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Oakland Airport Connector Pre-Submittal Conferences May 27 & June 5, 2009
The San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District (BART) has held two pre-submittal and outreach meetings for the Oakland Airport Connector (OAC) Design-Build and O&M contracts. The first meeting was held on Wednesday, May 27, 2009 from 2 to 4 p.m. at the Joseph
To download a PDF version of the presentation given at the May 27th meeting, click here. For a copy of the June 5th meeting presentation click here. Click here to download the sign in sheets from the May 27th meeting. Click here to view the sign in sheets from the June 5th meeting.
For more infomration regading the contract, please visit our procurement website.
BART Advertises Oakland Airport Connector RFQ
The San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District has advertised a Request for Qualifications/Proposal for Oakland International Airport Connector Project Design-Build/Operate & Maintain (DBOM). Click here to visit our Procurement site for additional information.
BART Gathers Industry Input on Re-launch of Oakland Airport Connector as DB+OM -- UPDATED
The San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District (BART) held an industry forum on April 21, 2009, to provide an update on the re-launch of the Oakland Airport Connector (OAC) project procurement and to seek market feedback. More information on the re-launch of the OAC project is also available here.
Download the revised sign-in sheet from the April 21 meeting.
Click here to download a PDF of the Industry Forum Presentation or click here to view the podcast.
About the Project
Recently, the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) allocated $70 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funds to the OAC project, as well as an additional $70 million in discretionary funds from Regional Measure 2 (RM2) and State and Local Partnership funds in an attempt to accelerate the project’s completion. Receiving the ARRA funds entails meeting very aggressive schedule deadlines set by MTC. The project must be out to bid by June 2009 and awarded prior to the end of 2009, or the ARRA funds will be reallocated. As a consequence, BART is planning a procurement approach that will fast-track award of the Project. The anticipated project schedule is as follows:
- Issue RFP/RFQ May 2009
- Proposals Due Sept 2009
- Contract Award Nov 2009
- NTP Jan 2010
In addition to the ARRA and MTC funding, the new procurement differs from the prior in several significant ways:
- BART is considering adapting several key performance specifications that will still allow for meeting the capacity goals, but will permit a broader range of technology solutions in order to increase competition.
- The contract will not include a responsibility to provide project financing.
- BART anticipates concurrently letting Design-Build and long-term Operate-Maintain contracts where an integrated team comprised of design, construction and systems technology firms will be responsible for all design, construction, integration and start up, followed by operations and maintenance during revenue service for a term of 20 years or more.
- BART anticipates a capital budget (excluding previous expenditures and BART in-house costs) of approximately $415 million.
For additional details click here.
Program Purpose and Benefits
Since the early 1970s the concept of an improved transit link between the Oakland International Airport (OAK) and the BART system has been explored, and various feasibility, engineering and environmental studies have been undertaken. The need for the OAC Project is based on recognition of existing transportation constraints in the Bay Area, increased growth at OAK, anticipated future public and private development, and related congestion along roadways that serve the area. Improvements to the existing transit service to OAK would encourage motorists to ride transit to OAK, thereby providing some relief to the congested traffic conditions in the area. Because of foreseeable growth in airport use, as well as local and regional roadway congestion, the demand for transit alternatives is expected to rise, particularly for a reliable alternative that air passengers can depend on to meet their scheduled flights.
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Oakland Airport rendering.
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Transit services to OAK, which include AirBART, Alameda-Contra Costa Transit District buses (AC Transit), taxis and airport shuttles, provide various levels of service. The unpredictability of traffic congestion, the potential for stalls and the extra crowds during Oakland Coliseum events raise concerns for air passengers seeking to use these street-based methods to access OAK. Travel times for AirBART between the Coliseum BART Station and OAK are highly variable, as are the wait times for AirBART at the station and at the airport. Purchasing tickets at the Coliseum BART Station and OAK can be confusing and inconvenient for passengers, resulting in additional lost time and frustration for travelers.
On March 28, 2002, the BART Board of Directors approved the long-awaited BART link to the Oakland International Airport via elevated Automated Guideway Transit (AGT) system connecting from the Coliseum Station to a new station at the airport. The 3.2-mile connector would provide a transit alternative to driving individual automobiles and the overall airport traffic situation would benefit from reducing the number of cars on the road.
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BART Coliseum Station rendering.
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Projected Growth at OAK
Oakland International Airport 's (OAK) strong historical growth has been fueled by its culture of catering to low-cost airlines and its central location, making it the most convenient airport to the Bay Area's growing commerce centers and to 48 percent of where Bay Area residents live. OAK is planning and building for the future. The airport's two terminals were originally designed to serve about seven to eight million passengers annually but are serving nearly double that number. OAK served 14.6 million passengers and 740,000 tons of air cargo in 2007.
OAK recently completed a $350 million Terminal Improvement Program, the largest aviation project in its 78-year history. Begun in April 2004, the program is comprised of the Terminal 2 improvement project using "green building" technology that includes a new concourse with five additional boarding gates and waiting areas; expanded ticketing, security and baggage claim facilities; new utilities; and the Terminal Roadway and Curbside project that has improved terminal access and eased congestion into and around the airport and terminals.
The Port of Oakland, owner/operator of OAK, prepared a 20-year Master Plan in cooperation with airport, government and community stakeholders. This process identified land use options for airport facilities, including: passenger terminal, cargo, and airport services, airfield and aircraft apron, and public access using expanded roadways and ground transportation alternatives, such as BART's proposed Oakland Airport Connector.
Preliminary System Operations Parameters
The express bus service operating between the Coliseum BART Station and OAK carried approximately 85,000 riders per month in 2008, with trip times varying from 12 to over 30 minutes. Since the inception of service in 1986 the ridership has grown from 126,500 yearly passengers to 1 million passengers in 2008 and equals approximately 9% of those using the Airport. The Airport Connector Project is expected to enhance schedule reliability over AirBART, reduce trip times and provide a seamless connection with the BART system. With a travel time of less than 15 minutes between the Coliseum BART station and the airport, and vehicles departing every 3 - 4 minutes, the OAC is expected to carry as many as 10,000 daily passengers by 2020.
To view the Final BART - Oakland Airport Connector Ridership Report click here (366k PDF).
System Objectives
Specifically, the OAC Project has the following objectives:
- Provide reliable scheduled service between BART and OIA.
- Provide flexibility to increase transit vehicle frequencies during periods of increased travel demand.
- Offer a competitive alternative over those who drive to OAK by providing predictable connections and travel timesavings.
- Provide a convenient, safe and comfortable connection between BART and OAK.
- Maximize BART ridership
Project Concept
An Automated Guideway Transit (AGT) system was determined to be the preferred alternative for the OAC Project. The AGT concept includes an array of transit technologies, the common elements being that they operate within their own guide ways, would have stations physically integrated with the Coliseum BART Station and the airport terminal, and do not require a vehicle operator. Minimum performance specifications have been established for all proposed technologies that will have to be satisfied by prospective suppliers. Such specifications include minimum operating speeds and carrying capacities necessary to serve the ridership forecasts. Selection of the technology will be part of the design-build procurement process.
From the Coliseum Station to Doolittle Drive the proposed route would proceed largely in the median of Hegenberger Road. South of Doolittle Drive on Oakland International Airport property, the alignment would run between Airport Drive to the west and the Lew F. Galbraith Municipal Golf Course to the east. Past the golf course, the AGT alignment would proceed southwest to its terminus at the new airport terminal. The AGT vehicles would operate primarily in an elevated guideway, thus providing the AGT with its own exclusive right-of-way separate from other vehicular traffic along its route.
The AGT system would include two end terminal stations: one at the Coliseum BART Station and one at the proposed airport terminal. The AGT system will allow for future construction of one intermediate stop near the intersection of Doolittle Drive/Hegenberger Road. The City of Oakland suggested this location as a site that would support the City's efforts to revitalize the Hegenberger Road Corridor.
Partners & Funding
The total project budget for the BART Oakland Airport Connector Project is approximately $500 million in 2009 dollars. The entire project has been a collaborative partnership between BART, the Federal Transit Administration, the Alameda County Transportation Improvement Authority (ACTIA), the Alameda County Congestion Management Agency (ACCMA), the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC), California Department of Transportation (Caltrans), the City of Oakland and the Port of Oakland. The funding plan for the project is as follows:
SOURCE OF FUNDS (Millions)
- $89M from Alameda County Transportation Improvement Agency (ACTIA) sales tax
- $44M from Port of Oakland
- $21M from State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP)
- $31M from Regional Measure 1 (1988 Bridge Toll)
- $78M from Regional Measure 2 (2004 Bridge Toll)
- $20M from MTC SLLP – Resolution 3434
- $50M from Seismic Under runs (reallocated Regional Measure 2)
- $70M from American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA)
- $25M from Federal Transit Administration – Public Private Partnership Pilot Program
Total Committed Public Funding: Approximately $430M
The ARRA funds come with very aggressive schedule deadlines mandated by MTC. The Project must be out to bid by June 2009 and awarded before the end of 2009. If the schedule is not rigorously met, MTC will redistribute the ARRA funds to other projects within the region. Funding necessary to close the remaining gap will be sought by BART through public, private or Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (TIFIA) financing.
BART must rapidly decide how best to bid the Connector Project. The choice will most likely be a fully funded design, build operate maintain (DBOM), or a partially privately funded design-build, finance and operate (DBFO) contract. The decision hinges on which will most likely succeed within the deadlines, while being financially viable given the public funding and ridership/revenue constraints.
Project Schedule
March 2002: BART Board Project Adoption
May 20, 2009: RFP Released
December 2009: Award Contract
Revenue Operation: Mid-2013
Learn more about the Oakland Airport Connector Project:
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Last Updated: July 1, 2009
