MTC hedges their bet on the Oakland Airport Connector

BART given until February 16 to create civil rights action plan for Feds

Facing a triple-overflow crowd at the monthly meeting of the Metropolitan Transportation Commission commissioners followed MTC Executive Director Steve Heminger's council to "hedge their bet." A growing minority of the commission is concerned that they could lose $70 Million in federal stimulus funds if BART continues to railroad the expensive and exclusive "sky tram" to the airport without adequate consideration to the equity of their plan. By an 11-5 vote the MTC approved a set of resolutions that gives BART until February 16th--12 working days--to come up with an equity action plan to meet the demands of the Federal Transit Administration who recently found BART in violation of their obligations under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act. If BART can't meet the deadline, the money will be distributed to transit operators (BART, MUNI, AC Transit, VTA and others) for a broad variety of operations and maintence expenditures that will prevent layoffs and service cutbacks across the region.

The MTC set a follow-up meeting for February 17th. Transportation Justice activists vowed to keep the pressure on to build a more equitable transit system.

Background

In its Jan. 15 letter to BART and MTC, the FTA said that pursuing the Connector project "involves considerable risk to the $70 million in ARRA funds currently programmed by the FTA for the project." The FTA ruling came in response to a complaint filed by the non-profit law firm Public Advocates on behalf of Urban Habitat, TransForm and Genesis.

BART estimates the Connector will attract 600 new riders and cost more than a half-billion dollars to build. The 3.2-mile tram will cost riders $6 each way, on top of the cost of their BART tickets, and make no stops between BART's Coliseum station and the airport. The FTA ruling supports the main objection voiced by transit justice advocates: In addition to being expensive and inefficient, the Airport Connector as proposed deprives low-income riders in communities of color equal access to transit. By funding the Connector when lower cost options are available, the MTC would be taking money away from those who use and need transit the most.