While working to increase ridership currently averaging on weekdays about 40% of pre-COVID figures

By Bay Area Rapid Transit District

As BART strives to increase ridership, which is averaging about 40% of weekday pre-COVID figures, BART fares will increase January 1, 2025, to keep pace with inflation so that the agency is able to pay for continued operations and to work toward restoring financial stability. BART’s current funding model relies on passenger fares to pay for operations. 

Fares will increase 5.5 percent on New Year’s Day. The increase is tied to the rate of inflation minus a half-percentage point. It’s the second such increase – the first took effect January 1, 2024.

The average fare will increase 25 cents, from $4.47 to $4.72. BART’s fare calculator and Trip Planner have been updated with the new fares for trips with the date 1/1/25 and beyond. Riders can learn how the increase will affect their travels by entering a 2025 date for their trip.

“We understand that price increases are never welcome, but BART fares remain a vital source of funds even with ridership lower than they were before the pandemic,” said BART Board Vice President Mark Foley. “My Board colleagues and I voted in June 2023 to spread necessary fare increases over two years rather than catching up all at once. At the same time, we voted to increase the Clipper START means-based discount from 20 percent to 50 percent to help those most in need.”

The fare increase is expected to raise about $14 million per year for operations. Combined with the previous year’s fare adjustment, BART will use this $30 million per year to fund train service, enhanced cleaning, additional police and unarmed safety staff presence, and capital projects such as the Next Generation Fare Gates project. 

Discounts available for those who are eligible

The regional Clipper START program is an important resource for low-income riders of BART and other Bay Area transit systems. The program is for adult riders with a household income of 200% of the federal poverty level or less. Administered by the Metropolitan Transportation Commission, program participants receive a personalized Clipper card that cuts half the cost of fares on more than 20 transit systems.

• Limited income riders get 50% off with Clipper START.
• Youth 5-18 years old get 50% off with a Youth Clipper card. 
• Seniors 65 and over get 62.5% off with a Senior Clipper card. 
• The RTC Clipper card is a version of Clipper created for passengers under 65 with qualifying disabilities to provide 62.5% off.  

Regular, predictable increases a long-term strategy 

January’s fare increase is the latest adjustment in a strategy to provide BART funding while providing riders predictable, scaled changes to the costs of riding. In 2004, BART first implemented this inflation-based fare increase program that calls for small, regular, less-than-inflation increases every two years, allowing fares to keep up with the cost of providing reliable and safe service. 

BART is also much less expensive than driving on a cost per mile basis. The Internal Revenue Service standard mileage rate for driver is 67 cents per mile; BART riders pay an average of 27 cents per mile, 60% less than the cost of driving.

Outdated funding model

BART’s current funding model relies on passenger fares to pay for operations. Even with the fare increase, BART is facing a $35 million operating deficit in FY26 and $385 million in FY27. Since BART’s outdated model of relying on passenger fares to pay most operating costs is no longer feasible because of remote work, the agency must modernize its funding sources to better match other transit systems throughout the country that receive larger amounts of public funding. BART needs a more reliable long-term source of operating funding and continues to advocate at the federal, state, and regional levels for the permanent funding needed to sustainably provide the quality transit service the Bay Area needs.  

Addressing BART’s ongoing financial crisis will take a variety of solutions including securing new revenue and continuing to find internal cost savings. BART costs have grown at a rate lower than inflation, showing we have held the line on spending. We have implemented a service schedule that better matches ridership, and we are running shorter trains, reducing traction power consumption and maintenance costs.

Allen D. Payton contributed to this report.

By Marc Joffe

As if the $1 toll hike on January 1, 2025, is not enough, commissioners at the Bay Area Toll Authority (BATA) plan to approve a series of five fifty cent increases starting in 2026. By 2030, tolls on the Bay Area’s seven state-owned bridges will reach $10.50 for FasTrak users and $11.50 for drivers paying by invoice. Included in the increase are these four bridges with landings in Contra Costa County:

• Antioch (Senator John A. Nejedly) Bridge
• Benicia-Martinez (George Miller) Bridge
• Carquinez Bridge
• Richmond-San Rafael Bridge

Aside from toll hikes, motorists are facing a gasoline price increase arising from the California Air Resources Board’s recent imposition of the Low Carbon Fuel Standard. According to a research center at the University of Pennsylvania, LCFS could cost drivers up to 85 cents extra per gallon. And this is on top of California’s highly elevated fuel prices, driven by taxes that rise annually under SB1 (2018).

Despite increasing maintenance costs, the Bay Area bridges are quite profitable. BATA expects total revenue of $1.058 billion this year. The costs of operating the bridges, running FasTrak, and paying debt service are projected to total just $757 million, leaving $300 million to spare.

As BATA admits in its own FAQ on the toll increase, $3.00 of the current $7.00 toll is already being siphoned off for purposes other than bridge operations, maintenance, and seismic safety (this will increase to $4.00 of $8.00 on January 1). For example, almost $6 million is diverted annually to the Transbay Joint Powers Authority to operate its empty bus terminal and to pursue its hopeless plan to bring high-speed rail trains into the Salesforce Transit Center. Bridge toll money is also being used to subsidize Bay Area ferries, SF Muni, AC Transit, Golden Gate Transit, and the NAPA Vine bus service.

The toll hike on the Antioch Bridge is especially egregious. BATA is charging the same tolls on all its bridges despite their vastly different lengths. The Bay Bridge is 8.4 miles long while the Antioch Bridge is just 1.8 miles long. Also, unlike all other Bay Area bridges, the Antioch Bridge has just one lane in each direction.

And then there is the question of income. While many Bay Area drivers are wealthy enough to easily absorb the toll hike, that is less true of people living near the Antioch Bridge. According to Census Reporter, Antioch’s per capita income is only 56 percent of the average for the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont metro region. Rio Vista, the first sizable community on the north side of the bridge, clocks in at just 67 percent of the metro area’s income per person.

At minimum, BATA should exempt the Antioch Bridge from its planned toll hikes. But better yet, the Authority should shelve its entire toll increase plan, stop siphoning off toll money for other purposes, and live within its means.

Marc Joffe is President of the Contra Costa Taxpayers Association.

Until Dec. 18

Board considering increasing to as high as $11.50 to pay “exclusively for bridge preservation and operations” in spite of three voter-approved $1 increases

“A Thanksgiving/holiday season decision is a hide the ball strategy. Not good.” – State Senator Steve Glazer

By John Goodwin & Rebecca Long, MTC

November 20, 2024 update: The public comment period on the Bay Area Toll Authority’s proposed toll increase and HOV policy changes is extended through the end of public comment heard on the agenda item for BATA’s December 18, 2024 meeting.  All public written and oral comments provided through that time will be incorporated into the record. However, in order for comments to be summarized and published in the agenda packet and distributed in advance of consideration of this item at the December 11, 2024, BATA Oversight Committee meeting, they must be submitted by 5 p.m. December 3, 2024. 

BATA — which is required by state law to fund projects to preserve and protect the Bay Area’s seven state-owned toll bridges — today heard again a proposal for a toll increase that would be used only to pay for the maintenance, rehabilitation and operation of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge and the Antioch, Benicia-Martinez, Carquinez, Dumbarton, Richmond-San Rafael and San Mateo-Hayward bridges. If approved by BATA at its December 18 meeting, the toll increase would be phased in over five years, beginning Jan. 1, 2026. 

The toll increase proposal includes a tiered rate structure aimed at encouraging more customers to pay electronically with FasTrak® toll tags, as this form of payment carries lower administrative costs than payment through a license plate account or returning payment with an invoice received by mail. Under the proposal, customers would pay a premium for using a pre-registered license plate account or for invoiced tolling. To give customers ample time to sign up for FasTrak, this premium would not begin until 2027. 

The proposed toll hike is separate from the $3 increase approved by Bay Area voters in 2018 through Regional Measure 3 to finance a comprehensive suite of highway and transit improvements around the region. The first of the three $1 Regional Measure 3 toll increases went into effect in 2019, followed by another in 2022. The last of the RM 3 toll hikes will go into effect Jan. 1, 2025, bringing the toll for regular two-axle cars and trucks to $8.

The proposal heard today by BATA calls for tolls for all regular two-axle cars and trucks to increase to $8.50 on Jan. 1, 2026. Tolls for customers who pay with FasTrak tags would then rise to $9 in 2027; to $9.50 in 2028; to $10 in 2029; and then to $10.50 in 2030. Tolls for customers who use a pre-registered license plate account would rise to $9.25 in 2027; to $9.75 in 2028; to $10.25 in 2029 and to $10.75 in 2030. Invoiced tolls would rise to $10 in 2027; $10.50 in 2028; $11 in 2029; and $11.50 in 2030. The Golden Gate Bridge has used a tiered pricing schedule since 2014. Golden Gate Bridge tolls by July 2028 will range from $11.25 for FasTrak to $11.50 for license plate accounts to $12.25 for invoice customers.

Under the proposed toll increase, tolls for large freight trucks and other vehicle/trailer combinations with three or more axles would rise by 50 cents per axle each year from 2026 through 2030. 

“I’m sensitive to the overall cost of living in the Bay Area,” acknowledged Napa County Supervisor Alfredo Pedroza, who also serves as chair of both BATA and the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC). “Working families really feel the impact, not just in transportation but back at home with utilities, groceries, children. This one is hard. But it’s the right thing to do.”

BATA and MTC invite members of the public to weigh in on the proposed toll increase during a comment period that begins Monday, Nov.4, and continues through the end of BATA’s Dec. 18 meeting. Comments may be sent via email to info@bayareametro.gov. As part of its regular November meeting, BATA today held a public hearing in San Francisco to receive testimony about the proposal from Bay Area residents, businesses and other interested parties. 

Today’s presentation by BATA and MTC staff also proposed updates to the policies for high-occupancy vehicles on approaches to the Bay Area’s state-owned toll bridges. These updates would take effect Jan. 1, 2026, concurrent with the proposed toll increase. BATA’s  existing toll schedule allows vehicles with three or more occupants (HOV 3+) a discounted toll, with a two-person (HOV 2) occupancy requirement for half-price tolls at the Dumbarton and San Mateo-Hayward bridges. BATA and MTC staff propose to establish a uniform three-person occupancy requirement for half-price tolls during weekday commute periods at all seven bridges. Carpool vehicles at all state-owned bridges must use a dedicated carpool lane and pay their tolls with a FasTrak Flex toll tag set to the ‘3’ position to receive the 50 percent discount available weekdays from 5 a.m. to 10 a.m. and from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.

The proposed carpool policy changes also would allow vehicles with two occupants and a switchable FasTrak Flex toll tag set to the ‘2’ position to use the carpool lanes on the approaches to the Antioch, Benicia-Martinez, Carquinez, Dumbarton, Richmond-San Rafael and San Mateo-Hayward bridges. These two-occupant vehicles would not receive the 50 percent carpool discount but would be able to use the carpool lanes to save time traveling through the toll plazas. Use of the carpool lanes on approaches to the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge still would require a minimum of three occupants.

The new carpool policy proposals are designed to improve safety on the toll bridge approaches by minimizing ‘weaving’ between lanes and to increase person-throughput by prioritizing access for buses and carpools. The policy change also would optimize lane configurations as now-obsolete toll booths are removed as part of the coming transition to open-road tolling.  

BATA, which is directed by the same policy board as MTC, administers toll revenues from the Bay Area’s seven state-owned toll bridges. Toll revenues from the Golden Gate Bridge are administered by the Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District, which joined with BATA to operate a single regional FasTrak customer service center in San Francisco. MTC is the transportation planning, financing and coordinating agency for the nine-county San Francisco Bay Area.

In response to a post of the link to this press release on X/Twitter on Wednesday, Nov. 30, State Senator Steve Glazer, who represents most of Contra Costa County, protested the proposed toll hikes writing, “Why was this need not identified and incorporated during the last toll increase in 2018? You don’t buy a boat and a new car when you don’t have the $ to fix the roof! A Thanksgiving/holiday season decision is a hide the ball strategy. Not good.”

Allen D. Payton contributed to this report.

By CHP Media Relations

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – The California Highway Patrol (CHP) is launching Get Educated and Ride Safe VII (GEARS VII), a yearlong program that focuses on education and enforcement strategies to reduce motorcycle-related crashes and fatalities. The CHP received a $700,000 federal grant to fund the program.

 Provisional data from the federal fiscal year 2022-23 highlights the urgent need for such measures, with more than 7,000 motorcycle-involved crashes, resulting in 336 fatalities and more than 6,300 injuries within CHP jurisdiction.

“This grant will significantly enhance the CHP’s motorcycle safety and awareness programs by allowing us to continue educating both motorcyclists and drivers on safe practices,” said CHP Commissioner Sean Duryee. “It’s a vital reminder that whether you’re driving a car or riding a motorcycle, everyone shares the responsibility for keeping our roads safe.”

 Throughout the grant period, CHP is ramping up motorcycle safety activities in regions with high crash rates and will participate in statewide and national traffic safety public awareness campaigns, including “National Motorcycle Ride Day” which was held on Saturday, October 12, 2024. These efforts will promote the use of U.S. Department of Transportation-compliant helmets and emphasize the importance of sharing the road with motorcyclists. Additionally, the CHP will increase enforcement in areas with motorcycle-involved crashes caused by speed, improper turns, and driving under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs.

Funding for this program is provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The mission of the CHP is to provide the highest level of Safety, Service, and Security.

The Contra Costa Taxpayers Association (CoCoTax) invites you to attend a Luncheon, Board and Members’ Meeting at Denny’s Restaurant 1313 Willow Pass Road, Concord, on Friday October 25, 2024, from 11:45 am to 1:10 pm.

Please register in advance on the CoCoTax website where you can pay online or bring cash or check on Friday and pay at the door-$25 for members, $30 for guests.

About Our Speaker: Debora Allen

Debora Allen was first elected to the BART Board of Directors in 2016 and re-elected in November 2020, representing eight cities in central Contra Costa County’s District 1. She leaves the BART Board at the end of this year having led the charge for improved fare gates, safe and reliable transit, and fiscal sanity.

In her lunch time remarks to CoCoTax, Debora will look back on her time on the BART board and discuss the transit district’s future.

Debora has over 30 years of financial and business management experience in both private and public sectors, primarily in construction and real estate industries. She received a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (accounting) from CSU Sacramento and completed numerous continuing professional education courses in the areas of financial audit, taxation, accounting systems, institutional investing, and pension administration. She practiced as a Certified Public Accountant in California for almost 20 years and currently still holds an inactive CPA license.

Prior to election to BART, Debora spent decades volunteering on boards in youth sports programs, taxpayer oversight groups, and other non-profits including six years as a pension board trustee for the Contra Costa County Employees’ Retirement Association. 

Since 2016, she served on regional transportation boards including Capitol Corridor JPA, Contra Costa Transportation Authority, West Contra Costa Transportation Advisory Committee, CCTA Accessible Transportation Strategic Policy Advisory Committee, and the Pleasant Hill BART Leasing Authority.  She has also served on several BART Board subcommittees.

For more information call (925) 289-6900 or email info@cocotax.org.

Plan must include improvements to safety for riders and Amtrak staff, preventing homeless encampments, financial commitment

“Antioch needs to make a commitment,” Supervisor Diane Burgis

“Don’t drop the stop” residents repeated

Only about 40 round-trip riderships a day from the Antioch-Pittsburg stop

“We weren’t invited by the city council…to make a presentation or we would have done so…there haven’t been any calls to action by the owner of the station” meaning the City of Antioch,” SJJPA Executive Director Stacey Mortensen.

By Allen D. Payton

During the meeting of the San Joaquin Joint Powers Authority (SJJPA), which governs the Amtrak system to and through Antioch, on Friday, September 20, 2024, the Board of Directors received a presentation on a proposed plan by Mayor Lamar Hernandez-Thorpe to keep the station open and heard an earful from Antioch residents and others. Many repeated the slogan, “Don’t drop the stop.” Only three of the board members were in attendance in the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors Chambers in Martinez, including Vice-Chair and Merced County Supervisor Rodrigo Espinosa, Contra Costa District 3 Supervisor Diane Burgis and Tracy Mayor Nancy Young. Burgis represents portions of Antioch on the Board of Supervisors. The other SJJPA board members participated online via Zoom. (See meeting video)

As previously reported, the SJJPA Board voted to decommission the Antioch station during their March 24, 2023, meeting. It wasn’t until July this year that the Antioch City Council responded with a letter requesting the board change their vote and it wasn’t until last week that the mayor said he had a plan to address the SJJPA’s concerns with safety and homelessness at and near the station.

Closure of the Antioch station is now planned for mid- to late-2027, according to SJJPA staff. So, there’s time for a plan to be approved by the city council, which is expected to hear about it, next month, and to be implemented. That should give the SJJPA Board what they need to then go to BNSF Rail, which owns the rail line in and through Antioch, to request an exception to their rule requiring a six-mile distance between stations. The planned new Oakley Amtrak station is less than that distance from Antioch’s which gave the board another reason to close it.

“The lack of visible evidence by the City to improve the situation over the years, and the comments by the Amtrak Inspector General…made it difficult to not make a decision.” SJJPA Executive Director Stacey Mortensen

SJJPA Executive Director Says Issue Dates Back Almost 15 Years, There’s Been No Plan from City

SJJPA Executive Director Stacey Mortensen opened with a presentation on the history of the station and the reasons for the board’s decision for its decommissioning. She shared a system map showing the Amtrak San Joaquins routes and said, “some of these stations are in areas dealing with the same issues as Antioch,” including homelessness and crime.

“They have gone on for almost 15 years,” she stated. “They’ve gone on through different city councils, different mayors, different city managers, different staff. I would be hopeful to keep the station opened.”

“These discussions have been occurring long before the authority existed,” Mortensen continued. “They went on so long.”

Speaking of the lack of communication between the authority and the city and other agencies she said, “They can’t find a neat path of communication…by any of the communities,” referring to no email or paper trail as reported by the Herald from multiple public records requests. “We weren’t invited by the city council or any of the entities to make a presentation or we would have done so,” she added.

“The City of Antioch owns the station property,” Mortensen explained. “They have a long-term lease with the BNSF. A little over 80% of the passengers are heading east. It’s been asserted Antioch residents would lose their only access to jobs in the Bay Area. But Antioch residents have access to eBART. Granted it does not go into the Valley.”

She mentioned ridership is “about 40 round trips a day. Intercity ridership is different,” and “The six-mile spacing. That is true. However, the trains switch to the UP route just outside of here, in Martinez. They deal with spacing on a case-by-case basis. That track is governed by UP criteria.” Mortensen was referring to the shorter distance between the Oakland and Emeryville stations that she was asked about by the Herald.

Speaking of last year’s board meeting at which they voted to decommission the station she said, “The Board gave Mayor Hernandez-Thorpe an opportunity to give a presentation. The lack of visible evidence by the City to improve the situation over the years, and the comments by the Amtrak Inspector General…made it difficult to not make a decision.”

Tamika Smith has spent time over the past few years…trying to seek a solution,” Mortensen added before turning over the presentation to her.

“Over 10 years ago, about 15, Amtrak staff did meet with Antioch staff…and the words were, ‘rip out the platform’,” Smith stated. “The wheelchair lift was broken into and stolen, twice. The new one has been installed. But the homeless have defecated on the handle. The hazmat team has to be called out” to clean it up before being used.

She mentioned a “Lack of response by the Antioch Police department” and said, “representatives have met with different city managers. We met with the interim city manager and interim chief of police. During that meeting we agreed to anything that Antioch can do to make the station safer for passengers…and more importantly Amtrak staff.”

Mortensen responded saying, “There was no plan presented to staff at that time. We were very disappointed there was no plan to report out and present to you, today.”

“All of the calls for action…have been really been to protest the decision. That is understandable,” she continued. “But there haven’t been any calls to action by the owner of the station. There was a letter from the City of Pittsburg supporting keeping the station open. The Board left a lot of doors open in the decommissioning option. But all those options include keeping the Antioch station safer.”

Mortensen stated, “the goal was a future with an Antioch station open.”

Mayor Young read a statement from Chair and Sacramento County Supervisor Patrick Hume, who was absent from the meeting.

“This board made the decision to open a new station in Oakley,” she read. “If certain steps were taken…heighten security for the safety of the passengers..we could then ask for an exception to BNSF on the spacing between the stations.”

“Any suggestion that an action has been undone…is inaccurate,” Hume’s statement continued. “We look forward to working with all parties.”

“I would have to echo many of what he said, here,” Young stated. “We made it clear…we’re not making a decision to not open Oakley. But we’re looking at opportunities to save…the station in Antioch.”

“We stressed the partnerships we have in other cities which keeps the stations open,” she continued. “So, we’re looking to Antioch to provide the answers…and number one the safety of the ridership but also the employees.”

“I’m very sensitive to those who are homeless. But we want to make sure we’re looking at options…to make that area safe,” Young said. “We asked if the City of Antioch would be open…to putting together a plan to keep the station open. I’m still hopeful. But it takes partnership.”

“There is possibility that there is something we can do to work out a solution…to go talk to BNSF so they can work out the spacing…and that we can salvage that and not continue with the decommissioning,” she added, concluding her remarks. That received a round of applause.

“(Acting City Manager) Kwame and myself do not have the authority to approve a plan. The city council has felt cut out by this process. That’s why I’m bringing it back to council,” – Mayor Lamar Hernandez-Thorpe

Mayor Presents Proposed Plan with List of Solutions

Mayor Lamar Hernandez-Thorpe then provided his presentation saying that the meeting was “certainly not the same as we had last year. This time we have the city of Antioch, here.” Speaking of the board’s vote and matters surroundin it he said, “There’s no sense in arguing over spilled milk.”

“I don’t know what meeting you had with the chief and Kwame. But our agreement was for me to come here today to present a plan,” he stated. “Kwame and myself do not have the authority to approve a plan. The city council has felt cut out by this process. That’s why I’m bringing it back to council but not at the next meeting because myself and Councilwoman Torres-Walker would be absent. So, it’s going to be on the agenda for the meeting in October.”

The mayor then read from the proposal which include, “Increase security presence,” during specific hours of the day. “Create a faire-only zone…to ensure only people who are supposed to be there.”

“Consistent enforcing of no encampment in the landscaping area,” the mayor continued.

“To show that photo from years ago…take a picture, today,” he complained to the SJJPA staff. (However, the Herald photos taken on July 4, 2024 – above – show a homeless resident’s tent in the landscaped area of the station and homeless residents sitting on the concrete bench).

The list also includes, “Decorative fencing around the landscape area to make it more difficult” for a homeless encampment there, the mayor shared.

“Please stop suggesting we haven’t been working on our train station,” Hernandez-Thorpe stated raising his voice.

Speaking of the homeless residents at or near the station he said, “We literally took those and put them in your hotel, Diane, in Pittsburg,” referring to the Delta Landing transitional housing facility at the former Motel 6 on Loveridge Road.

When asked by the acting SJJPA board chair if there were any other officials in the audience who wanted to speak, Hernandez-Thorpe said a representative from Congressman John Garamendi’s office was there and the congressman opposed the closure. But that person did not speak to the board. Antioch District 2 Councilman Mike Barbanica was also in attendance but did not speak during the meeting.

Public Comments Include Complaints of Being Excluded from Process, Accusation of Racism, False Allegations

The SJJPA board members then heard comments from about 25 Antioch residents and others opposed to the Amtrak station’s closure many repeating the slogan, “Don’t drop the stop.”

Pittsburg resident Nicole Errington said, “I find it very offensive that homeless people are being blamed for what’s happening there,” and then read the letter from the Pittsburg City Manager Garrett Evans mentioned by Hernandez-Thorpe.

A woman representing ACCE Antioch (Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment Action) said, “ACCE met with Diane Burgis team. She had no idea what we wanted to meet about. There’s been talks about this being in the works for the past 15 years. Everything’s being blamed on our new mayor, but he’s been making changes. He’s only been there for four years.” (Actually, Hernandez-Thorpe has been on the council for almost eight years).

“I find it very interesting that the community was not made aware. I find it interesting the blame of crime,” she continued. “You keep talking crime but where’s the actual numbers, please? Be nimble and keep the station opened.”

Eddie Gums, vice chair of ACCE Antioch, spoke about, “Amtrak employees being assaulted. That makes no sense. I ride the train regularly. It’s a joke. It comes down to being racist. In 15 years, you haven’t done anything to make things better. The root of the problem is the money…you want to take away from Antioch…to take away from the homeless. Oakley doesn’t care about the train. The game is over. When we fight, we win.”

Tashina Garrett, chair of ACCE Antioch said, “I’m here because of Ms. Burgis, Ms. Smith, all these people who want to share these lies. We finally had a meeting with Ms. Burgis. She tried to put things off on Ms. Smith. But we couldn’t have a meeting with her.”

“Ms. Mortensen, ‘who was in discussion about the station decommissioning? Why isn’t Amtrak helping out with the policing of the station as they do all others?’” she asked. “I’m sick and tired of being sick and tired of Antioch being blamed…of Mayor Thorpe being blamed.”

Garrett mentioned during last year’s meeting that “Diane Burgis said, ‘Oh, yeah, this has been in the works for 10 years.’ Who are the people who made this decision?” She asked if it was, “Mike Barbanica who is running for Supervisor of Contra Costa County? Is it Back the Blue?” (Barbanica has only served on the city council for four years).

Another speaker said, “I heard of all these meetings with city staff, city council members, the chief of police. But where were the meetings with the public?”

“I’ve had the opportunity to compare crime for all the stations along the route,” a member of the Transbay Coalition said. “Antioch doesn’t stand out. Oakland-Jack London Square…is more affected by violent crime. Antioch is more affected by vehicle break-ins.”

Transbay Coalition. “Ultimately, the data are not there to support the crime at the Antioch station is enough to close the stop.”

Resident and homeless advocate Andrew Becker was the final member of the public to speak saying, “Amtrak came to Antioch in the ‘80’s but came to the United States in the ‘70’s. The San Joaquins line…doesn’t affect our community currently. In 1971 Amtrak decided to discontinue the San Joaquins line and move over to the Capitol Corridors.”

“State leaders took action and in 1974 to bring back that line. Why was there no stop in Antioch until the ‘80’s. Antioch used their redevelopment money to redevelop that site. There was siding there. In the 90’s the station facility was put in for space for a ticket agent, but it was never staffed. That’s Amtrak’s commitment to our community.”

“When Amtrak came to Antioch there were 40,000 residents. Now there are over 115,000 residents. Antioch has 40 census tracts, 17 of them are low-income.”

“We are disconnecting communities,” he stated.

“I do think the component of having city council buy-in and backing it up with a budget…that’s what will move things along.” – Contra Costa County Supervisor Diane Burgis

Board Member Comments.

Burgis spoke first saying, “In March of 2023 I attended my first meeting of the SJJPA and this issue came up and I spoke of this being a difficult situation and that if they were going to go forward with this, I would support Antioch…whether it was technology, finding some way.

I know people need a bad guy and I’ll take that if that’s my role.

The problem is in those 18 months I’ve asked staff several times ‘have you heard from Antioch.’” They did not say, ‘what do we need to do to fix this.’”

“I think what Mayor Hernandez-Thorpe recommended…is a good start. But the reason staff wanted to meet with city staff was for brainstorming…to talk about keeping the station opened or reopening it.”

“The next step is for the city council to be supportive if that and for them to fund it,” she continued.

“You’re right, Antioch is beautiful. Downtown is a wonderful place to bloom, and I support that. But we need to…we don’t want to leave people behind.”

“I’ve met with ACCE many, many times. So, if there was a misunderstanding, it’s because there’s a lot of issues I’ve met with ACCE about,” Burgis said.

“There’s no plans. She’s correct. We don’t have any solutions. We need commitments,” she continued. “We’re all ready to lean in. But it’s just what has been communicated is Antioch needs to make a commitment. I feel very encouraged about what Lamar has presented. I’m looking forward to it being voted on by the city council and funded.”

Board member Mayor Young of Tracy said, “We’re here, now, at this point, for solutions. My first meeting ever hearing about this was last March, as well. The discussion was about decommissioning.”

“We’re here as a board that deals with a whole rail line, not just one station,” she continued. “We sit on multiple transportation boards and we’re fighting for our communities, all the time.”

“What I petition for you all is that you’re working as passionately and diligently within Antioch,” Young said. “We have very current safety concerns. There are different places that have issues. But this right here focuses on Antioch. We’re at a starting point of solutions. The bottom line is you want to keep your stop in Antioch.”

“We want to make sure we’re on the same page as solutions,” she continued. “Believe me we’re hearing from the community. We’re not going to get into your own personal things with your city. What you do to help support that station…when you stand up for your area…you all have to be that powerful voice where it matters for your city.”

“Help us help you. Encourage the plan. Because this is going to save our station,” Young stated. “Then we’ll have something to go to BNSF.”

“We’re here because we hear you. The faster you get things done…let’s get things done, together. Support your own city. Make sure people aren’t defecating on the handle so they don’t have to call out the hazmat team. Help us help you,” she reiterated.

Board member and Stanislaus County Supervisor Vito Chiesa said, “I appreciate him going to take it to council. I think that was the understanding when he met with Chair Hume and Member Young. I’m a party to most of these decisions along the way. It boils down to me as a safety issue. For us to do otherwise without a commitment…Supervisor Burgis has said it once, twice to me, she wants to keep the station open. You have my commitment to listen. We want to keep the station open. The question is, ‘can we keep the station open?’ Help me help you.”

“Your voices were heard, today,” said acting Board Chair Espinosa. “I ran for this board to protect my community in Hanford. It takes an elected official to promote your city. If you can prove to us you have ridership that meets the demand, we’ll keep it open.”

Board member and Madera County Supervisor Leticia Gonzalez said, “I echo all of the comments. I am committed. I actually spoke to Mayor Lamar Thorpe on March 23rd. I was recently assigned to this commission. Safety is of major concern to all us. I am committed to working toward a solution for all of us.”

Conclusion: Formation of Working Group, Commitment from City Council

In an attempt to wrap up discussion on the matter, Mortensen then said, “We wanted to hear everything you shared, today. It’s welcome. The fight is needed. Moving forward we are committed…always being future focused is our motto. I will propose something to you…if you are comfortable. Everyone wants to go out of here with an active path. Would you consider setting up a committee…with a member of this board or whatever number you think, a member from the Antioch City Council, the Pittsburg City Council and member of the public? It’s just a thought to ensure further dialogue. If we could do it, together, fight it out, together, realize what we could do, together.”

“I think that’s a great idea. I would recommend that,” Burgis said.

Young also supported the proposal.

“OK. I will take that direction,” Mortensen responded.

“He can do his own plan. You would have a multi-disciplined group…in concert with that plan. It will take the council a couple meetings to hear a concept.”

Hernandez-Thorpe said, “I was under the impression I was going to get feedback from this board today on this plan. I’m all for the committee. But I want to stay focused on what I came here for. This is my proposal. I’m here for this.”

“They also want Amtrak involved. We can give so much input. But it’s really coming from the operators,” Burgis said.

“I know you need to understand if that’s a good enough plan to go forward with something,” Young said.

Smith said, “I would recommend we reconvene a meeting with your chief and the Amtrak Inspector…because what you presented today was more than what we heard earlier this week.”

“Just to make sure. We’ll have the meeting then I will present this to the council,” Hernandez-Thorpe asked.

“Yes,” SJJPA staff responded.

“I like the committee idea because it creates an institutional structure,” the mayor said. “I doesn’t have to be formal.”

“I do think the component of having city council buy-in and backing it up with a budget…that’s what will move things along,” Burgis stated.

“To keep the station open if we have to make investments, that’s what we’ll do,” Hernandez-Thorpe said. “I understand the public feels they’ve been misled. Trust is always going to be an issue.”

“I’d like to envision…that we are putting more people on trains and that they are using it to go to work, and more people are going west…to keep more people from cars on the road,” Burgis added.

“As you’re investing…for the community to invest in this treasure you’re trying to develop in downtown,” Young shared.

“I asked for a delay in decommissioning the station so we could present a plan,” the mayor responded. “Now, we have the opportunity to present a plan. It will include investments, as well.”

The SJJPA board then moved on to other business on the meeting agenda.

Following the meeting, Hernandez-Thorpe was asked for a copy of his proposed plan which he will be presenting to the city council next month. In addition, questions were sent to both Acting City Manager Kwame Reed and Interim Police Chief Brian Addington asking for details from their meeting with Smith. None of them responded prior to publication time.

UPDATE 1: Later, Chief Addington said he and Reed met with Smith via Zoom on Tuesday, Sept. 17th and that he spoke with her about the need for increased safety, with possible private security at and near the station. For any other matters discussed during their meeting he left up to the city manager to share.

(See related articles here and here)

Please check back for any additional updates to this report.

Blame mainly rests with San Joaquin Joint Powers Authority staff and board members

Antioch Public Works Department staff knew of closure in spring 2022 five months before city manager and mayor, but failed to inform them or other councilmembers

Former Antioch CM Con Johnson claims he informed Hernandez-Thorpe six months before SJJPA Board vote, says mayor directed him to not tell any councilmembers, neither informed public

SJJPA staff now says, “decommissioning is some 2.5 to 3 years out” instead of the end of 2025 and it’s “too early to coordinate options with regional transit agencies.”

Mayor to present plan to keep station opened at Friday SJJPA Board meeting before council has seen or approved it

By Allen D. Payton

On May 22, 2024, a rally was held at the Antioch Amtrak station location at 100 I Street at the corner of W. First Street, along the waterfront in the City’s historic Rivertown District, by community members affiliated with Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment (ACCE) Action and other organizations and attended by Mayor Pro Tem Monica Wilson and District 1 Councilwoman Tamisha Torres-Walker, to raise awareness about the impending closure. The councilwoman, in whose district the station is located, was quoted in a Local News Matters report saying, “I think someone needs to own up to this. I think somewhere the ball was dropped,” without naming anyone.

In an effort to both understand what occurred, who caused it and how to reverse the decision to close the Antioch-Pittsburg San Joaquins Passenger Stop, as it is officially known, a months-long investigation by the Herald resulted in the first article entitled, “Whodunnit? No proof any city staff member approved Antioch’s Amtrak station closure” was published in July. This article serves as a follow up, includes further research and reveals Torres-Walker is correct that “the ball was dropped” and it was mainly due to a lack of communication by the staff and board of directors of the San Joaquin Joint Powers Authority (SJJPA), which governs the Amtrak San Joaquins Passenger Rail service between Bakersfield and Oakland and runs through Antioch. They failed to adequately inform the City of Antioch staff and council and the Tri Delta Transit staff and board.

In addition, Mayor Lamar Hernandez-Thorpe and then-City Manager Cornelius “Con” Johnson also dropped the ball by not informing the council members or the public prior to the vote on March 24, 2023, by the SJJPA Board of Directors to decommission the station, preventing Antioch and other East County residents from knowing about the vote and providing them the opportunity to speak out against it. The mayor repeatedly blamed former Antioch City Manager Ron Bernal, his opponent in the current mayoral election, for approving the closure, which the Herald’s first article on the matter proved to be false.

Finally, someone in the Antioch Public Works Department knew about the station closure in spring 2022 and dropped the ball by failing to either inform the city manager or council members at that time five or six months before Johnson was first informed of the impending SJJPA Board vote the following spring.

SJJPA Spokesman Claims “Discussions Regarding…Challenges in Antioch Began in 2017” City Staff Not Informed of Closure Until Fall 2022

According to the news report about the May 2024 rally, “David Lipari of the San Joaquin Regional Rail Commission, which works in collaboration with SJJPA, said discussions regarding the challenges in Antioch began in 2017.”  Yet, nowhere in any documentation provided in response to Public Records Act (PRA) requests to the SJJPA, City of Antioch, Tri Delta Transit and a federal Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request to Amtrak, does it show any member of the Antioch City Council or staff knew about the proposed closure until January 2023.

Further research revealed the first time SJJPA staff informed any Antioch city manager of the station closure or decommissioning was in September 2022, during the first of three meetings between SJJPA Director of Rail Services, Tamika Smith, and then-City Manager Cornelius “Con” Johnson.

Johnson, in turn, informed Hernandez-Thorpe following that meeting and in January Johnson and then-Antioch Police Chief Steve Ford were preparing a presentation for the SJJPA Board meeting on January 25, 2023, after the mayor told Johnson he should provide it. That presentation and the proposed vote to close the station were postponed until the regular board meeting on March 24, 2023. But with Johnson being placed on administrative leave the week before, as previously reported, the mayor provided the presentation instead.

SJJPA Staff First Discussed Closure in 2021

That’s all in spite of the fact the first record of a discussion about a possible Antioch station closure was in emails between SJJPA Executive Director Stacey Mortensen and her staff members in June 2021. One of those emails revealed that a previous discussion of a possible closure had occurred, so, at least one or more of the SJJPA staff members knew closing the Antioch station was a possibility.

It’s also in spite of the fact that at that time SJJPA staff knew the policy of BNSF rail, which owns the tracks, was to not have stations too close together and that the location of the planned station in Oakley, just six miles away, was too close. Thus, another station had to be closed. Since problems continued at and around the Antioch station, including assaults on train conductors, calls for service to the Antioch Police and Amtrak Police for other crimes, fare evasion and homelessness, the Antioch-Pittsburg stop was an easy target.

Questions for SJJPA Executive Director Go Unanswered

Questions were emailed to Mortensen on August 19, 2024, asking the following: “Why did your agency not inform Tri Delta Transit about the possible decommissioning, whose board was voting for improvements to support the opening of the Oakley Station, and that it required the closure of the Antioch Station?

With whom did your staff, specifically then-Senior Planner David Ripperda, then-Director of Capital Projects Kevin Sheridan and/or SJJPA spokesman David Lipari discuss the closure of the Antioch station prior to your emails in June 2021?”

She was asked to provide copies of those communications and if they were by virtual meetings or phone calls, please include her and/or her staff’s notes from them and any and all emails about the Oakley and/or Antioch stations with BNSF.

Mortensen was shown the three emails about the matter between her and Ripperda, copied to other staff members and asked, “Did you ever find out ‘where the conversation with BN went after that’? What was the outcome? Did any member of your staff ever communicate in any way with any members of the City of Antioch Public Works Department between June 2021 and May 2022 about the decommissioning of the Antioch station? If so, what was said and how was it communicated?

She was informed that while the Herald was not provided with copies of any email communications about the closure of the station with anyone in that city department, it appears during that time period someone in that department was made aware of the possible station closure. That’s because language referring to the Amtrak station in previous years’ 5-Year Capital Improvement Program budgets, was removed for the 2022-27 CIP presented as a Draft to the city council in May 2022. But the Public Works Director at that time no longer works for the City of Antioch.

Mortensen was reminded that the staff report for the agenda item for the vote included misinformation that a previous Antioch city manager approved the decommissioning, which caused a political firestorm in Antioch because that former city manager, Ron Bernal, is now running for mayor against the incumbent who assumed he was the person to which Tamika Smith referred in her staff report. She was then provided with a link to the previous Herald article about the Antioch station decommissioning and it was pointed out to her that Smith never mentioned Bernal’s name and it was only mentioned by the mayor.

Mortensen was also reminded that her board members were never provided any documentation supporting the claim that a previous city manager or any City of Antioch staff member approved the closure, nor were given council direction to support it, before the board voted.

She was then asked, “why wouldn’t any of the board or your staff members question that, ask if that city manager was directed to support the decommissioning by the council and ask for the City of Antioch to provide a copy of the council resolution supporting it, before the board vote? Had they known the facts might one of them have voted differently and the decommissioning not move forward, since it only passed by the minimum number of votes?”

Mortensen was then reminded about the emails between Bernal and her following the March 24, 2023, board meeting in which he both denied ever approving the decommissioning and asking for Mortensen to correct the record. In her email response to him she wrote, “My understanding from the various parties was that the City had reluctantly agreed to the closure if the new landscaping and improvements (associated with the building removal) was not maintained and passenger and train crew safety issues did not improve. Somehow that did get attributed to you over the last couple years and if that is not accurate, I most certainly want to correct the record.” 

Yet, there is no written record to support that “understanding” provided in response to the Herald’s PRA requests. Mortensen was asked if she does have it to provide it.

She was then asked, “at a subsequent SJJPA board meeting did she ‘correct the record’ by issuing a public apology to Bernal and announcing that the information in the staff report was incorrect? If so, please provide the date of the board meeting at which it occurred and a link to the video. If not, will you do that at the board meeting on Sept. 20th in Martinez?”

It was pointed out to Mortensen in the Herald article, that Bernal says he only approved the demolition of the building at the station and there are records of that, and that it was the current Oakley City Manager who approved the decommissioning of the Antioch station, and that it appears her staff misunderstood and confused the two matters of the demolition and the decommission.

Mortensen was then asked regarding the matter of one of the reasons for closure, “why is BNSF claiming a six-mile distance between stations as their reason for the Antioch station closure when the Emeryville and Oakland stations are less than five miles apart?”

Because it appears there has been a serious lack of communication between SJJPA staff and the affected agencies regarding both the closure of the Antioch station and opening of the Oakley Station and there’s been significant turnover in both her staff and City of Antioch staff over the past few years, Mortensen was asked, “Who specifically on your staff is responsible for communicating with the other agencies about the closure of the Antioch station and the opening of the Oakley station? Do you have copies of any communication with Amtrak and/or BNSF about the two stations before or since the board vote? Do you have a copy of the BNSF policy about their distance requirements between stations? If so, she was asked to please provide them.

SJJPA Staff Member Responds Instead

Rather than answer the questions, Mortensen had Ariana Talosig, the Administrative Analyst for the Board and Committee respond. She wrote, “As stated in prior emails, we have reviewed our files and provided documentation in our possession regarding the decommissioning of the Antioch Station and a statement of the Agency’s position concerning the same.  In response to your specific question regarding outreach to transit agencies serving the area, because decommissioning is some 2.5 to 3 years out, it is too early to coordinate options with regional transit agencies.”

In addition, that same day, Talosig wrote, “The following is in response to your public records request dated June 15, 2024, for the following: “PRA request and additional questions on the closure of the Antioch Amtrak station.”

Pursuant to the California Public Records Act, SJRRC has located no additional records responsive to your request.

SJRRC will now consider your request closed. Should you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact the undersigned.

Thank you.”

Request for Copies of Notes from Virtual Meetings, Phone and Conference Calls Go Unfulfilled

In response because the original PRA request was for communications between agencies, not copies of notes of virtual meetings, and phone or conference calls Talosig was emailed the following: “While there may not be any additional emails to fulfill my request, perhaps there are notes by SJJPA staff from phone calls or virtual meetings with City of Antioch staff about the closure, specifically with anyone in the City’s Public Works Department and more specifically with Scott Buenting, and between June 2021 and May 2022, or any other agency staff member, including Amtrak and BNSF.

Please check with former Senior Planner David Ripperda, former Director of Capital Projects Kevin Sheridan and SJJPA spokesman David Lipari if they had any conversations like that. 

Also, it would be appreciated if you can please find out to whom Mr. Ripperda was referring when he wrote ‘discussions about closing Antioch’ in his June 25, 2021, email to Ms. Mortensen.”

More Questions for SJJPA Staff Go Unsanswered

In addition, on August 21st, Talosig was asked many of the same questions posed to Mortensen and a few new ones. She was asked, “Are you claiming that no member of the SJJPA staff took typed or handwritten notes from virtual meetings or phone or conference calls when speaking with anyone else about the possible closure of the Antioch Amtrak station? How does your staff and organization operate, based on memory? Surely that’s not the case.

If you have no records of notes on any communications with anyone on the City of Antioch staff (or any other agency) prior to the emails between Tamika Smith and then-City Manager Johnson in August 2022, about the closure of the Antioch station, even though your top staff claimed to have discussed the matter prior to the emails dated June 25, 2021, then please find out among whom those discussions were held for which they took and kept no notes and left them in the files of the authority. 

Also, what you shared is different than what was previously shared by Manager of Administration Jaclyn Miramontes who wrote, “The estimated date for Oakley is Q4 of 2025” which is a year away, not “some 2.5 to 3 years out.” Has the date since been changed? If so, when and by whom?

Finally, Talosig was asked, “why on such a major issue, did your agency staff not inform the local media in Antioch about the impending board vote at least a week before the meeting so the public could have been informed and could have spoken on the matter during public comments? Will you now adopt that as a policy and practice for the future for communities affected by board votes?”

Talosig responded on Aug. 27th with a few more documents showing emails between current Acting City Manager Kwame Reed and Tamika Smith from Jan. 26th this year. She provided information in response to a question asked during a recent Antioch City Council meeting about the wheelchair lift writing it, “is in place and has been for months, it was previously stolen but is now in place and ready for use. Reed responded by asking her for a time “to discuss the parameters around the decision to close the station.”

But nothing showing any additional documentation about the station closure, who knew about it when and to whom anyone from the SJJPA spoke about it.

Talosig again wrote, “SJRRC will now consider your request closed. Should you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact the undersigned.”

She was asked to follow up with Mortensen to obtain answers to the questions posed to her but there has been no further response.

December 2021 Email Thread Shows Discussion of Double Tracking Between Martinez and Antioch

However, one new email thread dated December 13, 2021, was provided in response to the Herald’s latest PRA request to the SJJPA. It shows a brief conversation between then-Senior Planner Paul Herman and Daniel Hartman, a Project Manager at AECOM, an infrastructure consulting firm.

Herman wrote, “We are in discussions with BNSF about the upcoming TIRCP application and I wanted to get a preliminary cost estimate from you for a potential project we are looking at to open up additional double tracking between Martinez and Antioch for the San Joaquins. The project would include a new universal crossover track at CP West Pittsburg between BNSF Stockton Sub and UP Tracy Sub and upgrading of the UP Tracy Sub track from Port Chicago to CP West Pittsburg. The UP track I believe needs PTC and to be upgraded from 40mph to 79mph. This isn’t an urgent item, but I wanted to get it on your radar now so that we can have this information ready in January. If you have some time later this week it may be good for us to do a quick 30 minute session looking at the location and talking the request through.”

TIRCP refers to the California State Transportation Agency’s Transit and Intercity Rail Capital Program. PTC stands for Positive Train Control systems which, according to the Federal Railroad Administration, “are designed to prevent train-to-train collisions, over-speed derailments, incursions into established work zones, and movements of trains through switches left in the wrong position.”

But only double tracking east to the future Oakley station could help keep the Antioch station open.

Amtrak Has No Documentation of Discussions on Station Decommissioning

On July 25, 2024, an Amtrak FOIA Officer responded to the request on July 10th for copies of any and all communications between Amtrak staff and the following agencies / company regarding the closure / decommissioning of the Antioch Amtrak station between January 1, 2019 and March 30, 2023: San Joaquin Joint Powers Authority, including Stacey Mortensen, David Riperda, Tamika Smith, David Lipari, Paul Herman, Autumn Gowan, Kevin Sheridan, and any others, plus, the City of Antioch, City of Oakley and BNSF Railway. (Date Range for Record Search: From 1/1/2019 To 3/30/2023). 

Rebecca Conner, Manager, Records and Information Management wrote, “We have no records responsive to this request.  Amtrak does not own the station in question.”

A new FOIA request was then submitted on Aug. 19, 2024, asking for copies of any and all communications between Amtrak staff and the following agencies / company regarding the Oakley Amtrak station between January 1, 2019 and March 30, 2023: San Joaquin Joint Powers Authority, including Stacey Mortensen, David Riperda, Tamika Smith, David Lipari, Paul Herman, Autumn Gowan, Kevin Sheridan, and any others, plus, the City of Antioch, City of Oakley and BNSF Railway.

There had to have been at least some communication between Amtrak Police and SJJPA staff prior to their board meeting on March 24, 2023, because the SJJPA staff report and presentation on the item regarding the closure of the Antioch station included information on Amtrak Police calls for service at the Antioch station.

Conner was also asked, “Are you claiming Amtrak was never made aware of the station closure before the San Joaquin Joint Powers Authority board voted for it on March 24, 2023? Which Amtrak staff members currently work with the SJJPA on the San Joaquins line that serves Antioch? Which staff members worked with them in 2021?” She was reminded that Tamika Smith worked there as the Senior Director, State Supported Services through March 2021 and was asked to provide their contact information, as well.

Conner responded on Aug. 21st, “We do not release names of staff members below the Executive Vice President (EVP) level. You are welcome to file an appeal, but I searched Amtrak for the responsive records and was told what I told you.”

She was then asked, “Even to the media? Are they not allowed to speak with someone from the media?” Conner was then asked to speak with those staff members to determine which of them communicated with SJJPA staff and City of Antioch staff and provide what was discussed and when.

She was also asked, “Do you still have access to Tamika Smith’s emails from when she worked there? Are you required to save email communications from previous staff after they no longer work for Amtrak?”

Because it’s important for both the public, as well as our local and federal elected officials to know, Conner was then asked to find out and ask those who did and/or do work with SJJPA, “Are you claiming Amtrak was never made aware of the Antioch station closure before the San Joaquin Joint Powers Authority board voted for it on March 24, 2023?”

She was asked how and to whom to file an appeal and if Amtrak will have a representative at the Sept. 20 meeting of the SJJPA Board to answer questions from the public and/or board members.

Additional Information Requested

Later, the following was added to the second FOIA request: “any notes, written or typed, from any virtual meetings and/or phone or conference calls with any of the following, discussing either the Antioch station or Oakley station between January 1, 2019 and March 30, 2023: San Joaquin Joint Powers Authority, including Stacey Mortensen, David Riperda, Tamika Smith, David Lipari, Paul Herman, Autumn Gowan, Kevin Sheridan, and any others, plus, the City of Antioch, City of Oakley and BNSF Railway.”

Conner responded on Aug. 22nd, “I sent you the only information we have on the Antioch closing” and suggested I communicate further with Olivia Irvin, Senior Public Relations Manager for Amtrak. She responded on Aug. 26th requesting the questions be sent to her. However, an email to her from the Herald with questions to Irvin hoping for a response before this Friday’s SJJPA Board meeting was discovered in this reporter’s Drafts folder on Wednesday night, Sept. 18. Nevertheless, the same questions posed to Conner were sent to her at that time.

Antioch Public Works Department Staff Knew of Closure by May 2022

According to current Acting Public Works Director Scott Buenting, someone informed him by May 2022 that the station was planned to be closed. That’s why the justification for the grant funding sought for the L Street Improvements project in the annual City of Antioch Capital Improvements Program (CIP) budget for that year was changed. The language that had been included in previous years’ budgets referring to the Amtrak station was removed from the 2022-27 Draft CIP presented to the city council that month.

That year’s CIP was approved the following month by the council members without the language change for the L Street improvements being mentioned by either staff nor questions asked about it by the council members, during the May 24th meeting when the Draft 5-Year CIP was first presented nor during the June 14, 2022, meeting when the council adopted it.

Buenting was the Project Manager for the L Street Improvements project, and his name was listed on the project’s detail sheet in each year’s CIP since 2018. Then-Public Works Director John Samuelson’s name did not appear in any emails from the PRA request responses, but Buenting’s name did appear, dating back to the discussions of the station building demolition in 2019.

The agenda item, #SM-1, for the May 24, 2022, council meeting, for which District 2 Councilman and then-Mayor Pro Tem Mike Barbanica was absent, reads, “It is recommended that the City Council review and provide feedback to staff regarding the draft 5-Year Capital Improvement Program (CIP) 2022-2027.”

When asked by Hernandez-Thorpe about the L Street Improvements project being partially funded, Buenting said, “we do have some grant funding. We will be moving forward with a portion of this project.” In response to the mayor asking, “So, we’re still $9 million short?” Buenting replied, “Yes.” Hernandez-Thorpe then said, “A decade later and we’re still talking about grants.” Buenting responded, “We are somewhat limited to the types of funding we can use for these projects. Grants are the best way to go. But I’m sure we can look into providing some additional options.”

But there was no mention by Buenting or Samuelson, who was in attendance at the meeting, nor were there any questions from the mayor or city council members about the language change in the CIP, eliminating the Amtrak station as justification for the L Street Improvements project grant funds.

(See the 44:00 mark of council meeting video)

During the June 14, 2022, meeting, with the mayor absent and no discussion among or questions from council members, the CIP, item 7 on the agenda, was adopted on a 4-0 vote. (See 3:47:15 mark of council meeting video)

Samuelson, who now works for the City of Pittsburg, did not return phone calls about the matter.

Informed in Spring 2022 at Least Five Months Before City Manager Informed

However, after multiple efforts, when finally reached on Thursday, Sept. 19th, Buenting was asked if the language was changed due to the requirement that the grant funding was no longer tied to transit or if he was told the station would be closing. He explained that the change in the project justification language in the 2022-27 CIP for the L Street Improvements project was due to being informed of the Amtrak station’s impending closure.

“A lot of these conversations I wasn’t privy to,” Buenting stated when asked when he was informed and by whom. “I know that I heard that the Amtrak station was going to close in a meeting somehow. I know it wasn’t from the SJJPA. But I had knowledge of it, and I tried to clean things up in the CIP. I don’t remember when I heard the information.”

“There is a path to transit associated with this,” Buenting continued. “There is the ferry stop. We have transit with TriDelta. That’s what I was making my changes to.” So the grant funding for the L Street Improvements will still meet the requirement that it be tied to transit.

Asked if he would look in his and the department’s files for any notes from any phone or online meeting conversations about the Antioch station closure between June 2021 and May 2022 he responded, “I’ll look and the information will probably be with the city engineer at the time.” (That was Samuelson).

“I know it wasn’t me who had the conversation. I do not recall where I got it,” Buenting reiterated

Johnson Says He Immediately Informed Hernandez-Thorpe in Fall 2022, Says Mayor Directed Him to Not Tell Any Councilmember, Especially Barbanica and Ogorchock, Called them “Racist Karens”

But it wasn’t until September 2022 that then-City Manager Cornelious “Con” Johnson was informed of the Amtrak station closure by SJJPA staff. Following publication of the Herald’s first article about the closure, when did city staff know about it and who approved it, questions were emailed on Thursday, July 18, 2024, to the five council members and Con Johnson:

The councilmembers were asked, “when did you learn the San Joaquin Joint Powers Authority was going to vote on closing the Antioch Amtrak station at either their January or March 2023 board meeting?”

Johnson was asked, “did you inform the other four council members at the time you informed the mayor after learning of the proposed closure by Tamika Smith of the SJJPA in September 2022?

Hernandez-Thorpe was asked, “once you learned of it from Con, did you inform the other council members or ask him to do so?”

The councilmembers were also asked, “were you aware that Con and Chief Ford were preparing a presentation for the SJJPA Board meeting in January 2023 and Were you aware the mayor was going to give the presentation at their March 2023 meeting?”

Johnson responded, “Once the SJJPA representative, Ms. Tamika Smith, notified me in September, I immediately contacted and informed Mayor Thorpe. In this matter, Mayor Thorpe was responsible for informing the remaining council members.”

“According to Mayor’s Thorpe’s strict directive to me and other department heads, all administrative matters had to go through and be approved by Mayor Thorpe,” the former city manager continued. “Mayor Thorpe directed me not to notify any council member, especially Councilmembers Michael Barbanica and Lori Ogorchock, who he referred to as ‘racist Karens’ without first seeking his approval. However, it was always my position to notify all the council members in accordance with city ordinances. Mayor Thorpe inferred, meddled and undermined the city manger’s responsibility on a daily basis.”

“In the SJJPA Amtrak closure matter, I informed and updated Mayor Thorpe on all administrative activities,” Johnson stated. “Mayor Thorpe was the sole arbiter, and he exclusively decided what information I should forward to the other city council members.”

“In the matter of council notifications, I don’t know if Mayor Thorpe later notified the other council members as requested by me on the SJJPA tentative decision to close the Antioch Amtrak station,” Johnson shared. “As previously stated, I notified Mayor Thorpe and City Attorney Thomas L. Smith during our weekly face-to-face meetings.”

“On March 17, 2023, the council unanimously voted to place me on administrative leave without either cause or justification. All city manager’s responsibilities were then transferred to the Community Development Director, Forrest Ebb,” the former city manager continued. “While on administrative leave, I was prohibited from making contact with the mayor, city council, city department directors and city staff. Mayor Thorpe, at no point or time, notified or informed me he was going to take over the responsibility of facilitating the previously scheduled presentation at the SJJPA Board meeting on March 24, 2023.”

“It is equally important that Mayor Thorpe was not authorized to give such a presentation because it was the sole responsibility of the city manager, since this matter was an administrative function,” Johnson added.

Only Ogorchock and Barbanica responded.

At Least Two Councilmembers Uninformed of Impending Station Closure Vote, Say They Found Out Through Rumor

Ogorchock responded, “I had no forewarning of the closure of the Amtrak station in Antioch.  I received an email just before the SJJPA’s meeting and happened to open it and saw that our station was on the agenda for closure.  I was in Mexico and logged into the Zoom meeting and listened to the portion of the meeting discussing our closure. Since I was not informed prior to this meeting I was not prepared to comment on this item.  Plus, being out of the country my network was not stable.”

“I had no idea any of this was happening. We were, at least I was, not aware of any presentation that Lamar was planning on giving,” she added.

When reached for comment, Barbanica said, “Con never told me. I’ve been trying to think back of how I learned of it. I know it was not from the city manager, at the time. He did not reveal the information to me. It wasn’t Lamar. If anything, it was mentioned in open session. I think it was an off the cuff comment. Con didn’t tell me about it, nor Lamar told me before I learned more about it through city gossip, not through city channels that it had occurred.”

“I don’t recall Lamar ever reaching out to me,” the District 3 councilman reiterated. “I do remember Lamar mentioning it in public. But that was after it was out to the public. I was never informed by the city or the mayor, anything formal this was occurring. As I recall, when I learned of it initially was through public rumor.”

More Questions for Hernandez-Thorpe Go Unanswered

Johnson’s emailed response was then sent to Hernandez-Thorpe with questions about. The mayor was asked if what the then-city manager said is correct that he immediately notified Hernandez-Thorpe after learning in Sept. 2022 from SJJPA’s Tamika Smith of the proposed closure of the Antioch Amtrak station. The mayor was also asked if what Johnson is also claiming correct that Hernandez-Thorpe directed him to not tell Barbanica and Ogorchock and if he referred to them as “racist Karens” as the reason given the city manager to keep the two council members uniformed.

The mayor was then asked if, as Johnson is claiming, he decided what information the city manager should forward to the other city council members about the Amtrak station closure and other matters, and if Hernandez-Thorpe had given Johnson and other department heads a ‘strict directive’ that all administrative matters had to go through and be approved by the mayor.

Informed that both council members said that he never informed them of the proposed Antioch Amtrak station closure and about the presentation he was preparing to make to the SJJPA Board of Directors, the mayor was asked why not and again, why he didn’t inform the public about it so they could attend the meeting either in person or online to speak against the closure.

But Hernandez-Thorpe did not respond.

Mayor Now Claims He Has Assurances from Board Chair & Member to Keep Station Open, Will Present Plan

As previously reported, last week, Hernandez-Thorpe posted an announcement on his campaign website that he had found a “Path Forward to Keep Antioch Amtrak Station Open” following a September 9th meeting with the chair and a member of the board. However, SJJPA spokesman David Lippari said the “discussion…does not alter the SJJPA board decision” last year to decommission the station.

In his announcement, the mayor wrote, “My office and city staff will develop a plan that I will present to the SJJPA on September 20, 2024, and to the City Council in early October.”

Lippari shared that a, “An information item regarding the Antioch Station has been agendized for the SJJPA board meeting on September 20, 2024.” That agenda item is number 5, listed as Information and entitled, “Antioch Station History and Update,” which will be provided by SJJPA Executive Director Mortensen.

At Least Two Councilmembers Not Informed of Proposed Plan to Keep Station Open

The other four council members were asked on Thursday, Sept. 19th if the mayor or Acting City Manager Reed had informed them of the proposed plan to keep the Amtrak station open. Only Ogorchock and Barbanica responded and both said, “No”.

SJJPA Board Meeting

The joint powers authority Board of Directors meeting will be held this Friday from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at the Contra Costa County Administration Building in the Board of Supervisors Chambers, 1025 Escobar Street in Martinez. The public will have the opportunity to speak. See the complete meeting agenda packet. To watch the meeting via Zoom, please see instructions, here: SJJPA September 20, 2024 Board Meeting – San Joaquin Joint Powers Authority.

Please check back later for any updates to this report.

Will present City’s plan to SJJPA Board of Directors during Friday morning meeting in Martinez

SJJPA staff says “discussion…does not alter the SJJPA board decision” to decommission station

By Allen D. Payton

As previously reported, last year, the Board of Directors of the San Joaquin Joint Powers Authority which oversees the operation of the Amtrak line that runs to and through Antioch voted to decommission the station. Last week, Antioch Mayor Lamar Hernandez-Thorpe posted an announcement on his campaign website that he had found a “Path Forward to Keep Antioch Amtrak Station Open” following a September 9th meeting with the chair and member of the board. However, SJJPA spokesman David Lippari said the “discussion…does not alter the SJJPA board decision” last year to decommission the station.

The announcement reads, “After a great meeting with the San Joaquin Joint Powers Authority (SJJPA) and the San Joaquin Regional Rail Commission (SJRRC), I’m happy to announce that the Authority and Commission have assured me that we are now on a path to keeping the Antioch Amtrak station open.

Although I am optimistic, we must continue to support keeping the station open. I want to thank SJJPA Chair Pat Hume and SJRRC Chair Nancy Young for visiting the Antioch station yesterday and meeting with city staff and me regarding this important matter. 

My office and city staff will develop a plan that I will present to the SJJPA on September 20, 2024, and to the City Council in early October.”

Questions for Mayor, Acting City Manager and SJJPA Staff

Questions were sent to both the mayor and Acting City Manager Kwame Reed about the meeting and for details of the proposed plan asking. They were asked which city staff members were in the meeting and what assurances were given by Directors Hume and Young.

Neither the mayor nor Reed responded prior to publication time.

SJJPA staff were also asked to verify what the mayor shared and for the details of the assurances provided by the board members.

SJJPA Says No Change to Station Closure Plans

In response, Lipari, the SJJPA’s Director of Passenger Experience and Communications, provided the following “statement related to ongoing discussions with the city of Antioch: The SJJPA and the City of Antioch had a recent discussion regarding the future of the Antioch Station. The discussion, which included some members of the SJJPA board leadership and executive team, does not alter the SJJPA board decision but was focused on topics of safety at and around the station. An information item regarding the Antioch Station has been agendized for the SJJPA board meeting on September 20, 2024.”

The agenda item is number 5, listed as Information and entitled, “Antioch Station History and Update”, which will be provided by SJJPA Executive Director Stacey Mortensen.

That information was provided to the mayor and Reed in a further effort asking them to provide what assurances they were given about keeping the station open during last week’s meeting.

The joint powers authority Board of Directors meeting will be held this Friday from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm at the Contra Costa County Administration Building in the Board of Supervisors Chambers, 1025 Escobar Street in Martinez. The public will have the opportunity to speak. See the complete meeting agenda packet. To watch the meeting via Zoom, please see instructions, here: SJJPA September 20, 2024 Board Meeting – San Joaquin Joint Powers Authority.

In July, the Antioch City Council voted to adopt a resolution and send a letter to the SJJPA Board opposing the station closure. Friday will be the first opportunity to hear from the board members following receipt of the Council’s letter and for them to hear from the public since their vote to decommission the station and to discuss the City’s proposal to keep it open.

Please check back later for any updates to this report.