Night Board meeting Thursday covers BART to OAK, Civic Center bike station, labor issues
The BART Board of Directors will meet Thursday, Sept. 25, at 5 pm to consider a number of important issues, including a new bike station at Civic Center that will expand secure bike parking, and ratifying the labor contract with the BART Police officers and managers unions. The Board also will receive an update on on the BART to OAK Airport extension.
The meeting is at the BART Board Room in Kaiser Center, 300 20th St, in Oakland. It also will be webcast live; to watch the live video stream go to www.bart.gov/board. You can download the full agenda as a PDF to see all the issues to be considered.
BART TO OAK
The update on the BART to OAK Airport comes as the project is getting closer and closer to completion, with opening expected for late this year. Testing of the automated guideway cars already has begun; you may see them gliding along on the elevated trackway if you travel on Hegenberger Road near the airport.
The BART to OAK Airport update presentation that the board will discuss is an attachment to the agenda packet here (you must download the agenda with Adobe Reader to access the attachment). You can watch a short video for more information about the testing and the project itself on YouTube here.
CIVIC CENTER BIKE STATION
In news that may interest bicylists, the Board will consider authorizing a contract for construction of a new Civic Center Bike Station.
"Additional bicycle parking is needed at Civic Center because existing racks are currently at capacity, and demand is anticipated to grow," the discussion points state. The project will provide additional secure bike parking in the free area on the concourse level of the station. The new Bike Station includes a smart card controlled access area with 89 bike rack spaces, similar to the facilities at Embarcadero Station, and an adjacent open access area with 60 bike rack spaces. The open access area could be merged with the controlled access area in the future if demand warrants.
More information on BART bike issues is available at http://www.bart.gov/bikes.
POLICE CONTRACT RATIFICATION
In addition, the Board is scheduled to vote on whether to ratify the recently negotiated labor agreements with the BART Police Officers' Association (BPOA) and the BART Police Managers' Association.
Also on the agenda is formal acceptance of a report from an outside consultant giving recommendations on how to have a smoother labor negotiation process when contracts are up for renewal again.