The Alameda-Contra Costa Transit District’s (AC Transit) Board of Directors has voted to award a construction contract to O.C. Jones & Sons. An East Bay based heavy civil construction and general engineering firm, Jones & Sons recently celebrated 90 years of business in Northern California. The $108 million dollar contract includes construction of the infrastructure and station platforms for AC Transit’s first Bus Rapid Transit line.
This Bus Rapid Transit system or BRT will revolutionize public transit in the East Bay by increasing reliability and reducing travel times along one of the region’s busiest corridors. AC Transit’s BRT will operate between downtown Oakland and San Leandro – primarily utilizing historic International Boulevard and East 14th Street. Construction of the 150 block transit service (that spans 9.5 miles) is slated to begin in May 2016 with service expected to begin in November 2017.
The BRT service will replace the portion of existing Line 1 Between 20th Street and Broadway in Uptown Oakland and the San Leandro BART station. The BRT will operate inside a transit-only lane for most of the 9.5 mile route with stops at raised station platforms. The service will run on brand new, environmentally friendly, diesel-electric hybrid buses. These low- CO² emission 60-foot articulated buses are manufactured in the U.S. by New Flyer. Each bus is specially designed with five-doors to quicken the boarding process.
Once aboard BRT, riders will get to their destinations even faster:
- The service will make stops every five minutes during peak hours and every 10 minutes during off-peak hours;
- Stops are spaced an average of one-third of a mile;
- Transit signal priority extends green lights allowing the BRT to maintain its enhanced frequency;
- Interior bike racks will quicken the boarding of cyclist;
- Innovative wheelchair tie-down systems will reduce dwell time to secure passengers.
Bus Rapid Transit offers all the benefits of a light rail train system without the exorbitant cost of building light rail. In the U.S., construction of a typical light rail system averages $70 million per mile or more. By contrast, the BRT’s average construction cost is $25 million per mile which includes new pavement.
“Bus Rapid Transits have reduced travel anywhere from 15 to 50 percent while improving transit reliability by up to 50 percent in several North American cities,” said H. E. Christian Peeples, AC Transit Board president. “However, AC Transit’s BRT goes further by encouraging bicycle travel thorough designated bike lanes and more foot-traffic by utilizing well-designed medians, shorter crossing distances, and pedestrian count-down signals. Ultimately the BRT’s design makes the streets more pleasant to ride, stroll and shop.”
The construction of the BRT was planned in three distinct projects. The first project, which has been completed, was a prep work project to relocate sewer and water lines typically adjacent to future station locations. The second project, which is about 50 percent complete, is a two-part effort to mitigate parking and traffic impacts identified during the environmental phase. Phase two involved the construction of two off-street parking lots, now completed, along International Boulevard near 35th and Auseon Avenues to address parking displacement resulting from new alignment. Phase two also included a street improvement project in the vicinity of Derby Avenue, East 10th and San Leandro Streets to accommodate anticipated increased traffic through this area once the BRT begins operation. The third project, major roadway and station construction, is the award to O.C. Jones & Sons.
The BRT service follows a blueprint of success that finds its origins in the Brazilian state of Parana. Its capital city was bursting at its seams and needed a cost-effective way to move the estimated 1.7 million people who call Curitiba home. That initial BRT was such a success, its model has been replicated in a number of nations including Nigeria, South Africa, China, India, Finland, Israel and now 35 U.S. cities with more being planned.
“Cities around the world have seen Bus Rapid Transit not only improve urban mobility, but also stimulate urban redevelopment,” said AC Transit’s general manager, Michael Hursh. “Businesses along the BRT corridor typically see improved sales and more customers. One U.S. city experienced 59 new developments within a 1500-foot radius of its BRT stations. BRT has proven to improve livability and transform ordinary citizens into transit advocates. The same can happen with AC Transit’s BRT.”
The BRT will make direct connections to 46 bus lines, five BART stations, and the Oakland Airport (via transfers with Line 73 – Eastmont Transit Center/Oakland Airport).
