Future routing of the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) lines has become a major local concern lately, and the communities of Pleasanton, Dublin and Livermore are working together to see that the Tri-Valley is included in any extension of the BART system.

"Growth and improvement are inevitable in this area, and it is of utmost importance that the Tri-Valley be adequately serviced for our mass transit needs," stated Pleasanton City Council member Ken Mercer. "We have already experienced some major growth and there is no question that it's going to continue."

Along with representatives Pete Snyder, Mayor of Dublin, and Ayn Wieskamp, Livermore Councilwoman, Mercer listened to input from Tri-Valley residents before drawing up a resolution at a January 18 meeting. The resolution was subsequently presented by all 3 city councils to the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) on January 26.

Under the resolution, the BART line would follow a proposed route  along Interstate 580 from Castro Valley to east of Pleasanton. Two stations, one in downtown Dublin/Stoneridge Mall and one near the proposed Hacienda interchange were proposed in the resolution, rather than just the one called for in BART's original I-580 plan. An extension to Livermore is not included in this phase, but Livermore's projected growth should warrant further extension of the BART system within the next 20 years.

Prior to a series of public hearings and meetings, BART had proposed and supported a route that would have taken it through some residential neighborhoods in northeast Pleasanton, a plan that many Pleasanton residents and business people opposed.

"Without the highway route, it is difficult to serve any basic market community," agreed Joe Callahan, of Callahan-Pentz Properties, who, along with The Prudential Insurance Company of America, is a co-developer of Hacienda Business Park. "Over the next 20 years, the 580 route is the one that would most be able to conveniently serve the Tri-Valley area without having to disrupt the neighborhoods."

Concerned citizens from throughout the Bay Area as well as the Tri-Valley have voiced their concerns and needs for convenient mass transit services. The MTC, however, distributes the money and sets priorities for BART extensions. Four additional extensions besides the Tri-Valley are being considered, including extensions from Daly City to the San Francisco Airport, in Fremont to Warm Springs, in Concord to north Concord, and from the Oakland Coliseum to the Oakland Airport. The Tri-Valley extension has not been considered a top priority, even though residents have been paying additional sales taxes for BART for over 20 years.

The MTC will vote in February on which Bay Area transit projects to pursue in the next 10 years. Rail extensions other than BART will also be voted on for other areas. The MTC listened to input from Bay Area citizens at a public meeting in Oakland on January 26. Several Tri-Valley residents turned out for the meeting to voice their support for the extension to the valley.

Alameda County Supervisor Don Excell spoke in favor of the extension, stating he would like to see the BART board purchase a route to the Valley and build stations and parking facilities. "We have a commitment to the whole mass transit system and would like to make the area a focal point for any BART related transportation system," he said.

Pleasanton Councilwoman Karen Mohr pointed out that Pleasanton and Tri-Valley residents had been paying 20 years for a transportation system that had yet to materialize. That, coupled with the expected growth in the area, would be enough to justify a BART extension to the Tri-Valley.

"The current and projected growth in the area would provide maximum utilization of BART, both coming into the area and going toward San Francisco," she stated. "We have been paying for a system we could definitely use."

To see a reproduction of the original article and edition of Pleasanton Pathways, visit: February 6, 1984 Pathways.