BART adjusted train schedules, today February 10, 2020 to improve service. The new schedule impacts all lines to some degree, especially first and last trips of the day. Some lines will see service start earlier and some will start a little later. Most changes are small tweaks and will adjust departures and arrivals by only a few minutes, but there are some more significant changes.

Major improvements include the return of two-line service into San Francisco on Sunday, the addition of Fleet of the Future trains on Saturday, earlier weekday train service for many riders, increased peak service for Concord riders in the morning and evening, and later evening direct service from San Francisco into Warm Springs.

Many of our riders plan their arrival times around the specific train they want to catch. We want to make sure all of our riders know about these adjustments in advance, so they are not caught by surprise. Train times have shifted by a few minutes throughout the day.

The new schedule is now available on our Trip Planner  and on the BART (Official) App when you plan a trip on or after 2/10. Also, PDF’s of the current and new schedule timetables can also be found here.

Highlights of service changes:

Weekdays

• Morning peak-period trains that previously originated or turned back at Pleasant Hill will now originate/turn back at Concord, allowing BART to better serve more riders on this busy line by returning extra service to Concord. In September 2015, BART changed its schedule and these trains went from starting at Concord to starting at Pleasant Hill. Over the years, morning riders looking to target these short run trains because they were less crowded, shifted their origin station to Pleasant Hill. These riders may now opt to begin their trip at Concord once again. Pleasant Hill will still be served by the same number of trains in the morning, but many of them will no longer originate at the station. 3 trains will originate at Pleasant Hill in the 6 am hour. Some PM commute trains will also end at Concord instead of Pleasant Hill. Riders will no longer see “Pleasant Hill” trains on the platform signs, instead they will be “Concord” trains.
• The first trip from Richmond to Warm Springs (Orange Line) will leave Richmond at 5:04 am—17 minutes earlier than before.
• The 5:00 am northbound train from South Hayward is now a Warm Springs/Richmond (Orange Line) train to Richmond instead of a Warm Springs/Daly City (Green Line) train to Daly City.
  • Passengers heading to San Francisco will need to use Dublin/Pleasanton to Daly City (Blue Line) or Antioch/SFO (Yellow Line) trains for the first San Francisco arrivals, arriving in San Francisco 8 minutes later.
• Service to San Francisco from Warm Springs will be earlier with the first Warm Springs/Daly City (Green Line) train departing at 5:01 am instead of 5:15 am.
• We are extending evening direct service on the Warm Springs/Daly City (Green Line) from Daly City to Warm Springs with an added train departing at 7:12 pm.
• We have eliminated the morning peak 9:12 am Antioch/SFO (Yellow Line) departure from MacArthur to Daly City to enable the Concord turnback trains to serve more riders.
• The evening schedule has been adjusted to better accommodate Transbay Tube single-tracking

• Saturday

• We’ve added more Fleet of the Future (FOTF) trains—two each on Antioch/SFO (Yellow Line), Dublin/Pleasanton (Blue Line), and Richmond/Millbrae (Red Line). The Warm Springs/Daly City (Green Line) will run four FOTF trains, or 50% of our existing FOTF trains.
• The first northbound Warm Springs/Richmond (Orange Line) train starts in service at Bay Fair at 5:52 am instead of Coliseum at 6:00 am
• The first westbound Dublin/Pleasanton to Daly City (Blue Line) train starts in service at Bay Fair at 5:58 am instead of Coliseum at 6:06 am.

• Sunday

• We will return to two-line service into San Francisco. The Dublin/Pleasanton (Blue Line) will serve San Francisco (see the map below). Blue line trains will terminate at Montgomery or Daly City depending on the time of day and if there is single tracking. Riders on the Blue Line who are travelling farther south will transfer to a Yellow Line train at Montgomery St.
  • Warm Springs/Daly City (Green Line) and Richmond/Millbrae (Red Line) trips were eliminated to make way for the return of Dublin/Pleasanton (Blue Line), service to San Francisco.
• Headways on Sundays will be every 24 minutes on all lines, four minutes longer than the current Sunday service plan. BART staff believes this service plan will provide greater predictability and resilience in the event of a service delay.
• Trips to Millbrae will no longer require a transfer at SFO on Sundays.  The Sunday map below still shows the “Purple line,” but with no transfer bubble. The Purple line was re-introduce as a unique line in Feb. 2019, and now all trips between SFO and Millbrae are considered the Purple line- regardless of what train is used to make the trip.  The Sunday trains will be labelled as “SFO/Millbrae” bound trains on platform signs and we will make on board announcements so Sunday riders know they don’t need to transfer at SFO to a Millbrae train.  The concept of showing two separate lines, but offering a one-seat trip with no transfer, is called “interlining.” The train switches from one route to another.  BART plans to use this concept moving forward for the Purple line to allow us to be flexible with how we operate this segment of service while keeping the map simple, without added annotations, and consistent.
• The first northbound train is Dublin/Pleasanton (Blue Line), leaves 24th St/Mission at 7:50 am, and Civic Center at 7:54 am (instead of 8:04 am)
• The first northbound train on Warm Springs/Richmond (Orange Line) will start at South Hayward at 7:54am and arrive at Coliseum at 8:10am. (Previously it started at Coliseum at 8:09 am)

 

It takes CDC five to seven days to confirm; protocols in place for dealing with patients and protecting medical staff

By Allen Payton

2-15-20 UPDATE: “We still have no confirmed cases in Contra Costa,” said Will Harper, Acting Communications Officer for Contra Costa Public Health.

In an announcement on the Contra Costa Health Services website, entitled Novel Coronavirus, Information for People Living in Contra Costa County, states: “Contra Costa residents are at low risk of becoming infected. Only people who recently traveled to China or have had close contact with someone who became ill with the novel coronavirus after recent travel in China could be exposed.”

The statement also includes, “As of Feb. 5, there have been 12 confirmed cases in the United States, including four in Northern California. There are currently no confirmed cases in Contra Costa County.”

However, that could have changed as of Friday, Feb. 7.

A report of a possible, first coronavirus case at the Contra Costa Regional Medical Center in Martinez has raised concerns and questions for county staff.

According to sources who have chosen to remain anonymous, a Martinez resident who returned from China on Wednesday, Feb. 5 was brought to the hospital and admitted on Friday, Feb. 7 by her husband. He said she was very sick and concerned it might be from the Coronavirus. The woman is currently in the intensive care unit.

The case has medical staff concerned with what is being done with quarantining the husband, who could have been exposed for two to three days, and for the medical staff, to protect them from contracting the virus.

“All I can say is, at this point we have no confirmed cases of coronavirus in Contra Costa,” said Will Harper, Acting Communications Officer for Contra Costa Public Health.

When asked how long it takes to confirm, he responded, “It has been taking the CDC (Centers for Disease Control) about five to seven days.”

So, medical staff at the county’s public hospital may not know until sometime this week if the woman has the virus.

Harper was then asked if there are protocols in place for dealing with patients, their families and medical staff.

“We do have protocols in place about isolating for a suspect case, for both the patient and that staff has the proper protective gear,” he stated. “Our public health division, when there is a confirmed case, will do a contact investigation. They go and contact the person who has the contagious virus.”

“There are procedures in place to both protect hospital staff and for patients,” Harper reiterated. “But, as for dealing with the immediate family members, we can’t talk about specific patients, because of patient privacy. In terms of the public health role, when there is a suspected case that is not confirmed, public health contacts the person and the family and encourages them to stay at home as much as possible and monitor themselves for symptoms. It can go beyond the family, with a co-worker who has had contact. Anyone who has had contact with someone who possibly has the virus.”

When asked why the coronavirus is getting so much attention, he responded, “This is a new virus, we haven’t seen it before, and there is no human immunity or vaccine for. So, the public worries, understandably.”

“So, we’re taking it very seriously,” Harper added.

The CC Health Services statement continues with the following information:

“The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), California Department of Public Health (CDPH) and public health agencies across the U.S. are monitoring this new disease. Contra Costa Health Services is working closely with its partners and other health systems to track the situation locally.

Hospitals in the county, including Contra Costa Regional Medical Center & Health Centers, are asking patients about symptoms of coronavirus and recent travel to China. People calling 911 will also be asked about their symptoms and recent travel to China. Contra Costa Health Services has sent information about coronavirus to local medical providers, ambulance paramedics and schools.

Symptoms of this illness include fever, cough and difficulty breathing.

If you have these symptoms AND have been in China within the past 14 days or have been in close contact with someone who has been in the area, seek medical care right away.

• Call ahead before going to see a doctor or emergency room – call Contra Costa Public Heath at 925-313-6740 for instructions about where to go if you do not have a healthcare provider.
• If you have a mask to wear over your mouth and nose, please wear it as you present to your health care provider or clinic. If not, please ask for one upon your arrival.
• Tell them your symptoms and that you were in China

As this is an unusual situation, information could change rapidly. This page will be updated as more information becomes available.”

Please check back later for updates to this report.

Driver from Antioch taken to hospital, arrested; Driver of other car from Oakley sustains minor injuries

By CHP-Contra Costa

UPDATE: the Volkswagen sedan driven by Moss was determined that it was traveling wrong way (westbound within the eastbound lanes) of Hwy-4 prior to the initial collision with the Toyota.

Early this morning, at approximately 2:09am, CHP Contra Costa responded to a collision involving three vehicles on Hwy-4 eastbound, just east of Bailey Road. Upon CHP & emergency personnel arrival, a 2002 Volkswagen sedan, a 2015 Toyota sedan, and a 2016 Harley Davidson motorcycle had been involved in a collision. Unfortunately, the solo male driver of the Harley (29 years old from Antioch) was killed in the crash. The solo male driver of the Toyota (20 years old from Oakley) sustained only minor complaint of pain injuries. And the solo male driver of the Volkswagen (59-year-old Tony Moss from Antioch) was transported to John Muir hospital in Walnut Creek for his injuries and suspicion of DUI driving.

The Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Coroner’s Office will be handling the release of identity of the deceased male rider from the Harley Davidson.

This incident is still under investigation and requires follow up investigation as well. But our preliminary report indicates the Volkswagen and Toyota may have been involved in a collision on eastbound Hwy 4 at Bailey Road and then the Harley Davidson became involved as well, subsequently ejecting the rider of the Harley Davidson and killing him. The driver of the Toyota suffered only minor injuries, remained on scene, and cooperated with the investigation.

While at the hospital, Officers placed Moss under arrest for felony DUI. Upon his release from the hospital early this morning, he was transported to the Martinez detention facility where he was booked into the county jail for two counts of FELONY DUI: 23153(a)VC & 23153(b)VC.

As this incident is still under investigation, if anyone has information regarding this collision or events leading up to it, call CHP in Martinez at 925-646-4980. Thank you.

Identified as Mark Anthony Thomas. Second suspect still at large.

By Pittsburg Police Department

On December 14, 2019, the Pittsburg Police Department was notified of a person who was shot inside of a residence in the 200 block of Havenwood Circle in Pittsburg. At the time of the incident, the victim, along with his wife and children, were present when two armed and masked gunmen entered the residence and shot the victim following a brief struggle. Upon arrival, officers located a 34-year-old male resident (later identified by his fiancé as Rafael Lopez) suffering from a gunshot wound to the torso.

From initial information, officers learned that two masked gunmen entered the residence and engaged in an altercation with the man and other people inside the residence. Officers provided aid to the man until medical personnel arrived. The man later died from his injuries. (See related article).

Detectives began working the case immediately and painstakingly poured over many leads and pieces of evidence until they were able to identify one of the shooters involved in the homicide. That shooter has been identified a 35-year-old Mark Anthony Thomas from Antioch.

According to his Facebook page, Thomas is a rapper whose stage name is M80.

On February 4, 2020, Thomas was located at a residence in the 5000 block of Ranch Hallow Way in Antioch and arrested by our agency. He is currently in custody in Martinez on murder charges.

This is an ongoing investigation and if anyone has any information please contact Detective Ruff at 925-252-4089.

Allen Payton contributed to this report.

Article & photo y Antioch Unified School District

The Association of California School Administrators has named Antioch’s Live Oak High School principal, Tim Cooper the Region VI Continuation Education Administrator of the Year. According to their website, ACSA Region 6 represents School Administrators from Alameda and Contra Costa counties. ACSA serves educational leaders in the pursuit of equity and excellence to meet the diverse needs of all California students. Region 6 has local charters that meet regularly to support administrators in our region.

Although, he notes he didn’t get into education for the accolades, the ACSA nonetheless has recognized Cooper.

He was taken aback when he learned he had been singled out for his work at Live Oak High School.

“I was like, ‘Oh really?’”, Cooper said.

He’s in his fourth year of overseeing one of Antioch Unified’s two continuation high schools, an alternative for teens who are floundering in a mainstream setting. Students transfer to Live Oak after failing classes and falling at least the equivalent of one semester behind their peers. Mostly juniors and seniors, the vast majority are here because of truancy, not disruptive behavior, Cooper said, noting that there have been virtually no fights on campus over the past three years.

“The vibe I give off has an effect,” he said of the correlation between the conduct of the young people in his charge and his attitude toward them. “Students don’t care what you know until they know you care.”

And they do. Cooper knows the first and last name of every one of Live Oak’s 160 students, a feat he achieves in part by visiting classes every morning.

Sometimes he simply observes the action from the sidelines; on other occasions he’ll join a group of kids in a trivia contest or other activity. Teens who feel anonymous lack a sense of accountability for their actions, he said. And because Live Oak has so few students, he has more time to have a conversation with each instead of just comments in passing, Cooper said.

He began his career three decades ago as a substitute teacher in Pittsburg before coming to Antioch Unified in 2001 as a Deer Valley High Vice Principal. Cooper then opened Bidwell Continuation High School as its Vice Principal and did a stint as Black Diamond Middle School’s Principal before returning to Deer Valley High.

At Live Oak he shapes the curriculum by bringing in guest speakers, arranging field trips and developing the school budget.

One of the toughest aspects of his job is the frustration of drawing up a to-do list only to walk into the office the next morning and find everything has changed.

Then again, the element of surprise “kind of makes it exciting,” he said.

A highlight for Cooper is Live Oak’s graduation speeches, when seniors describe the obstacles they’ve overcome.

“I meet so many students who are super stars — they do well inside the classroom, they get involved in their community,” he said. “And some didn’t think they were capable of that.”

Cooper, who’s married with two grown children, is a fiend for golf and has played all over the Bay Area as well as at Lake Tahoe, the San Diego area and even Vancouver, Canada.

“Wherever I can tee it up, I’ll tee it up,” he said.

#WeAreAUSD

Allen Payton contributed to this report.

By Antioch Police Department

On Monday, Feb. 3, we welcomed Officer Joseph Chandler.

Joseph was born in San Leandro and raised in the East Bay. He graduated from Newark Memorial High School and pursued a career in sports broadcasting. After 13 years of working behind the scenes, Joe went after his dream of becoming a Law Enforcement Officer and was hired by the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office. During his time at the Sheriff’s Office, he was assigned to the Court Security Division, Transit Patrol, Parks Patrol and Headquarters Patrol.

Now that he doesn’t have a 104-mile daily commute, Joe is looking forward to spending more time with his family, watching their sporting events, and start to check off the “honey do list” his wife has for him.

By Antioch Police Department

Tongue out Tuesday! (Feb. 4, 2020) K9 Purcy showing off his recent “catch” after he recently completed his Narcotics Detection Course. K9 Purcy has been assisting Officers with numerous narcotics sniffs which recently resulted in the arrest of two subjects for narcotics sales and firearm possession. K9 Purcy is committed to helping officers take a bite out of crime!

Supes finalize appointment of County Clerk, approve agriculture land use policy

By Daniel Borsuk

Contra Costa County Health Department officials told the Board of Supervisors Tuesday that the county is “taking extra steps to control” the global Novel Coronavirus epidemic.

Dr. Louise McNitt, Director of the Contra Costa County Communicable Disease Unit, told supervisors, “We are still learning about it, but we are taking the extra steps to control it, who to test.”

As of Tuesday, there were no Novel Coronavirus cases reported in Contra Costa County while four cases had been reported elsewhere in the Bay Area. Overall, six Novel Coronavirus cases had been reported in California. There were 11 cases reported throughout the United States. McNitt reported there were 20,000 cases worldwide.

McNitt said the county checks daily with the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta to get the most recent information on how to medically combat Novel Coronavirus.

“The Centers for Disease Control answers a lot of our questions,” she said.

“What happens if in four months there are a large number of cases?” asked District 1 Supervisor John Gioia of Richmond. “We cannot build new hospitals overnight like how China does.”

“We have the tight network of health officials in the Bay Area to quickly respond to this virus should it get out of control,” said Contra Costa Health Services Director Anna Roth. “We are ready if we have a case that comes to us.

“The risk is low,” added Roth. “We are continuously updating our website and advice line.”

“I have every confidence any hospital is ready to treat patients with this disease” said District 4 Supervisor Karen Mitchoff of Pleasant Hill. But the supervisor said that citizens can get help by getting flu shots and frequently washing their hands.

McNitt agreed with Mitchoff about the flu shots. “Right now, there are more people who have the flu than have this virus,” she said.

Supervisor Federal Glover of Pittsburg, who requested that the Novel Coronavirus topic be placed on the Board Agenda, requested that the county’s health department’s website be continuously updated with information about this virus.

Finalize Appointment of Deborah Cooper as County Clerk

The Supervisors appointed Deborah Cooper as the County Clerk-Recorder to the remaining term of the office that will expire on January 2, 2023.

“The Board held an open process over the past three months to find, interview, select and appoint a new County Clerk-Recorder,” said Board Chair, Supervisor Candace Andersen. “During this time, the Board of Supervisors has strongly affirmed the integrity and the professional work of County staff in the Clerk-Recorder-Elections Division. We have every confidence that Debi Cooper will continue to move the team forward during this important election year and beyond with the utmost integrity.”

Deborah Cooper, County Clerk-Recorder, said, “Our primary purpose is to serve the public, whether conducting elections or providing Clerk and Recorder services. Maintaining the public trust while remaining impartial and neutral is crucial. I appreciate our talented and dedicated staff. We will continue to provide great customer service to the people of Contra Costa.”

Most recently, Cooper served as the Acting County Clerk-Recorder since November 1, 2019 and, prior to that, as the Deputy County Clerk-Recorder since 2012.

County Administrator David J. Twa who announced the recruitment for selecting and appointing a Clerk-Recorder, remarked, “It was important to conduct a clear and transparent process with each step. The public was able to attend or watch Board of Supervisors meetings, make public comment, and see the timeline and other key information on the website.”

Ag Land Use Policy Gets Green Light

Supervisors flashed the green light for the county planners to proceed in the development of an Agricultural Land Use Policy that envisions the transformation of agricultural land use to various types of lodging accommodations and food services.

Funded on a $150,000 Livable Communities Trust Grant since 2016, the Department of Conservation and Development presented an update to supervisors on where the study stands.

So far, more work needs to be done since there is no consensus on the study’s recommendations about different types of lodging accommodations, including short-term rentals for 9-days or less, farm stays for up to 90 days, bed-and-breakfast, and camping, yurts or little houses on wheels.

Food service use proposals include farm dinners, farm-to-table restaurants, updating the Winery Ordinance, and allowing hosting of large events. These uses may require a zoning permit like an administerial permit or a land use permit or other permits required by other agencies.

“This is not a total road map. We are checking into with the Board to see if you accept the report,” said Contra Costa County Conservation & Development Department Director John Kopchik.

“There’s tension in the farm community,” Supervisor Mitchoff said about the preliminary land use plan. “You need to work it out.”

Where once fertile farmland once stood with real estate prices might fetch $10,000 an acre, some farmland is being snapped up by developers at $100,000 an acre or higher.

The county’s Agricultural Land Use Policy is in response to the skyrocketing real estate prices shaking up the rural areas in Brentwood, Oakley, Knightsen in East County and Danville.

The planning study occurs at a pivotal time in the county’s steadily declining agricultural economy. In 2017, county crop production from corn, berries, and other crops fell to $120.4 million, a six percent decline from 2016 due mainly to crop marketplace conditions.

The planning study also includes recommendations to promote agriculture use to include equestrian and bike trails to connect farms, consider allowing equestrian facilities within additional agricultural districts, exploring funding for signage to promote farming in the county, updating the county’s sign ordinance, and working with other agencies to promote agricultural vitality in the County.

Funds for 30-Unit Pittsburg Rental Housing Project Approved

Supervisors unanimously approved as part of the consent agenda items, the issuance of $18 million in state Multifamily Housing Revenue Bonds to finance the cost of the acquisition and construction of a 30-unit rental housing development at 901 Los Medanos Street and 295 E. 10th Street in Pittsburg.

Veterans Square will provide 29 units of affordable housing and one manager’s unit. Fifteen units will be reserved for households with incomes at or below 50 percent of the area median income and 14 units will be reserved at or below 30 percent of the area median income.

The Board of Supervisors had previously allocated about $2.2 million in HOME Investment Partnerships Program funds for Veterans Square and approved the county submission of an application to the state for $3.6 million in No Place Like Home funds. On Dec. 17, 2019, the Board of Supervisors approved a Reimbursement Resolution for this prospective issuance of bonds.

When asked why it’s costing $600,000 for each of the one-bedroom apartments, county Affordable Housing Program Manager Kristen Lackey said, “That is what we are seeing in affordable housing units, and with other projects, as well. Construction costs are going up. Affordable housing is typically more expensive to develop based on the different sources of funds, which adds to the complexity and they have to pay prevailing wage, so the labor costs on it are higher, than what normal residential construction will be.”

“It’s an unfortunate reality of the housing crisis,” she added.

Allen Payton contributed to this report.