You’re invited to help create a more walkable and bikeable Concord at a Bicycle & Pedestrian Master Plan Community Workshop on Wednesday, April 8.
Community input is vital to the creation of the Bicycle & Pedestrian Master Plan, which seeks to improve access for pedestrians and bicyclists to the City’s BART stations, guide investments in infrastructure, improve connections between the regional trails network and downtown, and improve safe access between schools, jobs, downtown, and other important areas of the city.
A light dinner, childcare, and Spanish translation services will be provided.
Accommodation for individuals with disabilities is available by request a minimum of 5 business days before the event. For more information, view the event flyer or call (925) 671-3152.
To give immediate feedback on how Concord might improve walking and biking conditions, or to read more about the Bicycle & Pedestrian Master Plan, visit the City of Concord’s information page.
Category: News
Antioch Bridge Lane Closures (Mar. 2015)
Caltrans is reminding motorists that one-way traffic controls will be in effect on the Highway 160 Antioch Bridge as crews perform routine inspections of the span this week and next week. Crews will alternate lane closures in both northbound and southbound directions, with flaggers and a pilot car helping direct traffic. The work is slated from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on four consecutive weekdays – Monday through Thursday of this week and March 16 to 19 next week. This will allow one traffic lane on the bridge to remain open during the inspections. Motorists should expect delays and allow for extra travel time. Work is dependent on the weather. Vessels will pass normally beneath the bridge on the San Joaquin River.
Commuter Ferry Returning to Richmond (2015)
On March 5, 2015 the Water Emergency Transportation Association (WETA) Board approved the Richmond Ferry Project Agreement, signalling the return of ferry service between San Francisco and Richmond.
The Water Authority will now order two catamaran ferry vessels — which will become part of the San Francisco Bay Ferry fleet — and build the new ferry terminal at Ford Peninsula in Richmond. According to the Agreement, ferry riders can expect:
- In the morning (6am-9am), three trips to San Francisco, with two reverse commute trips back to Richmond
- In the evening (3pm-7pm), four trips from San Francisco to Richmond, with three reverse commute trips back to San Francisco
- The possibillity of mid-day service being established if demand and funding are sufficient
The Agreement does not provide for service on weekends, holidays or for San Francisco Giants games. Service is expected to begin sometime in 2018. For 2018, adult fares will be $9.10 one-way, or $6.80 with a Clipper Card. The youth and senior fares will be $4.50 and children under 5 will ride free.
For more information about the Richmond Ferry Project Agreement, click here.
Overnight Highway 4 Closure (Antioch): February 25-27, 2015
The California Department of Transportation and the Contra Costa Transportation Authority are constructing two new connector ramps, one connecting westbound State Route 4 (SR-4) to northbound SR-160, and one connecting southbound State Route 160 (SR-160) to eastbound SR-4 in Contra Costa County.
Part of this construction work entails adjustment of temporary bridge supports that span over SR-4. In order to ensure crew and public safety during this work, the contractor will close all lanes of SR-4 in the eastbound and westbound directions between the SR-4/SR-160 connector ramp and Laurel Road.
These closures are scheduled to take place on the evenings of February 25, 26, and 27th from 11:59pm to 5:00 am.
The detour for this work will be as follows:
- Eastbound motorist will be directed off the highway at the SR-160 off-ramp and redirected to return to eastbound SR-4 via the Laurel Road on-ramp.
- Westbound motorist will be directed off the highway at Laurel Road on-ramp and redirected to westbound SR-4 via the entrance of southbound SR-160.
Motorists are advised to expect delays and allow extra time for their commute. Please drive with caution through the detours and leave safe traveling distance between your vehicle and the vehicle ahead of you.
Schedule & Services Changes: County Connection, Wheels, Tri Delta Transit (Feb. 2015)
Wheels (LAVTA) – The Livermore Amador Valley Transit Authority is making minor changes to several of its regular and school-focused bus routes effective Saturday, February 21:
- Route 2 – The afternoon schedule has been modified to improve timings for Fallon Middle School students; trips now depart E Dublin BART at 30 minutes past each hour instead of at the hour.
- Route 9 – Trips that previously operated as Route 70X now operate as Route 9 in the Hacienda Business Park. The Inglewood/Chabot loop has been discontinued.
- Route 10 – The morning starting time of service has been modified; westbound service now begins
approximately 30 minutes later, while eastbound service starts approximately 30 minutes earlier than in the
previous schedule. - Route 11 – The previous 5:57am trip has been discontinued, and a new 8:12am trip added to the morning service. In the afternoon, all trips now depart the Transit Center 15 minutes later compared to the previous schedule.
- Route 70X – See notation for Route 9 above; passengers will continue to be able to travel between the Walnut Creek and Hacienda areas and vice versa without the need to transfer buses.
- Route 605 – The route has been extended to Martin Avenue, and now operates the segment similar to Route 608.
- Minor timing adjustments have been made to the schedules of routes 10, 12, 15, and Rapid.
Click here to see the full press release.
Tri Delta Transit – Tri Delta Transit will have a new schedule taking effect on Sunday, March 8. The new schedule will include:
- Time Changes: Routes 201, 300, 380, 385, 387, 388, 391
- NEW morning run on Route 385 EB. Service for Liberty High School Students
Vital Signs: A New Website from the MTC (2015)
In late January, the Metropolitan Transportation Commission unveiled their new Vital Signs website. Drawing from over 20 years of data, the website offers interactive, customizable charts and graphs on various aspects of transportation in the Bay Area. According to the MTC, the idea behind the project is to allow Bay Area residents, “to track the region’s progress toward reaching key transportation, land use, environmental and economic policy goals.” The MTC plans to add land use and economic development data to the site in the spring and data relating to environmental and safety questions in the summer.
Because of the interactive nature of the site, users can essentially create their own charts and graphs by choosing which cities, counties or metro areas are displayed. It’s a way to track both changes over time as well as differences between communities and regions. You can select various transportation performance indicators, called ‘measures’, relating to commuting, congestion, transit reliability and ridership, traffic volume, pavement condition, bridge and transit condition, and transit system efficiency.
It’s quick and easy to change a chart or graph to reflect the information you want to see. For example, if you visit Vital Sign’s ‘Transit Ridership’ page and scroll down to ‘Local Focus’, by clicking on the names of transit agencies you can select/deselect them. In this particular example, the result is a Contra Costa-focused graph:
Want to know what pavement conditions are like in your area? You can see general results or street-by-street results depending on how much you zoom in:
For people who want to go beyond the interactive site and work with the raw data, the MTC has made it easy to access. Just click on the ‘Data Center’ icon in the website’s top-right corner.
You’ll find the new website at vitalsigns.mtc.ca.gov. For a video tutorial on how to use the Vital Signs website, check out the video below:
MTC's 2015 High School Internship Program: Now Taking Applications
The Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) is offering opportunities for Bay Area high school students to get hands-on experience in the transportation field through paid summer internships. They are currently accepting applications for positions in 9 Bay Area counties, including Contra Costa. This year 511 CCTA is proud to offer two internship opportunities as part of the program, in our El Cerrito and Pleasant Hill offices.
Interested students are encouraged to apply for positions in their home county. A current list of available positions is available on the MTC website.
Qualified applicants must:
- live and go to school in the county they are applying for;
- have completed the 10th grade; and
- be at least 16 years of age by date of hire (Thursday, June 18, 2015)*
*NOTE: If you are offered an internship, are under 18 years of age and will not be graduating prior to the start of the program, you will be required to obtain a work permit. Graduating seniors are eligible to apply.
The program is the creation of the MTC’s Minority Citizens Advisory Committee, designed to encourage young people who might not otherwise consider a career in transportation to do so. Students of all races and ethnic backgrounds are strongly encouraged to apply.
To apply or to get more information, visit: mtc.ca.gov/jobs/high_school or contact the MTC Internship Coordinator by phone at (510) 817-5807 or by emailing them at InternCoordinator@mtc.ca.gov. The application deadline is Sunday, March 22.
This article has been edited to reflect the MTC’s application deadline change.
NEW CALIFORNIA LAWS AFFECTING MOTORISTS IN 2015
With a new year come new laws pertaining to the vehicle code. Here’s a quick digest of the new laws:
Modified Limousine Safety Requirements – Regulations (SB 611):
The new law defines a modified limousine as a vehicle that seats not more than 10 passengers, including the driver, and has been modified, altered, or extended in a manner that increases the wheelbase of the vehicle, sufficient to accommodate additional passengers. Modified limousines are required to carry two readily accessible and fully-charged fire extinguishers. The driver must notify passengers of the safety features of the vehicle, including instructions for lowering the partition between the driver and passengers, and the location of the fire extinguishers.
Driver License Eligibility – Undocumented Residents (AB 60):
The ability to submit proof of legal residence in the United States is no longer a requirement to obtain a California Driver’s License. Applicants are still required to provide satisfactory proof of identity and California residency and must meet all other qualifications for licensure, which includes demonstration of the basic knowledge, skills and ability to have the privilege of driving.
For complete information on bills enacted in 2014, please visit the Legislative
Counsel Web site at LegInfo.ca.gov.
Deer Valley High School Driver Safety Video (2015)
Students from Deer Valley High School’s Television Class produced a three-minute video on driver safety and awareness. Street Smarts Diablo Region and the CHP partnered with the Deer Valley High, in Antioch, to unveil the video today. See the Contra Costa Times covered the unveiling and wrote an article.
Carsharing Coming to Richmond and El Cerrito (2015)
Thanks to a nearly $1 million grant from the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC), carsharing is about to become a reality in both Richmond and El Cerrito.
The MTC has awarded a $973,864 grant to fund a program called CarShare4All, a collaboration between City CarShare, the Contra Costa Transportation Authority (CCTA) and the Bay Area Climate Collaborative (BACC). The program will deploy vehicles to El Cerrito, Richmond and Oakland, including a wheelchair-accessible van.
“Carsharing is a very important part of our strategy to provide transportation options,” said Kevin Romick, Chair of the Contra Costa Transportation Authority, “This project with City CarShare and the Bay Area Climate Collaborative provides critical links to and from public transit, which provides multi-modal travel choices for Contra Costa residents.”
According to a project factsheet released by Richmond Mayor-elect Tom Butt, beyond bringing carsharing to El Cerrito and Richmond, the CarShare4All program will allow City CarShare to expand access to discounted memberships for low- and moderate-income families and increase the availability of wheelchair-accessible vans to its members.
A date for initial service has not yet been released.
For more information about the program, read the CarShare4All fact sheet (posted by Richmond Mayor-elect Tom Butt) or City CarShare’s press release.
For more information on carsharing in Contra Costa County, visit 511CC’s carsharing page.
Transit Service on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day 2015
Some transit agencies will be operating on non-weekday schedules on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day – Monday, January 19. Here are the transit schedules which will be in effect:
- County Connection: Regular weekday schedule
- Capitol Corridor: Regular weekday schedule
- BART: Saturday schedule
- Wheels: Enhanced Saturday schedule; No service on Rapid
- WestCAT: Express J, DAR, Local (11, 19) – Saturday schedule; LYNX – Limited Holiday service
- AC Transit: Sunday schedule
- Tri Delta Transit: Sunday schedule (only Route 392, 393, 394 and 395 in operation)
AC Transit's 2014 Holiday Bus – Catch the Holiday Spirit through Jan. 3
The year may be drawing to a close, but there’s still time to enjoy a little extra holiday cheer by climbing aboard AC Transit’s Holiday Bus!
As in years past, AC Transit has transformed one bus in their fleet with brightly colored holiday decorations. Each day through January 3, the bus will run along a different route offering free rides to anyone who cares to hop aboard!
“The Holiday Bus is a token of gratitude to our riders,” said AC Transit General Manager David Armijo. “It’s a small thing but it’s a way for us to contribute in this season of sharing, and we intend to do so in hopes of making the season a little brighter for anyone who boards the holiday bus.”
Since the Holiday Bus travels a different route each day, you might see it only once, so make sure to hop on board or take a photo!
New Bike Racks at Concord's Civic Center (2014)
A half-dozen new bicycle racks were recently installed at Concord Civic Center (1950 Parkside Drive), to accommodate people riding their bicycles to City meetings or to the City offices.
“With more residents using bicycles for transportation as well as fitness, we want to make it as easy as possible for people to ride a bike to Civic Center instead of taking the car,” said project coordinator and Fleet Manager Jeff Roubal. The bicycle racks will also benefit employees who choose to bike to work. The new racks were made possible by a grant from 511 CCTA and the Bay Air Quality Management District’s Transportation Fund For Clean Air.
Last year the City of Concord installed new bicycle racks at 15 City parks and facilities. Our handy 511CC bike rack map makes them easy to find and shows the type of rack, maximum number of bikes that can be accommodated, and the location address. The new Civic Center bike racks will soon be added to the City of Concord’s Bicycle Rack map. For more information on the City of Concord’s bicycle parking infrastructure contact Roubal at (925) 671-3147.
Christmas 2014: Holiday Transit Service Information
On Christmas Day, all transit agencies serving Contra Costa County will be on Sunday or Holiday schedules. Modified service will be offered by some local transit agencies on the days before and after Christmas. Here are the holiday service changes for December 22-26th:
Christmas Eve
- Tri Delta Transit: Routes 392, 393, 394 and 395 will operate on a Sunday schedule; no other service
- Wheels (LAVTA): Enhanced Saturday service; no service on Rapid
- WestCAT:
DAR, Local Fixed Route, C3, JPX, 30Z, JX – Modified Holiday Service, 7pm Close (Approx.)
LYNX – Limited Service
Express J – Regular Service
**All other transit agencies will offer regular weekday service on Christmas Eve (December 24)
Christmas Day
- BART: Sunday schedule
- AC Transit: Sunday schedule
- WestCAT: Express J – Sunday service; no other service
- Capitol Corridor: Holiday schedule
- County Connection: No service
- Tri Delta Transit: Routes 392, 393, 394 and 395 will operate on a Sunday schedule; no other service
- Wheels: Special Service – No service on Rapid; only Route 10 and Route 15 are operating (on a special holiday schedule). Please see individual schedules for detail.
December 26th
- Capitol Corridor: Holiday Schedule
**All other transit agencies will offer regular weekday service on December 26
Thawing Icy Road Conditions
People for Bikes is currently rolling out a national ad campaign called ‘Travel With Care‘. According to their site, “The campaign’s message is built around bettering behavior by both people in cars and on bikes by asking them to travel with care and to ‘melt icy relations on the road.'”
This isn’t the first ad campaign designed to encourage drivers and cyclists to see each other as partners in safety. To get a broader perspective, we took a look at similar road safety campaigns and collected some of their best thoughts.
On the topic of sharing responsibility for creating a safe environment, Massachusetts’ ‘Same Roads, Same Rules’ campaign puts it well:
- It’s about people just trying to get where they’re going safely.
- It’s about respecting each others right to be on the road.
- It’s about keeping each other safe by following a common set of rules that we all know.
The UK’s ‘Let’s Look Out for Each Other’ campaign‘ adds to that:
- Look out for each other, especially when turning
- Signal intentions so that the other road user can react
- Give cyclists space and remember that cyclists are advised to ride well clear of the [curb] to be visible and avoid collisions
The commonality among the campaigns is the notion that the divide between ‘cyclists’ and ‘motorists’ is an imaginary one. All road users are people just trying to get from one place to another. We’ve got the same errands to run, same places to go and the same daily worries – the only difference is in our choice of transportation on a given day. Since the vast majority of people who ride bicycles also regularly drive a motor vehicle, today’s cyclist could literally be tomorrow’s motorist!
However, recognizing the humanity of a fellow road user is only half the battle. How do you preserve the sense that we’re all in this together while battling with traffic? To answer that, we turn to London’s ‘Share the Road’ campaign:
“We all compete for space and as our population grows, the roads get busier and there’s less space to be had. All road users – motorists, cyclists, pedestrians and motorcyclists – are affected by the issues we face today: the pace of traffic and the pace of life. Sometimes it gets to us all and we lose our cool. But what if we let it go? And leave it behind? [We’re] asking all road users to think about their attitudes on the road. If we were all a bit more considerate, rather than competing and losing our temper, then we’d all have better, safer and less stressful journeys.”
Acknowledging our tendency to get frustrated on the road and dealing with it by choosing to act calmly instead of reacting hastily is a giant step toward making the road a safer place. And don’t forget about the human element – giving a smile or a wave (even a ‘sorry, my bad’ wave) makes the road a better place for everyone.
Electric Vehicle Charging Station Coming to Todos Santos Plaza in Concord (2014)
The City of Concord will soon be installing an electric vehicle charging station near Todos Santos Plaza. Although this isn’t the first car-charging station in Concord, it is the first one owned by the City.
The purchase of the charging unit was made possible by a $7,000 grant from 511 CCTA using Bay Area Air Quality Management District Transportation Fund For Clean Air funds and Contra Costa Transportation Authority Measure J Commute Alternative funds. The City of Concord provided $4,325 for installation costs. 511 CCTA has also helped fund charging stations in Martinez, Walnut Creek, Contra Costa Centre, Brentwood, Pleasant Hill and Pittsburg.
The car-charging unit at Todos Santos Plaza, will be able to charge two vehicles at a time and will be installed on the first floor of the parking garage at 2051 Salvio Street. The fee for charging your vehicle will be $1.75 per hour with a 3-hour time limit. The City of Concord has estimated that the fee will generate about $2,362 annually which is enough to cover the City’s management and electricity costs. See the full article in the Contra Costa Times.
Concord’s new charging station will be part of Coulomb Technologies’ ChargePoint network. In order to use the station you will need to have an active ChargePoint account.
Iron Horse Trail Overcrossings – How to Give Your Design Input (2014)
The City of San Ramon is seeking community design input on proposed bicycle/pedestrian overcrossings along the Iron Horse Trail at Bollinger Canyon Road and Crow Canyon Road in San Ramon. The goal of the overcrossings is to enhance safety and reduce delays for both trail and roadway users.
For each of the two proposed overcrossings, the City of San Ramon has posted a survey which includes descriptions and photos of various bridge concepts under consideration. You can rate each bridge concept in terms of architecture, materials and color on a scale of one to five.
To take one or both surveys, start by visiting the Open San Ramon discussion page at sanramon.ca.gov. To start the process, select the overcrossing you are interested in. Your selection will expand, giving you a ‘Go to the topic’ button:
After clicking the ‘Go to the topic’ button, the website will take you to an ‘Introduction’ tab by default:
To get to the actual survey and provide your feedback, you’ll need to click on the ‘Your Response’ tab. You’ll know you’re in the right place when you see the description and image of the first bridge design concept:
NOTE: Make sure to click the ‘Submit’ button at the bottom of the survey, or your feedback won’t be captured:
Once you’ve completed your survey, if you’d like to give feedback on the other overcrossing, just navigate back to the Open San Ramon discussion page and repeat the process. The online surveys will be available through November 26 at 4pm.
FutureBART: The Game Where You Control the Destiny of BART (2014)
BART is in the process of planning for the next 40 years of service and they need your input. Rather than ask you to take a survey, they’ve created a game to solicit your feedback. Introducing FutureBART – the game where you’re the BART planner.
In FutureBART, you choose the types of projects BART will pursue, selecting from three categories: Fix and Modernize BART, More Train and Station Capacity, and New Lines & Extensions. All the choices offered are actual projects BART is considering (e.g. a second Transbay Tube, fixing the backlog of repairs in the BART system).
Since projects can’t go ahead without funding, you also have to decide where the money will come from (e.g. bond measure, regional gas tax, higher bridge tolls). If you exceed your budget the game will tell you, leaving you to choose whether to add funding or select a different combination of projects.
The impact of your choices is displayed in a section called ‘Your Overall Benefits’, showing expected improvements in categories like Regional Economy, System Reliability, and Improved Cost-effectiveness. Want to see how a different combination of projects and funding would work? Just update your choices and you’ll see the changes to your ‘report card’ in real time.
The game takes less than 10 minutes to play and the feedback received will be used to develop the BART Vision Plan, which will help guide the BART Board of Directors and staff when making decisions about the future of BART.
To play the game, visit FutureBART.org.
2014 Winter Spare the Air Season Has Begun
During the winter season, wood smoke is the largest source of harmful particulate pollution in the Bay Area. On a typical winter night, wood burning produces about one-third of the pollution in the air. From November 1 through the end of February, the Air District helps manage airborne pollution by calling Winter Spare the Air Alerts when the air quality is expected to be unhealthy.
Each day by early afternoon, the Air District will issue an air quality forecast for the next day. The alert will be in effect the entire next day, for a full 24 hours. When a Winter Spare the Air Alert is in effect, it is illegal to burn wood, manufactured fire logs, pellets, or any other solid fuels in your fireplace, woodstove or outdoor fire pit.
Residents can find information about the health effects of wood smoke, as well as detailed information about the Wood Burning Rule and how to comply with it on SpareTheAir.org’s website. You can also file a wood smoke complaint online.
Free Teen Driving Safety Program: November 17, 2014 (Walnut Creek)
If you’ve got a teenage driver in the house, or a teen who’ll be driving soon, a great way to help them stay safer behind the wheel is to bring them to the CHP Smart Start Driving Safety Program. This two-hour driver safety class targets new and future licensed teenage drivers and their parents. On the evening of Monday, November 17, all are invited to attend the Smart Start class at Las Lomas High School.
Presented by the California Highway Patrol, Street Smarts Diablo and Las Lomas High School, the event is free and open to all students and parents, but registration is requested. Click here to register.
The class will be held at Las Lomas High School (at 1460 South Main Street) in
Walnut Creek from 7-9pm. For more information, call Street Smarts Diablo at 925-969-1083.
Free BART Parking Coming to an End (2014)
BART has begun phasing out free parking at the few remaining stations where it exists. On Monday, October 27, paid parking ($1 per day) went into effect at the Concord BART station, with the North Concord, Coliseum/Oakland Airport and Hayward stations soon to follow.
According to BART officials, the move to paid parking is necessary to cover costs. The official estimate is that it costs an average of $1.33 per day to maintain, operate and police each parking space in the BART system.
The North Concord BART station will make the move to paid parking on November 12. BART plans to transition Oakland Coliseum BART on November 17 and Hayward BART on December 8.
Parking fees vary by station and can be paid by cash, Clipper Card or a BART Blue Ticket. It’s still free to park at all stations on weekdays after 3 p.m. and on weekends and holidays.
Get Around Walnut Creek for Free: Downtown Trolley & Route 5 Shuttle
Getting around Walnut Creek is free and easy when you use the Downtown Trolley and Route 5 Shuttle!
The Downtown Trolley runs 7 days a week and makes a loop through Downtown. Stops include: the Broadway Plaza, Main Street Plaza, the Lesher Center for the Arts, City Hall and the Senior Center. (For a full list of stops, click on the image to the right.)
The Route 5 Shuttle runs between Walnut Creek BART and Creekside Drive (via S California Blvd and S Main St) every weekday. The first shuttle departs Walnut Creek BART at 5:48am and the final shuttle returns there at 6:58pm.
Both options are free of charge! Click either link to view a map and schedule information:
Free Teen Driving Safety Program: October 28, 2014 (Oakley)
If you’ve got a teenage driver in the house, or a teen who’ll be driving soon, a great way to help them stay safer behind the wheel is to bring them to the CHP Smart Start Driving Safety Program. This two-hour driver safety class targets new and future licensed teenage drivers and their parents. On the evening of Tuesday, October 28, all are invited to attend the Smart Start class at Freedom High School.
Presented by the California Highway Patrol, Streets Smarts Diablo and Freedom High School, the event is free and open to all students and parents, but registration is requested. Click here to register.
The class will be held at Freedom High School (at 1050 Neroly Rd) in
Oakley from 7-9pm. For more information, call Street Smarts Diablo at 925-969-1083.
Free Cycling Festival in Antioch on October 23, 2014 – Free Helmets & Lights
Street Smarts Diablo and the Antioch Bike Club invite you to a free Cycling Festival at Antioch High School on Thursday, October 23 from 3-5pm. It’s the perfect afterschool activity!
Bring your bike and take advantage of free tune-ups and repairs. Need a helmet or bike lights? We’ll be giving away free bike lights and helmets (while supplies last). One lucky attendee will even win a brand-new cruiser bike!
Not only can you watch the action of the BMX stunt show, you can be part of it by racing on a bike blender! Mark your calendar and join us for this fun community event.
