MTC approves funding for Oakland Airport Connector project

The Metropolitan Transportation Commission voted 6-2 to allocate all $20 million of this year's state transportation improvement funding to the Oakland, Calif., Airport Connector (OAC) project.

The Oakland Airport
Connector, once built, will replace the AirBART buses that often are bogged
down by Hegenberger Road traffic, Coliseum sporting events, freight trains and
accidents, all of which create great angst for anxious air travelers rushing to
make their flights.

By contrast, the connector
will be a far more relaxing ride. The Automated People Movers (APMs) will offer
swift, reliable world-class service because they will be all electric and run
on a fixed, elevated guideway above the congestion. The APMs will arrive at the
Coliseum BART Station every 4.5 minutes and will quickly transport air
travelers to the airport in 8 minutes and 12 seconds with an on-time
performance exceeding 99 percent.

The local communities have
fought in support of the OAC project for years. Through extensive public outreach,
the OAC project garnered voter approval and the support of the elected
officials at MTC, Port of Oakland, Alameda County CMA, ACTIA and the City of
Oakland. This public process has been transparent from the outset.

The $484-million project is
expected to create between 2,500 and 5,000 direct and indirect jobs during the
three and a half year construction phase, which could begin as early as late
2010.