Trains to BART's West Dublin/Pleasanton Station, Number 44, Now Rolling Along

If you wanted the distinction of riding the first train out of the new West Dublin/Pleasanton BART station, you had to get up early. It left for Daly City right on time, at 6:03 am Saturday morning, February 19, to the accompaniment of a rainbow, captured on BARTtv News. Had it not been a weekend, you would have had to be there even sooner. Now running on a regular schedule, the first morning train during the work week departs at 4:15 am. Nighttime service wraps up at 12:46 am westbound and 1:25 am eastbound.

The opening of the Bay Area Rapid Transit's 44th station was formally observed on Friday, February 18, with a rousing celebration that included bagpipers, a jazz band, balloons, and a cake, along with a gathering of dignitaries and special guests.

Officials are proud of the "smart growth" the new infill stop represents, bringing together transit and neighboring development. The infill approach was also a BART first, entailing the need to work around an already operating transit line. The answer to the challenges caused by construction was considered an "engineering marvel." Trains were single-tracked when necessary, causing only "minimal service interruptions," according to Jim Gravesande, the BART group manager for the project.

The station is also notable for the innovative public-private partnership that provided funding. More than $30 million came from entities such as Jones Lang LaSalle, Windstar Communities, and Cornerstone Real Estate Advisors in tandem with the Alameda County Surplus Property Authority, the Cities of Dublin and Pleasanton, and the Tri-Valley Transportation Commission.

"We used the land as leverage to get funding for the project," Gravesande comments. "We have not impacted BART's operating budget to build this project. It's a model that can be used in the future."

With the station in place, the mixed-use residential and retail development envisioned for the western quadrants of Pleasanton and Dublin is expected to turn the area into a transit hub. Several of the first-day riders walked to the station from nearby neighborhoods. The new pedestrian/bicycle walkway from the station over I-680 to Stoneridge Shopping Center further supports its appeal from both a convenience and environmental perspective. With 4,300 passengers anticipated each day from the station, BART calculates that 97,180 pounds of carbon dioxide will be prevented from entering the atmosphere daily. This number will only grow as ridership increases in future years.

On the Pleasanton side, the new station is served by Wheels Routes 3/3V, 53, 70XV, the new Rapid line, and the Tri-Delta Transit Dublin/Pleasanton Delta Express. On the Dublin side, the station is served by LAVTA Route 3.

The $106 million project also included the construction of two adjacent parking structures, one in Dublin and the other in Pleasanton, with 722 and 468 spaces, respectively. The first addition to the BART network since the San Francisco airport extension opened in 2003, the new stop breaks up what had been the longest stretch of tracks between two stations, 10 miles from Castro Valley to Dublin/Pleasanton.

Visit www.bart.org for more information, including schedules, ticket prices, and construction highlights.

Photo: With the opening of West Dublin/Pleasanton, the area now has two BART stations.

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