Oakland Airport Connector (OAC)

Despite huge costs, significant long-term debt and a projected ridership described as "miraculous", BART moved forward with the Oakland Airport Connector.

On July 22, 2010 the BART Board of Directors approved their staff's recommended funding plan for the Oakland Airport Connector (OAC) -- a half-billion dollar, 3.2-mile "people mover" replacement for the current AirBART service. Sadly, BART showed that it will build the OAC with little regard to the project's impacts on BART's financial stability and riders.

"This is an unprecedented thing," noted James Fang, President of the BART Board of Directors. The Connector "is a very highly calculated financial risk," he said and admitted “the estimates now for the ridership are miraculous.”

The Oakland Airport Connector will put BART so deep in debt, with a borrowing of up to $150 million, that it will limit their ability to take out loans for critically-needed projects to fix the existing system, like replacing aging BART cars. This will likely lead to more fare increases and service cuts over time as BART riders have to foot the bill for BART's blind decision.

In addition to a financial leap of faith, BART also voted to take a technological leap. TransForm released a letter that outlined why the Doppelmayr Cable Car system won’t meet BART’s basic promise to the region of using proven technology. The letter details why the chosen Automated Guideway Transit (AGT) doesn’t meet BART’s project requirements of using a system that has been in service for at least 2 years. This greatly adds to our risk.

TransForm believes a fast, cutting-edge rapid bus service could dramatically improve service to the Oakland Airport at a tiny fraction of the cost and risk while creating greater safety and economic revitalization. We released our "RapidBART" proposal last year and will soon release a comprehensive Bus Rapid Transit report.

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