Extending the
Reach of Rail with eBART

Top down. Wind in your hair. Nothing like a drive. Downside is, passenger-less drivers contribute to congestion. And highway improvements alone won’t solve traffic congestion. Upside: eBART.
The Authority and the Bay Area Rapid Transit District (BART) are working together on the eBART

project to provide a transit alternative to clogged roads. eBART is a rail transit extension that would link East County with BART’s Pittsburg/Bay Point Station. Various options are being evaluated as part of the ongoing environmental review process, including one option

with the extension in the median of State Route 4. Some funds have been secured from sources such as Regional Measure 2 and the Contra Costa half-cent transportation sales tax, but additional project funding is needed from federal and state sources.

Carpooling,
Vanpooling
and Telecommuting

With biking, transit and walking, rounding off the list of commute alternatives, 511 Contra Costa implements a program of promotions to reduce solo driving. The results are impressive as 10,000 commuters used 511 Contra Costa services in 2006 and approximately 1.7 million vehicle trips were reduced along with 24 tons of polluting emissions.

To coordinate commute alternative planning in Contra Costa County, the Authority oversees three funding sources: Contra Costa half-cent transportation sales tax funds, the Transportation Fund for

Clean Air, and the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality fund. To allow for responsive project planning at the local level, the Authority does not directly implement these programs but works with staff of the Regional Transportation Planning Committees to implement the 511 Contra Costa programs.

Jump on
the Bus

Bus service in Contra Costa County provides a stress-free way to get around, with the added benefit of overall congestion reduction. The Authority allocates funding to support bus transit programs by coordinating with the county transit operators. Funds can be used for anything from purchasing vehicles, to improving service and supporting capital programs. Currently, AC Transit, County Connection, Tri Delta Transit and WestCAT are putting the funds to good use; see below for routes and programs receiving funding.