A Half-Billion Dollar Waste of Public Funds

Despite huge costs, questionable benefits, and risks to all BART riders, BART is moving ahead with the Oakland Airport Connector.

Watch TransForm's new presentation on how the OAC ridership has gone from over 10,000 new daily riders to less than 500.

Former State Senator Don Perata recently sent a letter to the Metropolitan Transportation Commission, calling the OAC “too much money for too little transit and economic value.” Shortly after this, the Oakland Port Commission, in voting to move forward with a funding application for the OAC, asked BART to look into alternatives. 

Several agencies will be voting on the OAC in the coming weeks – we need to keep up the pressure to ensure that a rapid bus alternative is studied. Please sign up for OAC action alerts to hear about ways you can make a difference.

This is not the project that was approved in 2002!

The Oakland Airport Connector's costs have ballooned from the voter-approved $130 million in 2000 to $522 million today. BART plans to charge riders up to $12 round trip (in addition to the price of a rider's BART ticket) for a slow, three mile journey. Community-serving intermediate stops have been removed from the project, removing the economic development aspects of the project. In addition, the $522 million price tag will make it more difficult for BART to meet the needs of its core system, including station renovation, the purchase of new cars, and improvements in existing service (cleaner cars, more frequent trains, for example).

TransForm proposes RapidBART, a superior alternative.

TransForm believes there is a better and much more affordable alternative to the Oakland Airport Connector as currently proposed. We call it RapidBART. Despite what they contiunue to tell the public, BART has never studied a true Bus Rapid Transit option, one that can bypass traffic.

The RapidBART service outlined in this report would:

• Cost dramatically less (possibly as much 90% less to build!).
• Have similar travel times to the proposed Connector.
• Allow intermediate stops to better serve the East Oakland community.
• Keep BART from incurring any debt or risk.
• Result in more, sustainable long-term jobs.

Become informed:

• Read the report. RapidBART: The fast, free airport connection that will save $400 million and help the community.
• Learn more about how BART's current proposal has changed significantly.
• Check out the great photosimulations of the RapidBART proposal.
• Watch the RapidBART Press Conference (Part I and II).
• View photos from the RapidBART Release.