcement Program to increase safety on the roads. The Antioch Police Department was awarded a $60,000 grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS). The grant will support our ongoing enforcement and education programs to help reduce the number of serious injuries and deaths on our roads.
The grant will provide additional programs and resources, including:
• DUI checkpoints and patrols focused on stopping suspected impaired drivers.
• High-visibility distracted driving enforcement operations targeting drivers in violation of California’s hands-free cell phone law.
• Enforcement operations focused on the most dangerous driver behaviors that put the safety of people biking or walking at risk.
• Enforcement operations focused on top violations that cause crashes: speeding, failure to yield, stop sign and/or red-light running, and improper turning or lane changes.
• Community presentations on traffic safety issues such as distracted driving, impaired driving, speeding and bicycle and pedestrian safety.
• Collaborative enforcement efforts with neighboring agencies.
• Officer training and/or recertification: Standard Field Sobriety Test (SFST), Advanced Roadside Impaired Driving Enforcement (ARIDE) and Drug Recognition Expert (DRE).
This funding will strengthen our commitment to public safety in our community, and we will be able to increase our efforts in making our roads safer for everyone and focus on critical areas such as distracted driving, impaired driving and speeding.
The grant program will run through September 2024.
Funding for this program was provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Any questions please contact: Sgt. Rob Green, rgreen@ci.antioch.ca.us, 925-778-6864
Within only ten minutes, yesterday evening there were three armed robberies in residential neighborhoods of Antioch where the victims were all arriving home from work. Responding APD officers quickly linked the three robberies based on time element, along with the matching suspect and getaway vehicle descriptions. The suspects were reportedly armed with a handgun and rifle at the time of the robberies.
Later that evening, Officer Desiderio located a matching vehicle and conducted an enforcement stop. A search of the vehicle revealed stolen property from each of the three robberies. The five occupants of the vehicle were arrested, and two of the five provided false identification to officers. The true identities of these two were learned and they were found to have outstanding warrants for their arrest. All five were booked at the County Jail in Martinez.
11/24/23 UPDATE: According to Antioch Police spokesman Sgt. Price Kendall, “Of the five males arrested, three were 19 years old, one was 20, and one was 23. All five males were from Antioch and Brentwood. That is all we will be releasing.”
Officers wish to thank the victims and witnesses who came forward and gave an excellent description of the vehicle and suspects! Officers would also like to thank our hardworking APD dispatchers for the work they do in getting the information out quickly.
Want to join Officer Desiderio and his team to help keep Antioch safe? We are hiring entry-level, academy graduates, and lateral police officers, with academies starting in January and March of 2024. We offer an excellent pay and benefits package, CalPERS retirement pension, and a $30,000 signing bonus (amongst many other incentives). We are also hiring dispatchers now! Visit www.JoinAntiochPD.com for more information and be part of the change!
All entrance activity fees waived in East Bay Regional Parks
By Dave Mason, Public Information Supervisor, Public Affairs, East Bay Regional Park District
Thursday, November 16, 2023 (Oakland, CA) – Celebrate Green Friday, November 24, with an East Bay Regional Parks FREE Park Day. Green Friday provides healthy and fun ways to enjoy the day after Thanksgiving with family and friends.
On Green Friday, all entrance activity fees are waived in Regional Parks, including parking, dogs, horses, boat launching, and fishing, as well as entrance to Ardenwood Historic Farm. The fee waiver does not include state fees for fishing licenses and watercraft inspections or concessions, such as the Tilden Merry-Go-Round and Redwood Valley Railway steam train.
For the past nine years, the East Bay Regional Park District has celebrated Green Friday to encourage the public to spend time in nature.
Green Friday activities in Regional Parks include:
Hike It Off, 9:00 a.m. – Reinhardt Redwood, Oakland
Fall Scavenger Hunt, 9:00 a.m. – Sunol, Sunol
Green Friday Hike, 10:00 a.m. – Del Valle, Livermore
History Hike ABOVE the Mines!, 10:00 a.m. – Black Diamond Mines, Antioch
Farm Chores for Kids, 10:30 a.m. – Ardenwood, Fremont
Meet The Bunnies, 11:30 a.m. – Ardenwood, Fremont
Stilts, 1:30 p.m. – Ardenwood, Fremont
Woodland Wonderland, 3:30 p.m. – Del Valle, Livermore
The East Bay Regional Park District is the largest regional park system in the nation, comprising 73 parks, 55 miles of shoreline, and over 1,300 miles of trails for hiking, biking, horseback riding, and environmental education. The Park District receives more than 25 million visits annually throughout Alameda and Contra Costa counties in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Claims typical residential customer will pay $32.62 more for combined monthly electric and natural gas bill beginning January 1, 2024.
By CPUC
The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) on Thursday, Nov. 16, 2023, resolved Pacific Gas and Electric Company’s (PG&E) General Rate Case (GRC), which covers its operational and infrastructure revenue requirement for 2023-2026. The decision marks a crucial step in fortifying the future of California’s electric grid while prioritizing customer affordability.
Based on the evidence presented, the CPUC today unanimously approved the Alternate Proposed Decision of Commissioner John Reynolds. This decision approves investments in the safety and reliability of PG&E’s energy services. Inflation and a significant investment in undergrounding electric lines ranked among the top drivers in PG&E’s request. Over the past year and a half, numerous parties reviewed PG&E’s GRC request and provided input on each cost category and related proposed expenditures.
“I am proud of today’s decision because it represents the CPUC’s commitment to finding a reasonable balance in the face of incredibly challenging circumstances and competing objectives,” said Commissioner John Reynolds, who is assigned to the proceeding. “This decision ultimately represents both an historic investment in PG&E’s electric and natural gas systems as well as an expectation that PG&E must continue to be safer and more efficient. I am grateful to the many parties, and the scores of CPUC staffers, for their help as we grappled with this decision.”
Today’s decision propels PG&E’s energy infrastructure and operations into the future, addressing critical objectives such as mitigating wildfire risk, enhancing safety and reliability, and anticipating evolving electric grid demands. This comprehensive approach not only ensures PG&E’s capacity to maintain a safe and reliable energy system with a dedicated workforce, but also positions California for a more resilient energy future in the face of climate change. Moreover, the decision reflects rigorous oversight over hundreds of programs, and reduces PG&E’s request to more accurately reflect forecasts for prudent use of ratepayer funds.
Among the key initiatives covered in the decision:
Wildfire System Enhancement and Undergrounding
Approves 1,230 miles of electric line undergrounding, as well as 778 miles of covered conductor, totaling 2,008 hardened miles. This represents an historic opportunity for PG&E to invest in safer, reliable improvements for its customers while also achieving economies of scale to drive down costs; the revised undergrounding total also provides PG&E with a bridge to a future phase of undergrounding planning, through the Senate Bill 884 program.
Vegetation Management
Approves PG&E investing approximately $1.3 billion in vegetation management to reduce wildfire ignition risk and improve reliability on PG&E’s electrical system.
Capacity Upgrades
Approves PG&E investing more than $2.5 billion in upgrading the electric distribution system from 2023-2026, which will help prepare the grid to support initiatives for enhanced building electrification and new interconnections for electric vehicle charging stations and new housing and businesses.
“Today’s decision balances a myriad of competing interests—affordability, feasibility, safety, and reliability,” said CPUC President Alice Reynolds. “And in the face of increasingly turbulent climate-driven weather events, it gives PG&E the opportunity to prove it can underground electric lines at scale. This will allow PG&E to achieve economies of scale, drive down costs, and reduce wildfire risk.”
Setting the pathway for critical investments in PG&E’s system
For PG&E customers, this approval by the CPUC translates to a continued commitment to safe, reliable, and affordable energy services. The GRC ensures that every dollar invested contributes to more resilient energy infrastructure, offering customers lasting benefits. Moreover, stringent accountability measures are embedded within the decision, assuring customers that their investment yields tangible and accountable improvements in PG&E’s operations and services.
PG&E requested $15.4 billion for 2023; Thursday’s decision cut that amount substantially, by $1.8 billion. Today’s decision sets the 2023 revenue requirement at $13.5 billion, reflecting an 11 percent increase from the authorized 2022 revenue requirement. For the typical residential customer, their combined monthly electric and natural gas bill will increase by $32.62 or 12.8 percent, compared to PG&E’s request of $38.73 or 17.9 percent increase.
PG&E’s 2022 Authorized Revenue Requirement
Proposed 2023 Revenue Requirement
Percent Increase
Dollar Increase
$12.2 billion
PG&E Request
$15.4 billion
26%
$3.2 billion
Decision
$13.5 billion
11%
$1.3 billion
Customers can expect any changes to their bill to go into effect on January 1, 2024.
For further information on the proceeding, including today’s decision and a fact sheet, please visit the CPUC’s website.
About the California Public Utilities Commission
The CPUC regulates services and utilities, protects consumers, safeguards the environment, and assures Californians access to safe and reliable utility infrastructure and services. Visit www.cpuc.ca.gov for more information.
Source: MTC. Credit: Edmond Dantès photo via Pexels
Expected to boost Bay Area housing bond prospects; Cal Chamber opposes; requires majority of voters to approve
By Allen D. Payton
MTC/ABAG-backed Assembly Constitutional Amendment 1, which would lower the vote threshold for local special taxes and bonds to fund affordable housing, transportation, resilience and other public infrastructure projects from two-thirds to 55%, will go to voters in November 2024.
The state Legislature last month approved sending the amendment, authored by Assemblymember Cecilia Aguiar-Curry, to voters with the backing of the entire Bay Area legislative delegation. MTC and ABAG sent letters of support to Sacramento and MTC/ABAG legislative staff actively lobbied the bill to help get it over the finish line.
Similar bills have been proposed over the past two decades but until now none were approved by the house of origin, a hurdle that itself requires a two-thirds vote. Other supporters included Nonprofit Housing Association of Northern California, Enterprise Community Partners, the California Professional Firefighters, and individual cities and counties.
“While Bay Area voters have a long history of generously supporting taxes to fund transportation and housing improvements, measures in some parts of the region have repeatedly fallen short of the two-thirds margin,” MTC-ABAG Executive Director Andrew Fremier noted. “ACA 1 would reinstate the ability of voting majorities to address vital community needs.”
The election of ACA 1 co-author Robert Rivas to the Assembly speakership helped build momentum for the proposed amendment, as did the nonprofit housing community’s raising of $10 million to gather signatures for a citizen’s initiative if the legislature didn’t approve the amendment.
California Chamber of Commerce Opposes
The constitutional amendment is opposed by the California Chamber of Commerce. In a report by policy advocate Preston Young before it passed, he claims ACA1 would increase costs for key sectors, will erode taxpayer safeguards and would harm California workers.
Preston wrote, “This would provide increased tax authority for many local government agencies in California—not just cities and counties, but thousands of potentially overlapping special districts.
In a letter sent to legislators recently, the CalChamber pointed out that while it’s important to improve infrastructure and increase housing availability, higher property, sales and parcel taxes on working Californians run counter to the goal of making the state more affordable for all.
Businesses engaged in manufacturing, research and development, teleproduction and post-production, and agriculture face a significant sales and use tax burden in California.
The sales and use tax is supposed to be a tax on the final point of sale of a product, yet many businesses—including businesses conducting research and development, manufacturing, filming activities, and agriculture—are taxed for equipment purchases.
Taxation of business inputs for these industries leads to a pyramiding effect throughout the production process, leading to higher costs for purchases made by consumers, the CalChamber explained in its letter. To counter this pyramiding effect and incentivize business growth in the state, California offers a partial state-level sales tax exemption for purchases made by these industries. However, purchases made by these businesses are still subject to local transactions and use taxes.
Equipment purchases represent a significant portion of capital investment for existing businesses and start-ups. Tax increases promoted by ACA 1 would defeat the purpose of the state-level exemption provided by the state and make it more cost-prohibitive to conduct these business activities in California, the CalChamber warned.
ACA 1 would allow local jurisdictions to approve Bradley-Burns sales tax increases with a 55% vote of the electorate, eliminating the uniformity and certainty provided by the Bradley-Burns sales tax.
This would represent a monumental change to sales and use tax policy in the state, the CalChamber said. Unlike the transactions and use tax—which is capped at 2% per county and requires statutory authority to exceed the cap—the local 1.25% sales tax (referred to as the Bradley-Burns sales tax) is uniformly applied across the state and voters are not authorized to approve increases to the rate.
“California already has the highest state-imposed sales tax in the country, and the combined sales tax rates in some jurisdictions are among the highest in the United States,” the CalChamber said. “Allowing localities to modify their Bradley-Burns sales tax rates, without a cap on rate increases, paves the way for excessive combined sales tax rates in parts of the state—increasing costs for residents and businesses.”
More than four decades ago, prompted by years of rising taxes, Californians resoundingly approved Proposition 13 to provide a check on local governments’ taxing authority, and to ensure a greater representative voice for those who would be taxed. Proposition 13 also limits taxes on property to 1% of the property’s assessed value.
Reducing the vote threshold would diminish the people’s voice on tax increases and would erode property tax safeguards. The CalChamber pointed out that a May 2022 Public Policy Institute of California poll found that 64% of registered voters believe Proposition 13 has benefitted taxpayers, and this support reaches across nearly every major demographic.
After comparing the costs of operating in California versus other states, many employers left the state in recent years. A Hoover Institution report found that from 2018 to 2022, at least 352 companies relocated their headquarters out of California—with many businesses citing the state’s tax burden as the deciding factor in their relocation.
The relocation of these companies and their employees to lower-cost states has a major impact on state and local tax revenue, causes unemployment for workers who cannot move to the new location, and is a sign that California must find ways to be more competitive, the CalChamber stressed.
“Tax increases such as those promoted in ACA 1 would be a step in the wrong direction and would encourage more companies to move workers and investments to other states,” the CalChamber said.
Indeed, Californians are sensitive to this problem. A 2020 Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies poll found that 78% of voters “agreed that taxes in California were already so high that they were driving many people and businesses out of the state.”
Majority Vote Needed to Pass
According to a report by the California Globe, Article XVIII, Section 4 of the California Constitution, “requires a proposed amendment or revision to be submitted to the electors and, if approved by a majority of votes, takes effect on the fifth day after the Secretary of State files the statement of the vote for the election at which the measure is voted on, but the measure may provide that it becomes operative after its effective date.”
Lower prices, thousands more e-bikes and 55 mew stations
By John Goodwin & Laura Krull, Metropolitan Transportation Commission
The Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) and Lyft announced on Friday, Nov. 3, 2023, a drop in both annual membership prices for the Bay Area’s Bay Wheels regional bikeshare program and members’ e-bike usage fees, as well as the addition of more than 2,000 next generation e-bikes to the Bay Wheels fleet and the rollout of 55 additional docking stations in San Francisco, San Jose, Oakland, Berkeley and Emeryville. These measures are aimed at improving Bay Wheels’ long-term sustainability by growing ridership and reducing operational costs.
Beginning today, the cost of an annual Bay Wheels membership will drop to $150 from $169 and the cost for members to use a Bay Wheels e-bike will drop to 15 cents per minute from 20 cents per minute. In addition, monthly members will now automatically transition to an annual membership at no additional cost when they renew for five consecutive months. MTC next year will launch a pilot program to provide reduced-cost annual memberships for Bay Area college students.
“Bikesharing, and e-bikes in particular, play a central role in our Plan Bay Area 2050 strategy for reducing greenhouse gas emissions,” explained MTC Chair and Napa County Supervisor Alfredo Pedroza. “The Commission this year committed $20 million of federal climate investment money to promote the use of e-bikes for more of the short trips Bay Area residents make each day. These improvements to the Bay Wheels system are a big part of that commitment.”
The expansion of Bay Wheels’ e-bike fleet will begin this week in San Jose and San Francisco, with the addition of e-bikes to Bay Wheels locations in Oakland, Berkeley and Emeryville expected to begin in the coming months, pending local approval. E-bikes’ ability to climb hills, travel longer distances, and attract riders of varying physical abilities have made them a transformational mobility option for Bay Area residents and visitors alike.
“E-bikes are perfect for San Francisco — they make our steep hills flat. We’re grateful to MTC and Lyft for helping make e-bikes more accessible to more people,” said Jeff Tumlin, SFMTA Director of Transportation.
Bay Wheels’ existing e-bikes are used three times as often as classic pedal bikes. The system’s new generation e-bikes have double the battery life, a more powerful motor for going uphill, improved stability and ergonomics, and better theft deterrents. These new bikes will exclusively dock in stations to improve predictability and availability for riders.
“I’m thrilled that Lyft and MTC are helping San Jose expand access to alternative modes of transportation in our growing downtown,” said Mayor Matt Mahan. “E-bikes are a fun and affordable way to get around the city and they have the wonderful benefit of reducing traffic congestion and carbon emissions.”
“We are ready and eager to help make MTC’s plan a reality to strengthen Bay Wheels and benefit the regional transportation network,” said Caroline Samponaro, Vice President of Transit and Micromobility Public Policy at Lyft. “Our shared goal is get more people to choose bikes for their transportation needs and we’re taking action on the three things that will make the greatest impact: lower prices for members, new hill-climbing e-bikes and a more robust station network.”
To enhance the growth of Bay Wheels’ e-bike fleet, MTC and Lyft are piloting grid-connected charging stations using Lyft’s next generation station technology. Electrified stations improve e-bike availability for riders by increasing the number of bikes with sufficient battery charge and making operations more efficient. E-bike batteries currently are charged in a warehouse and manually swapped at the station.
MTC is the transportation planning, financing and coordinating agency for the nine-county San Francisco Bay Area. Launched in 2017, Bay Wheels is the Bay Area’s regional bikeshare program with over 6,000 bicyles — both pedal-powered and pedal-assist electrict bikes — at more than 500 stations in San Jose, San Francisco, Oakland, Berkeley and Emeryville. Lyft operates the Bay Wheels program under a contract managed by MTC.
State Senator Glazer might also run; 15th District includes Antioch; will face Councilwoman Wilson
By Allen D. Payton
With the opening of the filing period for the March 4, 2024 primary election on Monday, Nov. 13, this week, former Contra Costa Supervisor Karen Mitchoff confirmed she is running for State Assembly District 15. Earlier this year a letter emailed to supporters that shared her intentions was obtained and published by other media. At that time, Mitchoff said she her campaign would be sending out a formal announcement later.
“Since it was out there, we decided not to send out a press release announcing my campaign,” she said in a brief interview with the Herald. “So, I’m definitely running.”
According to her campaign website, “Karen Mitchoff was elected to the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors in 2010 and has twice been re-elected by substantial margins.
Karen has a long and varied career in public service and is known for her straightforward style and effective constituent service. In her 12 years on the Board of Supervisors, Karen worked to improve water quality and save the Delta, championed aging issues, improved public safety, expanded access to County healthcare, and fought for transportation improvements.
As Supervisor, Karen served in leadership positions on regional bodies: the Contra Costa Transportation Authority, the Delta Counties Coalition, the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Conservancy, the Bay Area Air Quality Management District, and the Association of Bay Area Governments.
Prior to her election to the Board of Supervisors, Karen served as Councilmember and Mayor of Pleasant Hill and was elected to the Pleasant Hill Recreation and Park District Board.
Karen began her career in the private sector as a Legal Secretary and Family Law Paralegal. She transitioned to public service, working for former Contra Costa County Sheriff-Coroner Richard K. Rainey, as Chief of Staff to two former supervisors and as a fiscal and administrative analyst in the County’s social services department.
An avid reader, one of Karen’s proudest achievements was negotiating a complex land deal between the County and the City of Pleasant Hill to help finance and build a new library, which opened last year.”
According to her LinkedIn account, in 2002 Mitchoff earned a BA degree in Human Development from Cal State East Bay.
District 15 includes all of the following cities: Antioch, Brentwood, Clayton, Concord, Martinez, Pittsburg, Pleasant Hill and a portion of Walnut Creek. It also includes the communities of Bay Point, Clyde, Crockett, Pacheco, Port Costa, and Vine Hill.
She will face Antioch Councilwoman Monica Wilson and Contra Costa Board of Education Trustee Anamarie Avila Farias in the March 2024 primary election.
State Senator Steve Glazer. Source: SenatorGlazer.com
But Mitchoff shared that State Senator Steve Glazer might also enter the race as he has two more years of eligibility under term limits.
On Friday, Glazer said he mentioned it on one of his recent podcasts. Regarding his State Senate seat he said, “I’m in a gray area with term limits. The previous law said if you served less than half a term, then it doesn’t count. But the new law is silent on the matter. I made the decision to not be the test case. There might be candidates who might not file if I did, and I could the case.”
“Under the term limits I could run for the Assembly. I’m currently in my ninth year of twelve and I could serve one more term in the Assembly,” Glazer explained. “I have not decided, yet. Filing closes on December 13.”
