West County High-Capacity Transit Study
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SPRING 2016 WEST COUNTY HIGH-CAPACITY WHAT IS HIGH- CAPACITY TRANSIT? TRANSIT STUDY High-capacity transit provides In early 2015, we polled the public in west Contra Costa County to better understand substantially higher levels of their transportation priorities. West County residents favored more transit options passenger capacity, typically with and enhancements to existing transit services. They also supported extending transit fewer stops and higher speeds than service to more places in West County and bringing innovative alternatives to the local public bus services. It is the heavily-used Interstate 80 (I-80) corridor. type of transit that people often use for their daily commute to work. The West Contra Costa Transportation Advisory Committee (WCCTAC) is pleased to invite public participation in a 15-month transit study that will examine a wide range of HIGH-CAPACITY TRANSIT possible improvements. CAN INCLUDE: STUDY OVERVIEW • Specialized bus services, including express buses and bus The West County High-Capacity Transit Study will evaluate public transportation rapid transit; options and identify funding opportunities to expand transit service and access for the • Light rail, similar to San more than 250,000 residents of west Contra Costa County. The Study’s final proposal will identify one or more projects to improve the quality and effectiveness of transit in Francisco’s Muni Metro; West County, expand alternatives to driving on congested streets and highways, and • BART; improve regional air quality. • Commuter rail like Capitol In addition to taking a fresh look at the origins and destinations of people who live Corridor (Amtrak); or work in West County, the Study will examine how to encourage transit use and • Ferry services; improve service in underserved communities. • And other options. LEAD STUDY SPONSOR STUDY SPONSORS STUDY PARTNERS WCCTAC is an association of cities and transportation agencies in West County and one of four Regional Transportation Planning Committees in Contra Costa County. WCCTAC serves the residents of El Cerrito, Hercules, Pinole, Richmond, San Pablo, and unincorporated areas of West County. Find out more about WCCTAC at WCCTAC.org. WHY IS WCCTAC CONDUCTING A HIGH- CROCKETT CAPACITY TRANSIT STUDY? SAN FRANCISCOVALLEJO Westbound I-80 is one of the most RODEO 4 MARTINEZ E congested corridors in the Bay Area, and AV HERCULES LO AB P N A the Richmond BART line often reaches S 80 PINOLE full capacity during commute hours. WY K EL SOBRANTE P D SA N N PAB O LO Expanded transit options and capacity M D H AM C SAN I R would provide West County residents, R PABLO D including those located away from 580 RICHMOND MAP KEY major corridors, with more convenient EL CERRITO STUDY AREA and comfortable access to employment CAPITOL CORRIDOR/ AMTRAK CONTRA COSTA centers in San Francisco, Oakland, BART COUNTY STATIONS Berkeley, and Emeryville, as well as the ALAMEDA FERRY ROUTES N COUNTY greater Bay Area job market. COUNTY LINE 0 25 50 MILE 24 YOUR COMMENTS COUNT WCCTAC wants your input so your priorities are reflected in the transit options that move forward for further consideration. WEST COUNTY ROUND 1 ROUND 1 ROUND 2 ROUND 2 TELEPHONE CALL-IN ONLINE COMMUNITY ONLINE COMMUNITY *Note: Toll-free call-in details will SURVEY WORKSHOPS SURVEY WORKSHOPS be mailed out and posted online FINAL PROPOSAL WHAT Learn more about the Study and Provide input on the Provide input on the concurrent planning efforts preliminary list of alternatives draft alternatives NOVEMBER 2015 APRIL 2016 FALL 2016 SPRING 2017 WHEN FOR MORE INFORMATION Visit WestCountyTransitStudy.com for more information about the Study and opportunities to provide input. If you need language assistance services, please call (510) 464-6752. Kung kailangan mo ang tulong ng mga serbisyo ng wika, paki tawagan ang (510) 464-6752. Nếu quý vị cần dịch vụ trợ giúp về ngôn ngữ, xin vui lòng gọi số (510) 464-6752. 통역이 필요하신 분은, 510-464-6752 로 문의하십시오. Notification Content for West County Transit Study Community Workshops and Online Survey (First Round) March 14, 2016 Background Information for Partner and Supporting Agencies The West Contra Costa Transportation Advisory Committee (WCCTAC) will be hosting a series of community workshops and an online survey to receive input on the West County High-Capacity Transit Study. The first round of community workshops will be held in April of 2016 in the cities of Pinole, Richmond and San Pablo. All of the community workshops will be held in Council Chambers on weekday evenings. The workshop format will be a combined open-house and presentation with informative, interactive project exhibit displays at different stations and handouts (project fact sheets, comment cards). The topics for this first round of workshops will include: Study process; Travel market analysis and findings; and Study alternatives. Refreshments will be served at the community workshops and participants will have an opportunity at each workshop to win five Clipper Cards valued at $10 each, donated by 511ContraCosta.org. To ensure maximum attendance and participation in the community workshops and online survey, WCCTAC staff has been working with member agencies and partners to develop compelling messages and utilize their existing communication channels to ensure broad public notification. As part of the public outreach effort, social media, newspaper, and online advertising will be used to increase awareness of the workshops, Study process, and purpose of the survey. WCCTAC staff has developed tailored notification materials publicizing the community workshops and online survey across the most popular channels of communication. We would greatly appreciate your assistance in helping us get the word out about these important community workshops, using the notification text below. There is room in the E-blast boilerplate for your agency to customize the message to express that you are “proud to be a key partner in the West County High-Capacity Transit Study.” For questions or concerns, please contact Leah Greenblat at [email protected] or 510.210.5935. Thank you. Page 1 of 4 Content Eblast Subject Line: Learn How You Can Help Shape the Future of West County Transportation! Is getting around West County getting harder? Is traffic on I-80 at every hour of the day getting you down? If you’re interested in helping us design public transportation that works for you, join us at a community workshop to help shape the future of transit in West County. The West Contra Costa Transportation Advisory Committee (WCCTAC) is hosting a series of community workshops and an online survey to develop realistic public transportation alternatives to driving and commuting on congested roadways. Do you live in Richmond and want an express bus to see your family in Oakland? Do you live in Hercules and want BART to get you into San Francisco on workdays? These are just some of the options being considered, but we need your input to decide which ones will move one step closer to reality. If you live, work, or travel anywhere in West County and are interested in expanding your transportation options, we want to hear from you! Attend the workshop closest to you or the one that works best for your schedule (the same information will be provided at each workshop). Attendees will have a chance to win pre-loaded Clipper Cards from 511ContraCosta.org! West County Community Workshops: Tuesday, April 12 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. San Pablo City Council Chambers 13831 San Pablo Avenue, San Pablo Add to calendar: Google | Outlook | iCal Wednesday, April 13 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Pinole City Council Chambers 2131 Pear Street, Pinole Add to calendar: Google | Outlook | iCal Thursday, April 14 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Richmond City Council Chambers 440 Civic Center Plaza, Richmond Add to calendar: Google | Outlook | iCal If you can’t make it to one of the workshops, we still want to hear your opinion. One week before the April meetings, we’ll post a brief survey to learn more about your preferred travel methods and favorite destinations at www.WestCountyTransitStudy.com. Using your input, we’ll determine which transit options will make it to the next stage, and we plan to have a second round of workshops in the fall to find out what you think. Page 2 of 4 This is your chance to help shape the future of West County transportation. Get involved and make sure your voice is heard! (Agency name here) is proud to be a key partner in the West County High-Capacity Transit Study. This Study will evaluate public transportation options and identify funding opportunities to expand transit service and access for the more than 250,000 residents of west Contra Costa County. The Study’s final proposal will identify one or more projects to improve the quality and effectiveness of transit in West County, expand alternatives to driving on congested streets and highways, and improve regional air quality. In addition to taking a fresh look at the origins and destinations of people who live or work in West County, the Study will also examine how to encourage transit use and improve service to underserved communities. The Study is sponsored by the West Contra Costa Transportation Advisory Committee (WCCTAC), the Contra Costa Transportation Authority (CCTA), the Bay Area Rapid Transit District (BART), and the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC). Other key partners include the Alameda-Contra Costa Transit District (AC Transit), the Capitol Corridor Joint Powers Authority (CCJPA/Amtrak), the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans), and the Western Contra Costa Transit Authority (WestCAT). Facebook Post Is getting around West County getting harder? If so, we want to hear from you! We need your input to expand and improve mass transit alternatives to driving, like BART, commuter rail, bus rapid transit, and express buses.