Published Thursday, November 15, 2001, in the Contra Costa Times

East County leaders quickly shift focus to rail service

By Sarah Rohrs
Staff Writer

ANTIOCH -- East County won't get a BART extension, but some form of
rail service could be pulling into the station. City officials
Tuesday pledged to beat the drums of support for a $400 million
transit funding package to pay for that service.

Just hours after the BART board agreed 7-2 to a 16.5-mile rail
extension in Santa Clara County, East County BART director Joel
Keller told the Antioch City Council he's hopeful about rail
opportunities here.

The Metropolitan Transportation Commission on Dec. 19 will consider
approval of a new regional transportation plan, or RTP, to map state
and federal transit dollars for the next 25 years. Keller said the
new plan represents the best chance of getting a $400 million East
County rail package, including $50 million for a Bay Point BART
station parking garage.

The fight to bring BART to Antioch's Hillcrest Avenue is not
over. "You will never hear the words out of my mouth that we won't be
fighting for BART to Antioch, but in this fiscally constrained
environment, you have to do what you can," Keller said. He said he
voted in favor of the Santa Clara County rail line extension
because "it's good for BART and it's good for residents of the three
Bay Area counties that (pay into) BART."

The new Bay Point parking garage will help commuters who otherwise
would be stuck on Highway 4, Keller said. However, Councilman Arne
Simonsen said that once BART puts in a garage, rail extensions won't
get built. "That parking garage will say 'BART's not going any
further,'" he said.

It's now or never for any rail service in East County, Councilman Jim
Conley said. "If we don't get it this time we never will," he
contended.

Keller said he's talked to Assemblyman Joe Canciamilla, D-Pittsburg;
state Sen. Tom Torlakson, D-Antioch, and Rep. Ellen Tauscher, D-Alamo
about the issue. Keller said those officials agreed to help lobby the
MTC and also look for federal rail money. Part of their campaigns
were promises to secure better BART service here.

Torlakson campaigned strongly on the need for BART to install more
rail lines before providing service to Santa Clara County, which does
not pay BART taxes.

Mayor Don Freitas said he also has talked with state representatives.

Freitas said that while many East County residents are disappointed
by the BART board decision, he stressed, "It's important not to
wallow in emotion and anger. It's time for us to be strategic, smart
and even cunning." He added that at least East County is not
subsidizing the new Santa Clara line.

Studies are now in the works to define the kind of rail service East
County should have. Keller said it may take 10 years before anything
is built.

One rail service that will likely move forward is eBART, a diesel-
powered passenger rail line on Union Pacific Mococo freight tracks
between Concord and Brentwood, and possibly farther east to Tracy.
The eBART proposal would put commuter trains on existing railroad
tracks instead of building a whole new line. Some cost estimates for
eBART range up to $228 million. Those costs, however, do not include
buying up right-of-way.

While many residents here have complained that they've paid long and
hard into the BART system but gotten nothing in return, Keller said
the system benefits everyone in the region. "There is no magical pot
of money that's been collected to do these extensions," he said.

Keller said $205 million in state and federal transit money already
has been committed to East County rail service. But there is a $139
million shortfall, which probably would be filled through an
extension of the Measure C sales tax. Officials believe that the MTC
must be persuaded to put in an additional $50 million for the Bay
Point parking garage plus approve the entire $400 package, despite
the shortfall.

Sarah Rohrs covers Antioch and traffic issues. She can be reached at
925-779-7169 or srohrs@cctimes.com