From: adrian@ntmtv.UUCP (Adrian Brandt)
Subject: BART *into* SF Airport after all?
Organization: Northern Telecom Inc, Mountain View, CA
Distribution: ca
Date: Tue, 13 Oct 1992 22:26:43 GMT

I just heard a report on KCBS "NewsRadio" AM 740 that Senator
Quentin Kopp (I-San Francisco) is spearheading a new push to
get the SF airport BART extension to actually go *into* the
airport.  The report mentioned a petition drive to get the issue
on the ballot in San Francisco.

Kopp is again pushing the proposal he made earlier in the SF
airport extension process that would run a single track loop
through (underneath?) the airport.  Earlier, the local preferred
route selection committee had examined and rejected this proposal
for the time being, as there was no money for this very costly
addition.  Kopp is proposing that a $3.00 airport ticket tax on
all airline tickets be used to fund BART into the airport.

The radio report said that Kopp feels going into the airport is 
very important for convenience and the corresponding increased
transit ridership and cleaner air.  The current vision of BART
to the airport would have BART ending at a CalTrain and airport
people-mover transfer station just west of highway 101 and across
from the airport terminals.  Original cost estimates (that are
already reported to be too low) put the internal vs. external
BART extension costs at $1+ billion and $600+ million, respectively.

The current "agreement" reached by the locally preferred alternative
selection committee is that BART will stop at the external station,
but will be designed to allow for Kopp's proposed internal loop
to be added on later--if, and when, funds become available.  This
was viewed by transit activists as a way of appeasing Kopp.

I don't have the study handy, but as I recall, the external
alternative was chosen because the huge additional cost of going
into the airport was 1) not available, and 2) was not justified
since ridership for this option (according to the study) was
only marginally higher.  It is expected that the airport people-
mover will loop out to the CalTrain line and future BART station
site (for the external BART option) by 1996/97 as part of the
airport's massive expansion program.  The people-mover would be
an automated (driverless) system and is anticipated to run at
3-minute headways connecting all terminals, the CalTrain/BART
station, and the long-term parking areas and the large United
Airlines maintenance facility north of the airport.  The people-
mover would be paid for by the airport and would not cost any-
thing to ride.

Earlier, Quentin Kopp had been adamant to the point of being
fanatical about BART having to go *into* the airport.  Cost be
damned, apparently.  Most of us thought that he had been tamed
by the "bargain" the locally preferred selection committee had
reached with him.  Apparently, we were wrong.  Kopp is powerful
since he is the chair of the Senate Transportation Committee.
He has already demonstrated his power by single-handedly delaying
(and possibly killing) study of the BayLink proposal (ACR 107)*.

News of this new push to go into the airport can't mean anything
more than more delays and uncertainty about the BART airport
extension.  If Kopp is successful, you can tack at least another
few years and another several hundred million dollars onto the
BART airport extension.

Quentin Kopp's district office is at 363 El Camino Real #205, South
San Francisco, CA 94080, (415) 952-5666.


* Kopp stated in an August 21 letter to the Sierra Club: "I have
since discovered the $200,000 contemplated for expenditure by ACR
107 [the BayLink study] would emanate from toll revenues specifically
allocated for the costs of water transit service on the Bay and
construction and maintenance of bicycle trails."  I wonder how much
money will be pissed away by Kopp's new BART into the airport push?
Hint: already, it is known that BART airport *studies* will cost in
excess of $30 million.  Ain't politics great?

-- 

Adrian Brandt (415) 940-2379
UUCP: ...!ames!ntmtv!adrian
ARPA: ntmtv!adrian@ames.arc.nasa.gov
Newsgroups: ba.transportation