August, 2010 Update:
Despite our efforts the City of Walnut Creek declined to accept the pathway into their maintained system. At the end of the day we identified the maintenance funding source (not WC), agreed to cover all the capital costs and they still would not go for it. They cited additional security costs.
Our assessment is that the project is on hold for a couple of years. When economic times are better there may not be the aversion that is currently manifesting itself. Our request for consideration, unfortunately, came at the same time the City of cutting local services, including police. Bad timing.
James Kennedy, Redevelopment Director
Contra Costa County
Department of Conservation and Development
2530 Arnold Drive, Suite 190
Martinez, CA 94553
(925) 335-7225
(925) 335-7201 FAX
Here’s a link to the County’s website with more information: Pleasant Hill BART Shortcut Path
July, 2008 Update:
A Safe Routes to Transit (SR2T) plan to build a multiuse path from Concord to Pleasant Hill BART was denied by the Walnut Creek City Council on July 15, 2008. EBBC had helped to prioritize the project for SR2T funding and wrote a last ditch letter of support on EBBC letterhead for the project. The proposal had also received a funding committment from CoCoCo and support from BART and the East Bay Regional Park District.
The following letter from EBBC supporter Mike Ceaser was published in the CoCo Times on July 21, 2008. Another 20 similar letters directed to the Walnut Creek City Council could reignite the discussion.
Dear Editor,
The Walnut Creek City Council’s decision not to fund construction of a bike path to Pleasant Hill BART is very unfortunate for the region. While the project carries a price tag, it is tiny compared to the many millions of
dollars spent routinely in the Bay Area on highways and freeways – which mean more air pollution and deepen America’s unsustainable dependance on fossil fuels imported from overseas dictatorships.
If California really wants to reduce dependance on driving, with all the benefits that will bring for the health, the environment and economic security, then we’re going to have to figure out how to fund projects to enable people to walk and bike to transit.
Ultimately, thanks to a healthier, more physically-active population breathing cleaner air and importing less from overseas, investments in clean transit will save much more than they cost.
Best regards,
Mike Ceaser
Walnut Creek, CA