Transportation Justice Program
FTA Investigating BART for Potential Civil Rights Violations
Oakland Airport Connector Complaint Leads to Broader Title VI Probe
November 17th, 2009
San Francisco, CA—The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Office of Civil Rights will conduct an on-site compliance review of BART’s entire Title VI program “within the next several months,” based in part on a complaint filed by transit policy experts and community advocacy groups. That complaint charged that in the rush to build the controversial Oakland Airport Connector (OAC), BART officials were evading well-established civil rights obligations.
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Despite recession, development moves forward in San Leandro - Oakland Tribune
City hopes new projects will increase tax revenue
By Jason Sweeney
SAN LEANDRO — Economic activity has slowed around the country, but that doesn't mean big things aren't in the works in San Leandro.
"We're in an interesting situation in that there is a recession, but there are still a lot of projects going on in San Leandro," said Cynthia Battenberg, city business development manager. "There's actually a lot of exciting development going on."
By Jason Sweeney
SAN LEANDRO — Economic activity has slowed around the country, but that doesn't mean big things aren't in the works in San Leandro.
"We're in an interesting situation in that there is a recession, but there are still a lot of projects going on in San Leandro," said Cynthia Battenberg, city business development manager. "There's actually a lot of exciting development going on."
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Oakland City Council Supports Airport Connector, With Conditions
Last night, the Oakland City Council voted on two meaty, controversial transportation topics back-to-back. First up was the parking meter fee controversy. Parking meter fees were rolled back from 8:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. on a 6-1 vote, and billboard revenue would be used toward filling the budget shortfall that has been reintroduced with the Council’s retreat from parking. Given indications from various Councilmembers that they were planning to succumb to the public outcry over the increased parking fees, the vote in favor of rolling back the fees was disappointing, but not surprising.
Immediately after parking, the Council heard the Oakland Airport Connector. In spite of the Chronicle reporting that the City Council was leaning toward opposing the Connector, the Council did not ultimately adopt the resolution proposed jointly by Kaplan and Nadel. (That was the resolution that would have opposed the Connector, while supporting a more cost-effective bus alternative that would have allowed ARRA federal stimulus funds to be distributed to Bay Area transit agencies.)
Immediately after parking, the Council heard the Oakland Airport Connector. In spite of the Chronicle reporting that the City Council was leaning toward opposing the Connector, the Council did not ultimately adopt the resolution proposed jointly by Kaplan and Nadel. (That was the resolution that would have opposed the Connector, while supporting a more cost-effective bus alternative that would have allowed ARRA federal stimulus funds to be distributed to Bay Area transit agencies.)
Oakland council supports BART airport connector
OAKLAND — Oakland's City Council decided to support to BART's plans to build a rail connector between the Coliseum station and the Oakland International Airport early Wednesday — but only provided certain conditions are met.
A vote in support of BART's plans came at about 1 a.m. after nearly three hours of public comment and debate on the connector, which supporters see as a signature infrastructure project for the East Bay, but that critics call a money-wasting boondoggle.
BART Unresponsive to Civil Rights Impacts of Oakland Airport Connector
Advocates File Federal Civil Rights Complaint
September 3, 2009
Entering a new phase in BART's controversial Oakland Airport Connector (OAC) project, Bay Area transit policy experts and community advocacy groups have filed a Title VI Civil Rights administrative complaint with the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) charging BART with failing to comply with federal civil rights obligations.
The complaint, filed by Public Advocates Inc. on behalf of TransForm, Urban Habitat and Genesis, asserts that BART failed to evaluate whether the planned OAC will have a discriminatory impact on minority and low-income populations. If discriminatory impacts are found, BART is required to explore less discriminatory alternatives that meet the needs of the project at a lower cost to taxpayers.
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Contact the Transportation Program
To find out more about our current campaigns and how you can help out, please contact:
Bob Allen at 510-839-9510 x 312 or
Bob can also be contacted by bob@urbanhabitat.org.
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Oakland Airport Connector
The Connector is a $550 million dollar boondoogle that will cost jobs at BART, AC Transit and other transit operators as well contribute to service cuts and rising fares at these agencies. A coalition of community, policy and labor groups continues to chip away at the Connector and its assets.
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Oakland Airport Connector
The Connector is a $550 million dollar boondoogle that will cost jobs at BART, AC Transit and other transit operators as well contribute to service cuts and rising fares at these agencies. A coalition of community, policy and labor groups continues to chip away at the Connector and its assets.
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