BART - Oakland Airport Connector News

2012 News

Oakland Airport Connector Art Program

In keeping with the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) guidelines to incorporate art into mass transit projects, BART will procure art for the Oakland Airport Connector (OAC) project's new Oakland Coliseum Connector and Oakland International Airport stations. Among the goals of the BART art program are to provide a strong visual identity for each station and to attract new riders by creating a more personalized and welcoming station.

Schedule

July 2011 – Formal call for qualifications announced the RFQ

August 31, 2011 – RFQ submittal deadline

September 2011 – Pool of potential artists selected and invited to participate in a community meeting to gather additional ideas and input regarding the final artwork product

January 19, 2012 – Community meeting held

View the community meeting invitation.

Questions

Questions and Answers for Artists interested in the OAC Art Program

For more information about the BART RFQ, please view our posting at www.callforentry.org (Café), or email questions to arts@bartoac.com.

Back to Top of Page

2011 News

Fourth of July Weekend Motorist Information Advisory

June 30, 2011

BART and the Oakland International Airport (OAK) want to let travellers know that there will be no delays this weekend on Hegenberger Road due to construction preparation work for the Oakland Airport Connector project.

Equipment is being staged, but work will not begin until after the holiday.

Among the current series of activities travellers may notice near the airport are:

A large crane near the roadway,
Lane re-striping,
K-rail (concrete barrier) installation,
Construction vehicles entering and exiting the road.

This work is not expected to delay vehicle travel to and from OAK, during the Fourth of July holiday weekend.

Following the holiday, travellers will see a substantial increase in construction work along the Hegenberger Road corridor. BART, in conjunction with OAK, will deliver project updates, including traffic advisories, to the public as information becomes available. Go to the Construction Updates Page for more information.

Our goal during this project is to keep access to and from OAK “as easy as ever.” Thank you for your patience and cooperation.

Back to Top of Page

Federal Transit Administration Awards $25 Million Grant for Construction of the Oakland Airport Connector

February 28, 2011

BART has received a grant of approximately $25 million from the Federal Transit Administration's (FTA) New Starts Funds for construction of the Oakland Airport Connector (OAC) project. Award of the FTA grant had been delayed since early 2010 while BART worked to correct deficiencies in requirements specified by Title VI of the Civil Rights Act. In order to fulfill the requirements, BART, in close collaboration with the FTA, developed and implemented the Title VI Corrective Action Plan. In January 2011 the FTA concluded that all work related to BART's Title VI Corrective Action Plan had been successfully completed. The New Starts Funds allow the OAC project to move forward with major construction activities for this much anticipated project. Major construction is expected to begin in summer 2011.

Back to Top of Page

2010 News

BART General Manager Awards Construction Contracts for Oakland Airport Connector

September 23, 2010

BART has awarded two contracts for the long-anticipated Oakland Airport Connector (OAC). The awards follow a September 16, 2010 decision by the BART Board of Directors to reaffirm contract authorization for the project. View more information about the Board of Directors vote.

The contracts allow a joint-venture of Flatiron/Parsons to move forward with final design and construction of the OAC and Doppelmayr Cable Car Company’s operation and maintenance of the completed system for a period of twenty years. Design and preliminary construction activities are set to begin by late 2010 with service anticipated in 2014. Upon completion of the OAC, travelers will enjoy a swift, convenient, and reliable connection between BART and Oakland International Airport.

Back to Top of Page

BART Continues to Move Forward With Oakland Airport Connector Project

July 22, 2010

The BART Board of Directors has approved a new funding package (Oakland Airport Connector Executive Decision documents and presentation) for the Oakland Airport Connector (OAC) project by a vote of 8 to 1. The decision re-authorizes the General Manager to enter into two contracts—one to design and build the OAC and the other to operate it. These are the same firms the Board awarded the work to in December 2009.

BART staff has issued a report called the Oakland Airport Connector Public Participation Summary along with an appendix. The report contains the results of the outreach the agency did in June as part of its work to gather input from low-income, minority and limited English speaking communities as part of the 1964 Civil Rights Act. BART held five community meetings to provide updated information about the status of the OAC project to East Oakland residents and Port of Oakland and Oakland International Airport employees. The meetings also provided an opportunity for community members to express any questions or concerns they had about the project. The report describes the meetings, reports the comments and questions received, and summarizes community opinion expressed during the meetings. A short survey was also distributed to meeting participants. The full report and its appendix is available.

In February 2010 the Federal Transportation Administration withdrew $70 million in federal stimulus funds from the project, citing Title VI of the Civil Rights Act. The withdrawal of funds postponed award of the contracts that were intended to take place at the end of 2009. BART is working vigorously to comply with Title VI to determine how the project and major service changes may affect low-income, limited English speaking and minority riders. An FTA-approved Title VI Corrective Action Plan is currently being implemented. As part of the plan, a Fare and Service Equity Analysis was created, accompanied by an explanatory note. In conjunction with this, a series of public meetings solicited input from local communities on how BART can best serve its customers. To date, BART has held more than 40 meetings around the San Francisco Bay Area and within the vicinity of the proposed OAC alignment to inform the public and obtain feedback regarding BART service and transit equity. With the fulfillment of a corrective action plan to address Title VI issues and a revised Funding Plan, it is anticipated that construction of the OAC may begin by late 2010, with service starting in 2014.

View more information on Title VI.

Back to Top of Page

Last Updated: January 24, 2012