01 May Pittsburg Breaks Ground for BART Connectivity Project

From left: Jacklyn Duque of the Office of Assemblyman Tim Grayson; David Ambuehl, CalTrans; Tim Haile, Contra Costa Transportation Authority; Pittsburg City Manager Garrett Evans; Pittsburg Mayor Juan Antonio Banales; BART Board Vice President Mark Foley; Pittsburg Chamber of Commerce President Nancy Hairsine; CCTA Chair/Mayor of Danville Newell Arnerich at the groundbreaking of the BART Connectivity Project. (City of Pittsburg via Bay City News)

By Bay City News

The city of Pittsburg and the Contra Costa Transportation Authority recently broke ground for the BART Connectivity Project, which will add more than 1.5 miles of new trails to the city and connect developments to public transportation.

“This project has been envisioned as part of the Railroad Avenue Specific Plan since its adoption in 2009, and the project in itself is a traffic mitigation measure, in that it will further provide residents with a safe alternative to the automobile, encouraging fewer cars on the road,” said Pittsburg Mayor Juan Antonio Banales.

A press release from the city reported the project to be the largest single implementation of the Pittsburg Active Transportation Plan to date.

The total cost is expected to be approximately $9 million. The project was made possible with funds from the Metropolitan Transportation Commission’s One Bay Area Grant of $3.87 million; CCTA’s $600,000 Pedestrian, Bicycle and Trail Facilities grant; a $700,000 Safe Routes to BART grant from BART; $58,000 from CalTrans’ Transportation Development Act, which provides funding for projects that comply with regional transportation plans; $3.22 million from the city’s Local Traffic Mitigation Fees; and $540,000 from the city’s Measure J and Measure M funds.

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“The project will also help transform Railroad Avenue, adding an aesthetic value that will welcome residents and visitors entering and commuting,” added Banales.

CCTA chair and Danville Mayor Newell Arnerich noted the importance of providing infrastructure for future generations.

“This project highlights what can be accomplished when multiple agencies come together with the focus of achieving a common goal,” Arnerich said. “Here, we have a product of that collaboration, and it can be a catalyst to help move Contra Costa transportation forward.”

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