Frequently Asked Questions
What is the BART to Livermore Program EIR?
The San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District (BART) is preparing a Program Environmental Impact Report (Program EIR) pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) to consider alternative alignments to extend BART service eastward from its current terminus at the Dublin/Pleasanton BART Station. Upwards of 14 alignments are proposed for evaluation in the Program EIR although others, along with potential variations, may arise based on further analysis or in response to agency or public comment. In summary, the alignments currently under consideration are:
- I-580 Median to Greenville Road
- I-580 Median to Vasco Road ACE Station via Los Positas Road
- I-580 Median to Vasco Road ACE Station via Vasco Road
- I-580 Median to Isabel Avenue / Stanley Boulevard via Isabel Avenue
- I-580 Median to Isabel Avenue / Stanley Boulevard via Quarry Road
- I-580 Median to Isabel Avenue / Stanley Boulevard via El Charro Road
- I-580 Median to Isabel Avenue / Stanley Boulevard via West Jack London Boulevard
- I-580 Median to Livermore Central via Portola/Junction Avenue
- I-580 Median to Livermore Central via Quarry Road and Union Pacific Railroad
Why is BART considering an extension to Livermore?
The purposes of extending BART to Livermore are to increase mobility to and from, as well as through the Tri-Valley region; to reduce transportation-related greenhouse gas emissions; to improve community livability; to reduce congestion on the I-580 corridor; and to create new economic opportunities.
What is a Program EIR?
A Program EIR is a type of “high level” EIR that allows an agency to consider broad policy alternatives and program-wide mitigation measures at an early time, when the agency has greater flexibility to deal with basic issues such as cumulative impacts. Program EIRs may be followed by project-level EIRs or other CEQA documents that evaluate the impacts of specific projects within the program. For example, cities usually prepare Program EIRs to accompany the updating of their General Plans, and evaluate later individual development projects with project-specific EIRs. In the case of the BART-to-Livermore extension, BART is preparing a Program EIR to evaluate alignment alternatives on broad level. At a later date, BART intends to prepare a project-level EIR before making the decision whether to construct a project.
The Program EIR will be used to narrow the range of reasonable and feasible alignment alternatives by evaluating the potential environmental impacts and tradeoffs associated with the different routes, in order to identify alignment and station alternatives that may be considered in a future project-specific environmental document. The Program EIR will provide an overview of potential environmental impacts associated with different alignments and station locations which have been proposed, which will allow BART, in consultation with its local partner agencies to refine station choices during subsequent, more detailed planning, and to begin the process of protecting the right-of-way for future development of a transit system.
Are other transit technologies being considered for the Program EIR?
In the Program EIR, BART intends to evaluate the alternative alignments based on the assumption that the heavy rail technology used in the existing BART system would be used for the extension of service to Livermore. Since heavy rail technology generally would have the greatest environmental impacts, it is reasonable to focus on this technology at the programmatic level. Other technologies will be considered at the project level. Once the process of reviewing the alternative BART alignments is complete and a proposed project is identified, a project-level environmental document will be prepared, most likely an Environmental Impact Report/Environmental Impact Statement (EIR/EIS), which will evaluate a no project scenario as well as alternative transit technologies, potentially including buses, Diesel Multiple Unit (DMU) trains and BART heavy rail.
How does BART to Livermore relate to future upgrades in ACE commuter rail service or future High Speed Rail plans in the Altamont corridor?
Each of the alignments currently under consideration emphasizes interregional rail connectivity. The proposed BART stations would provide convenient transfers to the Altamont Commuter Express (ACE) commuter rail service between Stockton and the San Francisco Bay Area. In the future, these stations may also provide for connections to High Speed Rail (HSR), depending on its final alignment between the Central Valley and the San Francisco Bay Area. The Bay Area Regional Rail Plan recently completed by the Metropolitan Transportation Commission recommended closing the gap between the existing BART and ACE systems at an intermodal station in Livermore.
How does BART to Livermore relate to the various freeway construction projects that are planned for the I-580 corridor in the Tri-Valley?
The Program EIR is being coordinated with the various High Occupancy Vehicle/Toll (HOV/HOT) lane and freeway enhancement projects planned along I-580 in the Tri-Valley. In fact, the Final Program EIR will be a key input to the right-of-way preservation efforts being planned by Alameda County. BART is working closely with the Alameda County Congestion Management Agency (ACCMA) with respect to this issue. Additional information pertaining to the ACCMA’s planned improvements to the I-580 freeway corridor in the Tri-Valley can be found here: www.i580.info.
How is the City of Livermore involved?
For the purposes of the Program EIR, the City of Livermore is a responsible agency under CEQA. BART is working closely with the City of Livermore during the environmental process.
What is the timeline of the Program EIR?
The proposed schedule is for the release of the Draft Program EIR for public review and comment in Winter 2008/2009. The Final Program EIR is expected to be completed in April of 2009. Please feel free to check the BART to Livermore website,
www.barttolivermore.org, for updates.
What if my question is not answered here?
We regret that we cannot address every question at this time, but we are hard at work on the draft Environmental Impact Report (EIR). Please look for the draft EIR to be released in the winter of 2008/2009. At that time, BART will mail notices announcing a public comment period and the regular mail and email addresses where comments may be submitted. BART will also post the regular and email addresses for submitting comments here on the BART to Livermore website,
www.barttolivermore.org. If you wish your comments to be considered as part of the EIR process, please submit them during the public comment period. To be on our email list and receive notices and occasional BART to Livermore updates, please sign up here www.barttolivermore.org/barttolivermore_submit-comments.html.
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