Between 2003 and 2004 BART completed design-build Project procurement documents, pre-qualified design-build teams, started the right-of-way acquisition process, and began utility relocation work. However, due to the economic climate, it become apparent that a significant amount of anticipated State funding for the Project was unlikely to become available anytime in the next several years and, therefore, that the available public funds were not sufficient to cover the capital costs of constructing the Project.
In an effort to move this worthy Project forward, in 2005 BART initiated a ridership update study as well as a preliminary financial feasibility study which indicated the introduction of private sector funding to augment the existing public funding sources and allow the project to move forward as a public private partnership (P3). This would be done by using the California Government Code Sections 5956 et seq., also known as the Infrastructure Financing Act ("IFA").
In applying the IFA, the Project will continue to use a design-build, best value contract award approach, and has also developed standards to pre-qualify private investment entities.
BART issued a new Request for Qualification (RFQ) No. 6M8003 to interested parties in February of 2006 and in May 2006 received five responses from a number of highly qualified teams made up of consortiums of contractors, vehicle providers, transit system operators and international financiers. In September 2006 the BART General Manager approved the following teams be short-listed:
- Airport Connector Team
- bbm AiRail Transfer Team
- Oakland Airport Access Team
The Request for Proposal (RFP) was released to the pre-qualified teams in May 2007. The RFP contains a private sector financing component including a long-term (35 year) concession agreement. Proposals were initially due in September 2007 but the due date has been extended due to ongoing discussions between BART and the prequalified teams.
Program Purpose and Benefits
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Oakland Airport rendering.
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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.
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.
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BART Coliseum Station rendering.
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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.
Projected Growth at Oakland International Airport
Oakland International Airport 's (OAK) strong 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 is serving nearly double that number. OAK served 14.6 million passengers and 740,000 tons of air cargo in 2007.
To accommodate near-term facilities needs, OAK implemented 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 will improve terminal access and ease congestion in front of the 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 aiport facilities including: passenger terminal, cargo, airport services, airfield and aircraft apron, and public access using expanded roadways and ground transportation alternatives, such as BART's proposed Oakland Airport Connector. Forecasts developed as part of the Master Plan indicate that OAK is anticipated to serve 20 milllion passengers and handle just under 1 million tons of cargo by 2012.
Preliminary System Operations Parameters
The express bus service operating between the Coliseum BART Station and OAK carried approximately 100,000 riders per month in 2007, with trip times varying from 12 to over 60 minutes. Since the inception of service in 1986 the ridership has grown from 126,500 yearly passengers to 1.3 million passengers in 2007 and equals approximately 9 percent 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 10 minutes between the Coliseum BART station and the airport, and vehicles departing every few minutes, the OAC is expected to carry between 8000 daily passengers in 2012 and 15,300 in 2020. Transit ridership is estimated to grow to approximately 20 percent of air passenger mode share by 2020 based upon recently updated projections.
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 OIA by providing predictable connections and travel timesavings.
- Provide a convenient, safe and comfortable connection between BART and OIA.
- 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 OIA 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. For a short stretch, generally adjacent to the intersection of Airport Drive and Doolittle Road, the alignment would run below grade.
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.
List Of Prequalified Design-Build Finance & Operate Teams
Download the list of pre-qualified prospective project companies and technologies
Project Schedule
- BART Board Adopted the Project in March 2002
- Cancellation of Previous Pre-qualification in Fall of 2005
- Release of RFQ in February 2006
- Release of RFP in late 2006
- Award of Contract late 2008 or early 2009
- Revenue Operation in 2012
Please note, dates are dependent upon funding availability.
Partners & Funding
The total project budget for the BART Oakland Airport Connector Project is approximately $254 million (in 2001 dollars). The entire project has been a collaborative partnership between BART, the Alameda County Transportation Improvement Authority (ACTIA), the Alameda County Congestion Management Agency (ACCMA), the California Transportation Commission (CTC), California Department of Transportation (Caltrans), the City of Oakland and the Port of Oakland. The funding plan for the project is as follows:
- $98M* from Alameda County Transportation Improvement Agency (ACTIA)
- $42M* from Port of Oakland
- $21M from State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP)
- $109M from Metropolitan Transportation Commission Bridge Toll Funds
- $25M from Federal Transit Administration
Total Committed Public Funding: $295M
* Funds escalated
Last Updated: October 31, 2008
