Comments on: Advocates, Unions Call for BRT Connector Service to Oakland Airport http://sf.streetsblog.org/2009/05/08/advocates-unions-call-for-brt-connector-service-to-oakland-airport/ Covering San Francisco's livable streets movement Sun, 22 Nov 2009 16:16:44 -0800 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8 hourly 1 By: S Raney http://sf.streetsblog.org/2009/05/08/advocates-unions-call-for-brt-connector-service-to-oakland-airport/comment-page-1/#comment-5780 S Raney Wed, 27 May 2009 00:25:13 +0000 http://sf.streetsblog.org/?p=2111#comment-5780 The third option that fits between APM and BART is PRT: Personal Rapid Transit promises a superior solution to Automated People Mover for the Oakland Airport Connector, winning on cost, speed, service area, Oakland economic development, BART ridership, Airport improvement, long-term jobs, in-fill development, visual impact, risk, and AC Transit enhancement. A web page details the arguments: http://www.cities21.org/OAK_OAC.htm The third option that fits between APM and BART is PRT:

Personal Rapid Transit promises a superior solution to Automated People Mover for the Oakland Airport Connector, winning on cost, speed, service area, Oakland economic development, BART ridership, Airport improvement, long-term jobs, in-fill development, visual impact, risk, and AC Transit enhancement.
A web page details the arguments: http://www.cities21.org/OAK_OAC.htm

]]> By: Becks http://sf.streetsblog.org/2009/05/08/advocates-unions-call-for-brt-connector-service-to-oakland-airport/comment-page-1/#comment-5403 Becks Mon, 11 May 2009 22:21:28 +0000 http://sf.streetsblog.org/?p=2111#comment-5403 It would be great if San Franciscans would join East Bay residents at the BART board meeting on Thursday at 9am to speak out against the current OAC project and in favor of a rapid bus project. The meeting will be held at the Kaiser Center – Third Floor, 344 20th Street in Oakland, just steps away from the 19th Street BART station. If you can't make it, please send an email using TransForm's action page: http://act.transformca.org/t/4619/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=656 I encourage everyone to read TransForm's excellent report, but if you'd like the Cliff Notes version, you can check out my blog post summary of it: http://oaklandliving.wordpress.com/2009/05/08/take-action-turn-oakland-airport-connector-into-rapidbart/ It would be great if San Franciscans would join East Bay residents at the BART board meeting on Thursday at 9am to speak out against the current OAC project and in favor of a rapid bus project. The meeting will be held at the Kaiser Center – Third Floor, 344 20th Street in Oakland, just steps away from the 19th Street BART station. If you can't make it, please send an email using TransForm's action page: http://act.transformca.org/t/4619/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=656

I encourage everyone to read TransForm's excellent report, but if you'd like the Cliff Notes version, you can check out my blog post summary of it: http://oaklandliving.wordpress.com/2009/05/08/take-action-turn-oakland-airport-connector-into-rapidbart/

]]> By: Scott Mace http://sf.streetsblog.org/2009/05/08/advocates-unions-call-for-brt-connector-service-to-oakland-airport/comment-page-1/#comment-5387 Scott Mace Sun, 10 May 2009 01:45:51 +0000 http://sf.streetsblog.org/?p=2111#comment-5387 I am concerned about making the BRT service free of charge. Some fare might be required to discourage it from becoming a home to area transients. I am concerned about making the BRT service free of charge. Some fare might be required to discourage it from becoming a home to area transients.

]]> By: John Knox White http://sf.streetsblog.org/2009/05/08/advocates-unions-call-for-brt-connector-service-to-oakland-airport/comment-page-1/#comment-5364 John Knox White Fri, 08 May 2009 22:40:10 +0000 http://sf.streetsblog.org/?p=2111#comment-5364 Quick correction to comment #2. The RapidBART proposal recommends a single intermediate stop at Pardee and Hegenberger. I believe you are counting the circles on the route map, which indicate traffic lights that would need to be upgraded. Sincere thanks for the comments, we agree, 7 stops would be excessive. Quick correction to comment #2. The RapidBART proposal recommends a single intermediate stop at Pardee and Hegenberger.

I believe you are counting the circles on the route map, which indicate traffic lights that would need to be upgraded.

Sincere thanks for the comments, we agree, 7 stops would be excessive.

]]> By: Joel Ramos http://sf.streetsblog.org/2009/05/08/advocates-unions-call-for-brt-connector-service-to-oakland-airport/comment-page-1/#comment-5357 Joel Ramos Fri, 08 May 2009 22:12:35 +0000 http://sf.streetsblog.org/?p=2111#comment-5357 BRT to OAK does not require stops on Hegenberger at all. The map is a draft that is supposed to stir imagination. If you read the report, it states that stops are an option, depending upon what the community wants. The main point is that there should be consideration for at least one stop on Hegenberger, to serve the hotels along the corridor, as the original OAC proposal included. The recent OAC proposal includes no stops at all between the BART station and the OAC, which changes the project in terms of how well it would serve the local community. Finally, if additional stops are ever desired, they would be relatively easy and not too expensive to add. BRT to OAK does not require stops on Hegenberger at all. The map is a draft that is supposed to stir imagination. If you read the report, it states that stops are an option, depending upon what the community wants.

The main point is that there should be consideration for at least one stop on Hegenberger, to serve the hotels along the corridor, as the original OAC proposal included. The recent OAC proposal includes no stops at all between the BART station and the OAC, which changes the project in terms of how well it would serve the local community.

Finally, if additional stops are ever desired, they would be relatively easy and not too expensive to add.

]]> By: eddo http://sf.streetsblog.org/2009/05/08/advocates-unions-call-for-brt-connector-service-to-oakland-airport/comment-page-1/#comment-5353 eddo Fri, 08 May 2009 21:40:21 +0000 http://sf.streetsblog.org/?p=2111#comment-5353 As much as I am on-the-wall about a BART OAK Airport Connector as it is, I HATE the idea of a bus making stops along Hegenberger, no matter what the configuration. BART does not need to run a service that AC Transit (Route 50) already does. What it needs to do is get people to the airport from the station more efficiently and quickly than it already does, and making stops is not going to help that, no matter how BRT-friendly they decide to make the route. I would imagine that the majority of people who see BART connector couldn't care less about Hegenberger. Those who do would take AC Transit. As much as I am on-the-wall about a BART OAK Airport Connector as it is, I HATE the idea of a bus making stops along Hegenberger, no matter what the configuration. BART does not need to run a service that AC Transit (Route 50) already does. What it needs to do is get people to the airport from the station more efficiently and quickly than it already does, and making stops is not going to help that, no matter how BRT-friendly they decide to make the route. I would imagine that the majority of people who see BART connector couldn't care less about Hegenberger. Those who do would take AC Transit.

]]> By: Jeffrey W. Baker http://sf.streetsblog.org/2009/05/08/advocates-unions-call-for-brt-connector-service-to-oakland-airport/comment-page-1/#comment-5350 Jeffrey W. Baker Fri, 08 May 2009 21:30:40 +0000 http://sf.streetsblog.org/?p=2111#comment-5350 Before they can have BRT on Hegenberger/Airport they need to fix the lane configuration. The right lane ends an incredible FIVE TIMES in the two miles between 880 and the airport terminal. It's an unprecedented merge-fest that needlessly snarls traffic. Before they can have BRT on Hegenberger/Airport they need to fix the lane configuration. The right lane ends an incredible FIVE TIMES in the two miles between 880 and the airport terminal. It's an unprecedented merge-fest that needlessly snarls traffic.

]]> By: theo http://sf.streetsblog.org/2009/05/08/advocates-unions-call-for-brt-connector-service-to-oakland-airport/comment-page-1/#comment-5349 theo Fri, 08 May 2009 21:10:00 +0000 http://sf.streetsblog.org/?p=2111#comment-5349 As long as they build a first-class service, with new buses following the direct route along Hegenberger and not making too many stops, I'm convinced that BRT is the right choice. In order to stop the bleeding of flights and airlines, Oakland Airport desperately needs first-class transit that counters its ghetto image. Free, modern BRT is good enough to meet the need, and should prove more popular than a $6 luxury people mover. I have one major criticism. This RapidBART proposal includes 7 intermediate stops along Hegenberger. This is a ridiculous number. Imagine how customers will feel when they have 45 minutes to catch your flight and their airport bus makes five stops on the way to the terminal. Most people won't even be riding BART for more than 8 stops! It's a recipe for pissing people off. (The area just isn't dense enough to support that many stops -- just look at it google maps: http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=&gl=us&ie=UTF8&ll=37.740245,-122.195563&spn=0.029356,0.061154&t=h&z=15) As long as they build a first-class service, with new buses following the direct route along Hegenberger and not making too many stops, I'm convinced that BRT is the right choice.

In order to stop the bleeding of flights and airlines, Oakland Airport desperately needs first-class transit that counters its ghetto image. Free, modern BRT is good enough to meet the need, and should prove more popular than a $6 luxury people mover.

I have one major criticism. This RapidBART proposal includes 7 intermediate stops along Hegenberger. This is a ridiculous number. Imagine how customers will feel when they have 45 minutes to catch your flight and their airport bus makes five stops on the way to the terminal. Most people won't even be riding BART for more than 8 stops! It's a recipe for pissing people off.

(The area just isn't dense enough to support that many stops -- just look at it google maps: http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=&gl=us&ie=UTF8&ll=37.740245,-122.195563&spn=0.029356,0.061154&t=h&z=15)

]]> By: Josh http://sf.streetsblog.org/2009/05/08/advocates-unions-call-for-brt-connector-service-to-oakland-airport/comment-page-1/#comment-5348 Josh Fri, 08 May 2009 21:04:01 +0000 http://sf.streetsblog.org/?p=2111#comment-5348 It seems clear that at the very least a half-billion-dollar OAC should be put on the back burner if such a low-cost solution can provide equal service in the short term. Personally, I think the OAC would be better as part of a real, robust East Bay transit network. BRT or streetcar, there are an awful lot of people who would benefit from increased airport access if OAC was more than just a shuttle from the coliseum to the airport. It seems clear that at the very least a half-billion-dollar OAC should be put on the back burner if such a low-cost solution can provide equal service in the short term.

Personally, I think the OAC would be better as part of a real, robust East Bay transit network. BRT or streetcar, there are an awful lot of people who would benefit from increased airport access if OAC was more than just a shuttle from the coliseum to the airport.

]]> By: John Murphy http://sf.streetsblog.org/2009/05/08/advocates-unions-call-for-brt-connector-service-to-oakland-airport/comment-page-1/#comment-5346 John Murphy Fri, 08 May 2009 20:43:06 +0000 http://sf.streetsblog.org/?p=2111#comment-5346 Amen. Amen.

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