On Monday, Congressman Mark DeSaulnier (CA-11) issued the following statement on the agreement between Bart and the transit unions:

“I am grateful a tentative agreement has been reached between Bart and the transit unions. If approved, there will be no interruptions in services for  Bay Area commuters. I look forward to reviewing full details of the 5-year deal with an eye towards the long-term financial stability and sustainability of Bart. On the federal level, I will continue to advocate for meaningful performance standards for transit agencies to ensure the public is getting its value.”

Orinda City Councilmember Amy Rein Worth, who serves on the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) as the representative of the cities of Contra Costa County, on Monday issued this statement following the announcement of a tentative agreement between BART management and labor leaders:

“This morning BART announced a tentative agreement with its labor unions to extend BART labor contracts until 2021.I am pleased to support this financially prudent agreement that provides security to BART workers and service reliability to the BART riding public.

BART is a critical part of the East Bay economy and is relied upon by hundreds of thousands of East Bay commuters.I am hopeful that this agreement portends a future without service disruptions not just for the next five years, but sets a tone for the future beyond as well.

The critical role of BART service goes far beyond those who depend on it for a ride each day, as we have learned; the East Bay highway and transit network is not able to replace BART during a strike or a service disruption, which is why this agreement is so important.

BART, its workers and the public now can focus on the important shared task of rebuilding the system as its major priority.

I am grateful to state Senator Steve Glazer and the other local elected leaders in the East Bay who urged both BART’s management and labor to keep faith with the riding public by negotiating a new labor contract that recognizes the fiscal needs of the system and ensures that trains will keep running on schedule throughout the system.”

However, State Senator Steve Glazer, a critic of BART spending and strikes by BART employees issued the following statement on the tentative agreement:

“I have just been given an outline of the proposed 2017-21 labor agreement. I look forward to reviewing the details of the agreement and its implications to commuters and taxpayers,” he stated. “I will be consulting today with the 40 elected officials who co-signed my letter urging that BART rebuild its public trust with concrete, fiscally responsible actions before the November elections when BART is expected to ask voters for a multi-billion dollar bond.”

Construction of the Sunset Drive extension at Bryan Street.

By Allen Payton

If you drive Sunset Drive or Bryan Avenue to A Street, to turn southbound to access Highway 4 or if you drive A Street southbound and turn left on Bryan Avenue to get to the Jack-in-the-Box restaurant, as of April 11, you won’t be able to any longer.

According to Antioch’s Public Works Director/City Engineer Ron Bernal, that construction you’ve seen going on for months, where Sunset Drive terminates at Bryan Avenue, is the extension of Sunset Drive. It will curve and stop at A Street, where a new stop light has recently been installed.

So, beginning Monday, April 11, in order to turn southbound onto A Street, you’ll have to drive to the light at Sunset Drive and A Street. In addition, in order to access Jack-in-the-Box from A Street, you’ll have to turn left on Sunset Drive, proceed south to Bryan Avenue and turn left.

You will still be able to turn right onto northbound A Street from Bryan Avenue and turn right onto Bryan Avenue from northbound A Street.

The changes will make it easier and more safe to turn onto and off of A Street onto Bryan Avenue.

To view the location on Google maps, click here.

HIGHWAY LANE CLOSURES:

State Route 4:

There will be highway lane closures in the eastbound direction of State Route 4 between A St. and Hillcrest on Saturday from 12:00 am to 7:00 am.

There will be highway lane closures in the westbound direction of State Route 4 between Railroad Avenue and Contra Loma on Monday through Friday from 11:00 am to 7:00 pm.

There will be highway lane closures in the eastbound direction of State Route 4 between Bailey Road and Contra Loma on Monday through Friday from 4:30 am to 12:00 pm.

RAMP CLOSURES:

There will be a ramp closure at the Hillcrest Ave. westbound on ramp and off ramp Saturday from 12:00 am to 5:00 am.

LOCAL STREET CLOSURES:

There will be a permanent left hand turn closure from westbound Bryan Ave. to southbound A St. on April 11, 2016.

For questions or comments please send e-mail to info@4eastcounty.org.

Actual Routes May Change – Please Follow Posted Detour Signs

HIGHWAY LANE CLOSURES:

State Route 4:

There will be highway lane closures in the westbound direction of State Route 4 between Railroad Avenue and Contra Loma on Monday through Friday from 11:00 am to 7:00 pm.

There will be highway lane closures in the westbound direction of State Route 4 between State Route 160 and Hillcrest Ave. on Monday through Thursday from 10:00 pm to 3:00 am and Friday from 11:00 pm to 6:00 am.

There will be highway lane closures in the westbound direction of State Route 4 between Hillcrest Ave. and G St. on Monday through Thursday from 7:00 pm to 5:00 am and Friday from 8:00 pm to 9:00 am.

There will be highway lane closures in the eastbound direction of State Route 4 between Bailey Road and Contra Loma on Monday through Friday from 4:30 am to 12:00 pm.

There will be highway lane closures in the eastbound direction of State Route 4 between A St. and Hillcrest on Monday through Thursday from 11:00 pm to 6:00 am.

RAMP CLOSURES:

There will be a ramp closure at the Hillcrest Ave. westbound on ramp and off ramp Monday through Wednesday from 11:00 pm to 3:00 am.

There will be a ramp closure at the A St. / Lone Tree Way westbound off ramp on Friday from 8:00 pm to 9:00 am.

There will be a ramp closure at the A St. / Lone Tree Way eastbound on ramp Wednesday through Thursday from 7:00 pm to 6:00 am and Friday from 8:00 pm to 8:00 am.

Walnut Creek, CA – BART is in a financial crisis with capital needs estimated at $9.6 billion, yet it gave out $1,000 bonuses to the transit system’s 3,357 employees, as reported in today’s San Francisco Chronicle’s “Matier and Ross” column.

The 2013 employee contract tied the bonuses to ridership numbers. It is likely that additional $1,000 bonuses will be given again on July 1, 2016.

“This is an outrageous giveaway of taxpayer money by a transit system that is billions of dollars in capital debt,” said State Senator Steve Glazer (D – 7^th District). “This secret bonus is on top of the 15.4% raises that BART gave to all workers and managers in its last contract.”

“Moreover, these bonuses aren’t tied to any performance metrics – which is probably obvious to all riders, given the packed and dirty trains, maintenance breakdowns and constant delays,” he continued. “And, they came from an agency that claims it has no money for new trains, track upgrades and technology improvements.

“BART continues to pay out millions of dollars in pay and benefits from one pocket, while claiming that it has no money for system improvements in the other pocket,” Glazer added.

Sen. Glazer, Assemblywoman Catharine Baker, and 38 local Supervisors, Mayors, and Council members recently wrote a letter to the BART Board of Directors and employee unions raising strong concerns about a potential multi-billion dollar bond that the Board is considering for the November 2016 ballot. The letter noted that convincing two-thirds of Bay Area voters is already an uphill fight, but the 2013 strike by BART unions, drawn-out contract negotiations, and wage concessions for workers and management also seriously damaged voters’ trust in BART.

To regain that trust and the voters’ support of new taxes, Sen. Glazer and the other signers implored the BART Board and employee unions to negotiate – before the 2016 elections – a new contract that will take into account the dire fiscal needs of the system and ensure that trains keep running on schedule. The new contract would come into effect after the existing contract sunsets in 2017.

The 7th State Senate District includes Antioch and most of Contra Costa County.

There will be highway lane closures in the westbound direction of State Route 4 between Railroad Avenue and Contra Loma on Monday through Friday from 11:00 am to 7:00 pm.

There will be highway lane closures in the westbound direction of State Route 4 between State Route 160 and Hillcrest Ave. on Wednesday and Thursday from 10:00 pm to 4:00 am and Friday from 11:00 pm to 6:00 am.

There will be highway lane closures in the eastbound direction of State Route 4 between Bailey Road and Contra Loma on Monday through Friday from 4:30 am to 12:00 pm.

For questions or comments please send e-mail to info@4eastcounty.org.

HIGHWAY LANE CLOSURES:

State Route 4:

There will be highway lane closures in the westbound direction of State Route 4 between Railroad Avenue and Contra Loma on Monday through Friday from 11:00 am to 7:00 pm.

There will be highway lane closures in the westbound direction of State Route 4 between Hillcrest Ave. and A St. on Monday through Friday from 11:00 pm to 4:00 am.

There will be highway lane closures in the westbound direction of State Route 4 between State Route 160 and Hillcrest Ave. on Tuesday through Friday from 10:00 pm to 3:00 am.

There will be highway lane closures in the eastbound direction of State Route 4 between Bailey Road and Contra Loma on Monday through Friday from 4:30 am to 12:00 pm.

There will be highway lane closures in the eastbound direction of State Route 4 between Contra Loma and A Street/Lone Tree Way on Tuesday through Friday from 11:00 pm to 6:00 am.

There will be highway lane closures in the eastbound direction of State Route 4 between A Street/Lone Tree Way and Hillcrest Ave. Thursday through Friday from 11:00 pm to 5:00 am.

RAMP CLOSURES:

There will be a ramp closure at the Hillcrest Ave. eastbound off ramp Thursday through Friday from 11:00 pm to 3:00 am.

There will be a ramp closure at the A Street/Lone Tree Way eastbound off ramp Tuesday through Thursday from 11:00 pm to 5:00 am

For questions or comments please send e-mail to info@4eastcounty.org.

Officials celebrate after cutting the ribbon on the new Highway 4/160 northbound ramp on Monday, Feb. 29, 2016. photo by Allen Payton

Officials highlight improved regional mobility, waterfront access and congestion relief with Ribbon Cutting Ceremony, Monday

Antioch/Oakley, CA—The Contra Costa Transportation Authority (CCTA) and the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC)/Bay Area Toll Authority (BATA), joined by state, regional, and local officials, marked the completion of work on the much-needed $50 million connection between State Route 160, the Senator John A. Nejedly Bridge (Antioch Bridge), and Highway 4 with a brief ribbon cutting ceremony Monday morning, February 29th.

“It will reduce greenhouse gases and congestion on local roads,” said CCTA Executive Director Randell Iwasaki.

The new ramps – one connecting westbound Highway 4 to northbound State Route 160, and one connecting southbound State Route 160 to eastbound Highway 4 – opened Monday afternoon and eliminate the U-turn that was previously required at Hillcrest Avenue, reduce through traffic and congestion on Oakley’s city streets, and improve access for Eastern Contra Costa County.

The new Highway 4/160 interchange ramps opened on Monday, Feb. 29 following a ribbon cutting ceremony. photo courtesy of CCTA

The completed State Route 160/Highway 4 Direct Connector Ramps add an additional 12-foot auxiliary lane to State Route 160 in both directions between the State Route 160/Highway 4 Interchange and the East 18th/Main Street Interchange. The new structure crosses the median of Highway 4 at a height that can accommodate a future BART extension.

“This makes the northern waterfront more viable for economic growth,” said Assemblyman Jim Frazier, who was part of the CCTA Board and an Oakley Councilman when the funding for the project was approved.

The project features sound wall extensions and new retaining walls in addition to the 2.62 new lane miles under construction, and was funded entirely by $50 million in Bay Area Toll Authority (BATA) Bridge Toll Funds.

“MTC/BATA is proud to support these important improvements, which enhance safety and mobility for the residents and motorists of Eastern Contra Costa County,” said Federal Glover, MTC/BATA Commissioner and Contra Costa County Supervisor.

The addition of the interchange connectors is part of a massive $1.3 billion undertaking by CCTA and project partners to widen the Highway 4 corridor between Pittsburg and Antioch in eastern Contra Costa County and extend BART to Antioch.

“This latest segment of the Highway 4 improvement projects is furthering our efforts to improve regional mobility, revitalize the local economy, and improve the quality of life for 250,000 residents in East County,” Iwasaki added. “These projects are possible in large part due to the passage of a local half-cent sales tax by Contra Costa voters in 2004.”

Randell Iwasaki, Executive Director of the CCTA signs a ceremonial check for the project’s leftover funds totaling $1 million, as Steve Heminger, Executive Director of the Metropolitan Transportation Commission and Bijan Sartipi, Region IV Director for CalTrans look on. photo by Allen Payton

The Highway 4 projects include improvements that will help modernize eastern Contra Costa County. The projects expand Highway 4 from four to eight lanes between Loveridge Road in Pittsburg to just west of State Route 160 in Antioch, from two to four lanes from Lone Tree Way to Sand Creek Road in Brentwood, add missing connector ramps at the State Route 160/Highway 4 interchange, and add a BART extension from Pittsburg to Antioch. This will greatly improve transit accessibility for the region, help reduce traffic congestion, and enhance the quality of life for the more than 250,000 residents of eastern Contra Costa County. The projects have been carefully staged to keep 130,000 vehicles per day moving as major construction and demolition work continue. These projects, plus previously constructed projects in the region, bring the total investment in East County to $1.3 billion, including State, Federal, Contra Costa Transportation Authority Measures C and J, regional bridge tolls, and other funds.

For additional information about Highway 4 Corridor Improvements/BART, please visit www.4eastcounty.org