Half-off passes on sale now through June 30th only.
Kids don’t want to be stuck at home for the summer, and parents don’t want to be stuck driving everywhere.
Give your kids their own set of wheels with a Summer Youth Bus Pass.
The Summer Youth Pass is the perfect way for youth riders to get around Contra Costa County during the summer. Passholders can take unlimited rides on Tri Delta Transit, West CAT, and County Connection local and express buses for an affordable and discounted price.
For only $30*, youth 6-18 can take unlimited bus rides from June 1 through Aug. 31, 2023 – one of the best summertime bargains for getting around Contra Costa County!
*Actual pass price $60. Advertised $30 price reflects a $30 supplement per pass provided by 511 Contra Costa. Passes receiving the 511 Contra Costa supplement are limited in quantity and available only while supplies last.
“A Vision for Water-Based Transportation and Emergency Response on the San Francisco Bay”
By Allen D. Payton
The Bay Area’s Water Emergency Transportation Authority (WETA) board adopted the 2050 Service Vision and Expansion Policy during its meeting on Thursday, May 9 and the plan includes a future, possible station for Antioch, as well as one each in Pittsburg, Martinez and Hercules. Also included is an additional route for the existing terminal in Richmond, which currently offers WETA’s only ferry service in Contra Costa County.
The plan includes two tiers, with the four additional Contra Costa terminals in Tier 2 which will be added based on demand and current, technological barriers to service. The Vision includes one route between the San Francisco Ferry Building to the Hercules terminal and a separate route to and from the Antioch, Pittsburg and Martinez terminals.
The Vision explains that first, “WETA will enhance existing route frequency to continue growing markets for all-day service.” Then, “WETA will expand by implementing the Tier 1 projects from the map including regional priority projects such as those included in regional plans – including Mission Bay and Treasure Island to the San Francisco Ferry Building, Berkeley to San Francisco, and Oakland to Redwood City.”
That will be followed by WETA exploring “development of Tier 2 projects from the map to further expand the reach of the ferry system as market demand matures and technologies evolve to overcome current barriers to operating service.”
In the plan, “WETA will provide at minimum three types of service on the ferry network: Local service consisting of short distance trips connecting dense urban hubs; Regional service consisting of medium and long-distance trips connecting activity centers; and Special Event service to major venues with existing terminals.”
In addition, “WETA will electrify the ferry system to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.”
According to their website, “Water transit is a vital part of life in the San Francisco Bay Area. WETA has been developing a shared vision of the San Francisco Bay Area ferry system in 2050, including the level of service and extent of WETA ferry operations and emergency response.
This ‘Service Vision’ informs how WETA operates in the future and what changes will need to be made to get there. The vision will serve as the foundation of WETA’s Business Plan, which will present the specific strategies and actions required to achieve the 2050 Service Vision. Strategies and goals are divided across six Focus Areas.
This service visioning effort is a unique opportunity to re-imagine water transit and address emerging priorities concerning the environment, equity, economic development, emergency response and quality of life throughout the Bay Area.”
According to the staff report for the agenda item #11, the plan was “developed to define a long-term service vision based on input from agency stakeholders, the public, and other parties with an interest in the future of the agency. The goal of this project is to create clear direction for the agency and its staff concerning future expansion efforts, prioritize the use of limited funds, identify resource needs, and help build a broad coalition to advocate for future investment in the regional ferry network. The WETA Board received a presentation on a draft Policy at its last meeting in April 2024. Following that meeting, staff incorporated comments from Directors into the final 2050 Service Vision and Expansion Policy—including more detailed information about emergency response and first/last mile connections.
During an initial stakeholder and public outreach effort in 2021, staff identified six focus areas
for consideration in the Business Plan. These include:
1. Regional Ferry Network
2. Emergency Response
3. Environmental Stewardship
4. Community Connections
5. Organizational Capacity
6. Financial Capacity
At Business Plan Workshop #1 held in August 2022, the Board identified a set of network expansion concepts for consideration in defining a 2050 Service Vision. Staff undertook a technical evaluation of these concepts and conducted broad stakeholder and public engagement to create a proposal to develop a draft 2050 Service Vision that was presented to the Board during Workshop #2 in April 2023.
Upon receiving direction from the Board to look more broadly at opportunities to expand the ferry network, staff worked with its consultant team to incorporate this feedback into an updated draft 2050 Service Vision and set of feasibility criteria for future expansion projects.
The draft service vision and feasibility criteria were refined upon review with key project stakeholders, the Community and Business Advisory Groups, and the WETA Business Plan Subcommittee. A consistent source of feedback during the outreach process was support for a WETA pilot program to test the feasibility of new technologies and emerging markets. The product of this process is the final 2050 Service Vision and Expansion Policy.”
The Vision also includes Terminal Rehabilitation & Replacement, improvements to Terminal Access, encouraging Transit-Supportive Land Uses in close proximity to eachcandidate ferry terminal, and Emergency Response. “WETA serves as the coordinator of water-based emergency response activities in the Bay Area in the event of a major disaster or disruptive event. In this capacity, WETA will work closely with the California Office of Emergency Services and/or the United States Coast Guard and will be directed to perform activities coordinated on a regional and state-wide basis. These include deploying WETA’s fleet resources to evacuate dangerous areas, to move first responders, and to deliver needed supplies. WETA will coordinate with other regional maritime partners to add to this fleet response, and terminal facilities must have sufficient capacity and facilities to accommodate these partner vessels. All new expansion terminals must be designed and built to Essential Facilities Standards. Emergency service to individual terminals will be guided based on state and regional direction.”
In addition to Thursday’s meeting, WETA held a public Board of Directors workshop on the 2050 Service Vision in April. The service vision evaluation memo and presentation slides are available, here:
On Tuesday, May 7, 2024, the Contra Costa Transportation Authority (CCTA), GoMentum Station and Bay Area LEEDS joined forces to host the ninth annual Redefining Mobility Summit. Transportation officials from regional, state and federal agencies gathered with private industry innovators, local youth and workforce development experts in San Ramon’s Bishop Ranch business park to share vital information aimed to advance mobility. Autonomous vehicles took center stage as Glydways, BEEP and May Mobility unveiled transit options of the future in the Demonstration Exhibit Zone.
“This year’s panel topics: fostering public trust for new innovations like autonomous vehicles, connecting communities through technology, building the workforce of the future, and solving the challenges of our transportation systems are the very touchstones CCTA embraces every day to improve the quality of lives for those who live and work in Contra Costa County,” said CCTA Vice Chair and Antioch Mayor Lamar Hernandez-Thorpe.
The summit included a youth showcase where high school aged students shared their STEM projects and the midday Demonstration Exhibit Zone, which was powered by smart, clean generators supplied by Richmond-based Moxion. All the day’s activities connected the dots between innovation and future benefits not just for transportation but for the region.
“Innovation in transportation leads to improved productivity, enhanced trade, infrastructure development, increased regional commerce and job creation—all of which contribute to economic growth,” Contra Costa Supervisor Candace Andersen said.
The laughs aren’t worth the risk. Put the phone down and just drive
By National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
Distracted driving has become a deadly epidemic on our roads. Cell phone use — specifically, texting, talking, and social media use — has become the most common distraction. Other risky actions include adjusting the radio or GPS, applying makeup, eating and drinking. By driving distracted, you’re robbing yourself of seconds that you may need to avoid a close call or deadly crash.
Drive Responsibly
In 2021, distracted driving killed 3,522 people. April, which is national Distracted Driving Awareness Month, is a good time to regroup and take responsibility for the choices we make when we’re on the road. Follow these safety tips for a safe ride:
Need to send a text? Pull over and park your car in a safe location.
Designate your passenger as your “designated texter” to respond to calls or messages.
Do not scroll through apps while driving. Struggling not to text and drive? Put the cell phone in the trunk, glove box, or back seat of the vehicle until you arrive at your destination.
The Consequences
During a portion of Distracted Driving Awareness Month, from April 4 through 8, you may see increased law enforcement on the roadways as part of the national paid media campaign Put the Phone Away or Pay. This campaign reminds drivers of the deadly dangers and the legal consequences – including fines – of texting behind the wheel.
Take Action
Remind your friends and family: If you’re in the driver’s seat, it’s the only thing you should be doing. No distractions.
If your driver is texting or otherwise distracted, tell them to stop and focus on the road.
Ask your friends to join you in pledging not to drive distracted. You could save a life. Share your pledge on social media to spread the word — #JustDrive.
Pedestrians and a bicyclist cross the recently completed Highway 4 Mokelumne Trail Overcrossing in Brentwood on March 20, 2024. Photos: CCTA
Transportation, city officials were joined by dozens of cyclists and pedestrians to cut the ribbon, make the inaugural walk over new $13 million bridge
BRENTWOOD, CA – Almost two years to the day of the groundbreaking, as of today, Wednesday, March 20, 2024, the Mokelumne Trail Bicycle and Pedestrian Overcrossing in Brentwood is officially open to the public.
Officials of the Contra Costa Transportation Authority (CCTA), City of Brentwood, State Route 4 Bypass Authority, Contra Costa County and Metropolitan Transportation Commission cut the ribbon to ceremonially open the recently completed bridge across Highway 4 between Lone Tree Way and Sand Creek Road.
Transportation and city officials, and former Brentwood Mayor Bob Taylor (in yellow) who first proposed the project, cut the ribbon for the opening of the Mokelumne Trail Overcrossing on March 30, 2024. Photo: CCTA
They were joined by dozens of eagerly awaiting bicyclists and pedestrians to make the inaugural bike and walk on the overcrossing. The bridge now provides safe access to bicyclists and pedestrians for commuting and recreational travel and as part of the Mokelumne Coast to Crest Trail which includes the Delta de Anza Regional Trail that runs through Antioch and Oakley.
The 850-foot bridge structure includes a wider trail-width of 16 feet to accommodate bicyclists and pedestrians using the trail or accessing a potential future transit station. The bridge also meets Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) standards to support use by all community members. The overcrossing will also provide access to the future Brentwood Transit Center and BART Station.
“The opening of the Mokelumne Pedestrian Overcrossing marks a significant milestone for alternative and innovative transportation in Contra Costa County,” said CCTA Board Chair Newell Arnerich. “The bridge was designed for the future in mind: access to future development in Brentwood as well as creating a wider pathway to someday accommodate many forms of environmentally friendly travel, including autonomous shuttle vehicles.”
Bicyclists, including advocate Bruce Ohlson (grey beard) and CCTA Executive Director Tim Haile (in blue vest) prepare to ride across the Mokelumne Trail Overcrossing following the ribbon cutting on Wed., March 20, 2024. Photo: CCTA
The overcrossing also provides a connection to the planned Innovation Center at Brentwood, a 200+ acre parcel that city officials have zoned for employer and development partners to create a workplace community.
“The City of Brentwood is proud to have partnered with CCTA on this important project, which brings greater connectivity for bicyclists and pedestrians in Eastern Contra Costa County,” said Mayor Joel Bryant. “The project complements the City’s emphasis on innovation, safety and being financially wise – no city funds were used to construct the overcrossing.”
The cost to design and build the bridge was approximately $13 million, with funding provided through Measure J taxpayer dollars, the State Route 4 Bypass Authority and Bay Area Toll Authority (BATA) bridge toll funds.
Mokelumne Trail Overcrossing partner agencies.
“Closing the gap between the Mokelumne Trail by constructing a bridge to span Highway 4 was a priority project for CCTA as the overcrossing allows safe access to cyclists and pedestrians for commuting and recreational travel,” said CCTA Executive Director Tim Haile who spoke while wearing a helmet as he said rode his bike to the event and rides his bike to work every day. “This project represents CCTA’s commitment to improving mobility and furthering safe and accessible transportation for all.”
The Contra Costa Transportation Authority (CCTA) is a public agency formed by Contra Costa voters in 1988 to manage the county’s transportation sales tax program and oversee countywide transportation planning efforts. With a staff of 23 people managing a multi-billion-dollar suite of projects and programs, CCTA is responsible for planning, funding, and delivering critical transportation infrastructure projects and programs that connect our communities, foster a strong economy, increase sustainability, and safely and efficiently get people where they need to go. CCTA also serves as the county’s designated Congestion Management Agency, responsible for putting programs in place to keep traffic levels manageable. More information about CCTA is available at ccta.net.
Matched with “non-binary” Fellow to run program to support new Crossroads to The Delta Project to revitalize the local economy, address commuter challenges, promote a sustainable business ecosystem
The City of Antioch announced on Wednesday, Feb. 21, 2024, it has been selected as a host site of the first cohort for the Economic Recovery Corps (ERC). The ERC is a new, collaborative initiative designed to accelerate recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic in distressed communities and regions throughout the U.S. by connecting organizations with the talent and capacity needed to advance new ways of doing economic development that promote economic resilience and transformative change. The ERC is working in partnership with the U.S. Department of Commerce’s U.S. Economic Development Administration and the International Economic Development Council.
The ERC Program has the potential to shift the practice of economic development nationwide in an unprecedented manner.
Utilizing strategic partnerships, innovative industry development and data-driven planning, the project addresses issues such as lengthy commutes, limited local job opportunities and underutilized city resources. The challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic include a disbanded public safety office, staff shortages, struggling small businesses, and an underused waterfront. The ERC Fellow will research, audit, manage, or develop up to six key initiatives, covering areas like district-based associations, OceanTech, advanced manufacturing, supplier diversification programs, and assessing small business grant impact. The project aims to contribute to Antioch’s economic recovery and sustainability, fostering a resilient and vibrant community.
About the Fellow
The City also introduced ERC Fellow Gaby Seltzer who was matched with the Antioch community. Seltzer will play a pivotal role in revitalizing the local economy, address commuter challenges, and promote a sustainable business ecosystem. Gaby will be living and working in our community for the next 2.5 years.
The ERC’s website provided background about Antioch’s fellow in the program.
“Gaby is passionate about building community wealth and power through sustainability initiatives. ‘Their’ professional background is in grassroots food systems work, including managing a social enterprise program that increased access to healthy foods at corner stores in Washington, DC’s food apartheid neighborhoods. Through this work, ‘they’ helped locally-anchored businesses build resilient partnerships with residents, governments, academic institutions, and industry groups.
Witnessing the power of local networks to foster sustainability and social justice led Gaby to Presidio Graduate School, where ‘they’ honed ‘their’ cross-sector organizing skills through an MBA and MPA in Sustainability. While pursuing these degrees ‘they’ consulted for several economic resilience organizations. ‘They’ also served as an Environmental Defense Fund Climate Corps Fellow twice: first designing a data portal to drive climate investments to frontline communities at the City of Seattle, and next building datasets and learning materials to drive climate adaptation programming at Pacific Gas & Electric Company.
In ‘their’ spare time, Gaby enjoys spending time outside and hosting gatherings.”
Asked if there is just one or more fellows, how Seltzer was matched with Antioch and in which city department the fellow will be working, Antioch Economic Development Manager Bret Sweet responded, “There was only one fellow, Gaby Seltzer. Gaby has asked us to use ‘they’, ‘them’ and ‘their’ in reference.”
“I applied for the program and went through a fairly intensive pitch process along with (Acting City Manager and Economic Development Director) Kwame (Reed),” he explained. “Once we were selected, we formed a panel of city and county employees to interview multiple candidates. As it worked out, we scored the highest and Gaby ranked Antioch the highest, so we were matched. There are 65 fellows in the program and only two were sent to California. As I learned at the kick-off last week in Portland, apparently ‘more than half the candidates asked to work on the Antioch project’.”
“Gaby works in the Economic Development Department here and will also work a bit with the Economic Development Department at the county,” Sweet added.
About the Project
Asked about the name of the project, Sweet shared, “Crossroads to the Delta project is the name we designed for the six initiatives we asked applicants to work on. Here is the project as it appeared to applicants: Crossroads To The Delta
“It was the name of the project for the ERC. It is not something established by the council,” he continued. “It was named crossroads to highlight Antioch’s positioning between San Francisco, Palo Alto, Stockton and Sacramento.”
“Gaby and I worked all last week at the kick-off in Portland to update the project goals based on feasibility, bandwidth and resources. We will probably have the page updated by next month,” Sweet said.
Learn more about the ERC program and the various projects across the US and stay up to date on the ERC’s happenings by signing up for updates at www.iedconline.org/ERC_Updates.
Tri Delta Transit will be running weekend/holiday service on Monday, February 19th, in observance of the Presidents’ Day holiday. Tri MyRide and paratransit services will be limited. Administrative offices will be closed. Have a safe holiday weekend.
Contra Costa Health (CCH) announced today that it has received a $202,692 grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) to support its Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety Program. This grant will allow CCH to promote safe practices for pedestrians and bicyclists and provide education about the importance of sharing the road.
Local data show an increase of nearly 30% in fatal crashes involving pedestrians over the past 10 years in Contra Costa County, and that pedestrians and bicyclists are 2.4 times more likely to be seriously injured or killed in a traffic crash compared to drivers. The OTS grant funds multiple efforts to improve safety for pedestrians and bicyclists.
“Everyone deserves a safe environment to travel, regardless of how people get to places,” OTS Director Barbara Rooney said. “The safety of people walking and biking on our roads is a high priority. Education plays a pivotal role in creating a strong road safety culture that prioritizes traffic safety, especially for our most vulnerable road users.”
Grant funds will support a variety of activities focused on bicycle and pedestrian safety:
Support for local jurisdictions to include public health in road safety plans and address the community conditions that create unsafe environments for non-motorized road users.
Local bicycle and pedestrian safety campaigns.
Community bicycle and walk “audits” of streets with high rates of pedestrian or bicyclist fatalities and serious injury crashes.
Bicycle training courses that teach youth on how to stay safe on the road.
Community events that promote bicyclist and pedestrian visibility and the importance of sharing the road, slowing down, and staying alert to bicyclists and pedestrians while driving.
Area Goals for the OTS program include:
Reduce the total number of pedestrians killed.
Reduce the total number of pedestrians injured.
Reduce the number of pedestrians killed under the age of 15.
Reduce the number of pedestrians injured under the age of 15.
Reduce the number of pedestrians killed over the age of 65.
Reduce the number of pedestrians injured over the age of 65.
Reduce the total number of bicyclists killed in traffic related crashes.
Reduce the total number of bicyclists injured in traffic related crashes.
Reduce the number of bicyclists killed in traffic related crashes under the age of 15.
Reduce the number of bicyclists injured in traffic related crashes under the age of 15.
Increase bicycle helmet compliance for children aged 5 to 18.
The grant program will run through September 2024.
