Lured by the possibility of state funding for new transportation projects, regional transportation planners and officials quickly pulled together a package of proposals last month, featuring faster, better bus service. At the March 29 special meeting of the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC), called to approve the package and send it to the Governor's office for possible funding in the next state budget, participants strolled across the street to view the first of a new fleet of AC Transit luxury express buses for longer commute rides.
While other parts of MTC's Transportation Blueprint for the 21st Century (see March/April 2000 issue) were represented, particularly several commuter rail projects, the "rapid bus" concept was the centerpiece of the package sent to Sacramento. Even the highway funding segment featured HOV lanes and other improvements intended to make buses run more efficiently. The MTC staff report stated, "The principal finding of our Blueprint evaluation report is that the fastest growing parts of the Bay Area are best served by a fleet of express buses operating on the region's expanding network of HOV lanes. The challenge before the region is to build on the successful express bus services offered by Golden Gate Transit and AC Transit into San Francisco and to emulate the more fully developed systems operating in Seattle, Vancouver, and Curitiba, Brazil." The evaluation report rated express or rapid bus programs very high in cost-effectiveness by several standards.
Rapid bus transit (RBT) combines operational and equipment choices to provide riders with a faster, more comfortable trip, creating incentives to use transit rather than drive. Express buses, one version of RBT, characteristically take buses out of mixed-flow traffic, simplify routes, limit stops and offer comfortable buses for longer rides. Typically, RBT systems include some or all of these features:
As noted in the MTC report, two Bay Area transit systems already run some form of RBT service. Golden Gate Transit's service to San Francisco from Marin and Sonoma Counties uses coaches with upholstered, reclining seats and reading lights. On many routes, buses make only a few stops at each end of the route, with a lengthy non-stop segment in between. On the other hand, AC Transit service from the East Bay into San Francisco has used the same coaches as local service, and some routes have full local service at the East Bay end. Some Transbay routes are now taking advantage of new HOV lanes on I-80 to make trip times competitive with driving.
The next steps for AC Transit include the new luxury coaches on express runs, and plans for a new RBT corridor along San Pablo Avenue. The 28 new high-quality inter-city buses, the first of which was demonstrated at the MTC meeting, will be available by May. They will operate on Transbay lines serving El Sobrante, Richmond, Castro Valley, San Leandro, Hayward, San Lorenzo, Newark, Fremont and Union City, as well as the A line from Oakland International Airport to San Francisco. Passengers will find reclining seats, reading lights and power outlets for portable computers, luggage space, and air conditioning. Each bus can accommodate 57 seated passengers and two passengers in wheelchairs.
Along San Pablo Avenue, AC Transit has been working with other agencies, including Caltrans, MTC and the Alameda County Congestion Management Agency, as well as affected cities, to enhance the corridor with a series of improvements to relieve traffic congestion. Recent public meetings have considered AC Transit changes which would increase bus service to every 10 minutes, use signal priority to speed buses through intersections, consolidate some bus lines, move bus stops, and add a limited-stop service. Cities in the corridor are currently reluctant to change parking regulations to facilitate another strategy, a bus-only lane in some portions of the corridor during peak commute hours.
AC Transit buses on I-880 were included in the MTC package sent to the governor. Also included was service by other transit agencies on I-80, including "Superbus" rapid bus service extending from Fairfield to the Bay Bridge using new and existing HOV lanes, connecting to BART at the El Cerrito del Norte station, and ending at the San Francisco Transbay Terminal. This extended-hours service would stop at Park-and-Ride lots along I-80. As part of the RBT system, transfer points called Super Hubs would link bus riders to other transit systems. Service would also be provided between the Vallejo Ferry Terminal and Sacramento.
On Highway 101, express buses would use carpool lanes from Santa Rosa to the Richmond-San Rafael bridge exit on Highway 101, from the San Rafael Transit Center into San Francisco, and from Sonoma County to the Larkspur ferry. Super Hubs would be created in Santa Rosa, San Rafael and Larkspur.
Transbay service would expand bus service across both the San Mateo-Hayward and Dumbarton bridges, using bus bypass lanes at the toll plazas, with connections to Caltrain and BART. Express buses would operate along I-280 on the Peninsula, and through the Santa Clara Valley.
Express bus service was also proposed along I-680 from central Contra Costa County to Santa Clara Valley, serving major business parks in San Ramon and Pleasanton and connecting with the ACE train at a Pleasanton Super Hub. Improved rapid bus service along Highway 4 would feed the Pittsburg-Bay Point BART station, using Park-and-Ride lots located at BART extension station sites. A similar BART feeder service would run along I-580 from the San Joaquin Valley to the Dublin/Pleasanton station, and a new ACE commuter rail connection would be created at Greenville Road near Livermore.
With full state funding for the MTC proposals, approximately $130 million would be spent on capital expenses, including $70 million for high-quality buses. $60 million would be spent on expanded Park-and-Ride lots at strategic locations, and direct HOV access facilities for buses. The proposal included new operating costs of approximately $32 million per year; additional funds would also be needed. It is estimated that by 2020 the system would attract 18,000 riders per day who would otherwise drive.
Several hurdles lie ahead. At the beginning of April, the governor announced his transportation plan, which favored transit and included many projects supported by MTC, but placed less emphasis on cost-effective RBT programs than MTC's package. There are inherent uncertainties in the state budget process, and part of the transportation money proposed by the governor would depend on approval of bonds which would appear on the November ballot. In addition, the MTC package of 39 projects carried a price tag of $3.7 billion, with only $1.6 billion requested from state funds. The remainder would need to be provided from either local or federal funds, which are not guaranteed to be available.
Nevertheless, unified regional support for the MTC proposal should work toward the success of a significant portion of the package in the long run. Meanwhile, individual districts such as AC Transit will continue implementation of rapid bus service, building toward the vision of an express bus network throughout the region.
Leslie Stewart
For more information:
AC Transit: New buses, Jaimie Levin, 510-891-7244; San Pablo corridor BRT, Aena Prakash, 510-891-4792. Website, http://www.actransit.org
MTC Blueprint: Doug Kimsey, 510-464-7794, dkimsey@mtc.ca.gov; http://www.mtc.ca.gov/projects/blueprint/index.htm
Note: All MTC publications, including the Blueprint and Money Matters (see March/April issue) are available from the MTC-ABAG Library, 510-464-7836, online at library@mtc.ca.gov
Toll plazas at Bay Area bridges often mean long, time-consuming lines for drivers who don't carpool. A much-anticipated solution, electronic toll collection, has seemed to move as slowly as one of those lines. Electronic toll collection frees drivers from using money or discount tickets to pay tolls. Instead, a transponder (a small electronic device, about the size of a deck of playing cards) is mounted on the vehicle, usually inside the windshield. As the vehicle approaches the tollbooth, the transponder is read by an antenna, and the correct toll is deducted from the transponder user's account. Vehicles never stop, but move at 5 mph through the tollbooth area and are on their way.
Officials at the Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District pioneered the development of electronic toll collection in the early 1970s, and conducted extensive research and development until 1990. Although $1 million had been budgeted by the district in 1990 for purchasing a system, a state law passed that year required Caltrans to prepare specifications for all California bridges and toll roads, including the Golden Gate Bridge. Caltrans has been testing the FasTrak electronic toll collection system on the Carquinez Bridge for two years, and in October 1998 the Golden Gate Bridge District awarded a contract for a new toll system designed to be compatible with systems on other Caltrans toll facilities. The Golden Gate Bridge system is planned for implementation in June 2000.
Many drivers around the region are eagerly awaiting the opportunity to use electronic toll collection. Carquinez Bridge users are enthusiastic, and the potential demand on the Golden Gate Bridge is shown by the number of drivers—over 8,000—wishing to sign up for transponders when the system is ready to operate.
FasTrak will replace the use of Golden Gate Bridge discount ticket books; books will not be sold 30 days after the start-up date, and tickets will not be accepted 90 days after start-up. Initially, users will receive the same discount on bridge tolls ($2.67 instead of the full $3). No discount is available for vehicles with more than two axles, which pay $1.50 per axle. Carpools will continue to be free, but carpool drivers with transponders must use manual toll collection lanes to avoid having the toll deducted from the user's account.
Golden Gate Bridge officials anticipate that FasTrak will be used by more drivers than used the ticket books; the estimate for FasTrak is 35% of morning commuters, 22,000 vehicles between 6:00-10:00 am. After the first year of operation, the district will review the operation costs to determine whether the discount rate needs to be adjusted to avoid financial losses to the district. Potential losses according to one estimate could be as much as $13.7 million in toll revenue over the first 10 years of the program, a significant impact given the projected expenses the district faces for such bridge projects as the seismic upgrade and a public safety railing.
FasTrak accounts are prepaid, usually by credit card, although cash and check transactions are possible. Account holders who use a credit card are able to obtain up to three transponders per account with no deposit for the devices. After the initial prepayment, a credit card account is replenished automatically whenever the balance falls below a threshold based on the average usage of the transponder. Users paying by cash or check must replenish their accounts by mail or in person when they receive a message at the toll lanes which says "Low Balance".
Drivers are asked to open their accounts with Caltrans or the Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District based on which bridge is used most frequently, although FasTrak transponders work on any bridge or toll highway in the state which uses electronic toll collection. Procedures such as payment and deposits will vary between the bridge district and Caltrans FasTrak accounts.
The Bridge District's project, built by InTrans Group of New York, combines installation of the FasTrak system with an upgrade in manual toll collection equipment. The budget is $7.9 million, funded from Golden Gate Bridge toll revenue. Initially, all 11 toll collection lanes will be designated as "All Vehicles" and used for both FasTrak and manual toll collection. When at least 35% of peak-hour commute transactions are being made with FasTrak, dedicated lanes will be opened for FasTrak users, with more lanes available as usage increases. (The bridge has 13 lanes, with 2 dedicated to free northbound traffic; other toll lanes are converted to the free direction as needed during peak commute periods.)
Combined with the new manual toll collection equipment, FasTrak will move drivers out of long lines at the toll plaza as the Golden Gate Bridge District moves forward into the next century.
Leslie Stewart
For more information:
Mary Currie, 415/257-4548; mcurrie@goldengate.org; http://www.goldengatebridge.org/commuter/TollInfoFAQ.html
Caltrans FasTrak program, FasTrak Service Center, 1-888-725-TRAK
In order to improve its effectiveness in attaining health-based state and federal clean air standards, the Bay Area Air Quality Management District (Air District) initiates or participates in a wide range of programs. Three important ones will be underway this summer—an expanded Spare the Air program, a study of ozone increases on weekends, and a major study of ozone in Central California.
Spare the Air Program
The Air District's Spare the Air Program promotes voluntary curtailment of air-polluting activities on days when the ozone standard is likely to be exceeded. Aimed primarily at people who drive to work, it also focuses on the use of some consumer products and gasoline-powered equipment.
Preparation for Spare the Air 2000 began with the Spring 2000 Lawnmower Buyback Campaign. Gas-powered mowers could be exchanged for a $150 credit toward purchase of a rechargeable battery-powered, mulching electric mower, with a final cost of $219 plus tax. Campaigns were held in Contra Costa, Napa, Solano, and Sonoma Counties and in Palo Alto and San Jose. Supported by a consortium of funders, the exchanges increase public awareness, reduce waste by promoting mulching, shift to a cleaner energy source, and improve air quality.
During the summer smog season, the Spare the Air Program alerts people—through their employers, by e-mail, by telephone, by radio and television spots, and by other means—the day before when air pollution levels are expected to be high. On these days, people are urged to forego air-polluting activities.
With funds from a Congestion Management Air Quality grant from the Metropolitan Transportation Commission, the Spare the Air Program will continue to expand its advertising campaign. The employer program will include recruiting more participants, expanding the e-mail program, developing workshops for employers, improving "how-to" materials, and incentives. Additional cities and counties will be asked to join in Spare the Air outreach to their residents. Partnerships with transit agencies and special events promoters to encourage transit use will be increased.
Expanded surveys will be used to evaluate the program.
The goal of the Spare the Air Program is to promote public awareness and to influence people to adopt less polluting habits. This year the efforts to initiate behavioral changes to reduce air pollution will get special emphasis.
Weekend Effect
Beginning in the 1980s, ozone levels at some monitoring stations were observed to increase from Fridays to Saturdays, remain high or increase slightly on Sundays, and drop back down to weekday levels on Mondays. Dubbed the "Weekend Effect" by atmospheric scientists, this phenomenon is the subject of a concentrated study by the state Air Resources Board (ARB) to understand its causes and to learn how to deal with it.
During the smoggy warm summer months, two air basins in California often experience the weekend effect—the South Coast Air Basin and the San Francisco Bay Area Air Basin. In contrast, the Sacramento Area Air Basin exhibits little or no weekend effect. (Studies of the levels of particulate matter have shown that there is no weekend effect for this pollutant.)
Because health-based air quality standards are more often exceeded on weekends, the state ARB has been conducting a short-term study to examine existing data relating to the weekend effect. Data being examined include the meteorology, inventories of pollutants, photochemistry, and activities during the time when the weekend effect has been observed.
The weekend effect occurs more strongly at upwind monitoring sites, although it may not be observed at upwind sites with brisk prevailing winds that clear out air pollutants rapidly. It is less strong at downwind sites; sites far downwind and sites where much of the air pollution is transported from upwind sites usually do not exhibit it.
Ground-level ozone is formed in the atmosphere when its two precursor emissions, volatile organic compounds (VOC) and oxides of nitrogen (NOx), react together in high temperatures and sunlight. The optimum ratio of VOC to NOx for the formation of ozone is between 6:1 and 9:1. At ratios higher than 9:1, less ozone will be formed because less NOx is available for the reaction (a NOx-limited reaction). Similarly, conditions where VOC to NOx ratios are less than 6:1 are characterized as VOC-limited. Thus, decreasing either precursor reduces the amount of ozone formed. Also, if either precursor is increased so that the proportion between the two is even farther from the optimal ratios, less ozone may be formed. Other conditions affecting ozone formation include timing and spatial proximity of the emissions.
Four hypotheses are being evaluated as possible weekend effect causes:
More than one of these hypotheses may be needed to fully explain the weekend effect. The results of this short-term study are not expected to provide conclusive evidence, but will indicate the direction for further longer-term studies to identify and mitigate the causes of the higher ozone on weekends.
Central California Ozone Study
From June 1 through September 30, the large-scale Central California Ozone Study (CCOS) will collect meteorological and air quality data from the central section of California, from Redding in the north to the Mojave Desert in the south, and from the coast to the Sierra Nevada. This multi-million-dollar study is being undertaken by a public-private partnership operating under a joint powers agreement, involving a wide range of participants, including the EPA, the Air District, the ARB, the California Energy Commission, the Sacramento and San Joaquin Valley Air Districts, other central California air pollution control districts, and the private sector.
Planes and weather balloons will aid in collecting data at ground level and aloft. The data collected will improve the understanding of the role of meteorology on the formation and behavior of air pollutants and their precursors and emission sources and patterns. The information gathered will be used to develop an improved modeling system that will be used in preparing plans to attain the new federal 8-hour ozone standard, as well as to update the Clean Air Plan to attain the state ozone standard. Both plans are due in 2003. This year, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will announce which areas are not in attainment of the 8-hour standard.
Also ongoing is the California Regional Particulate Air Quality Study to provide information for planning to attain the new federal standards for fine particulates.
Ten years ago, in 1990, the Air District participated in another large-scale air quality study, the San Joaquin Valley Air Quality Study, which made substantial contributions to the understanding of ozone formation and provided data for improved ozone modeling tools. The CCOS study will expand on that knowledge and bring us closer to understanding the complexities of the atmosphere and how human activities affect it.
Adelia Sabiston
For more information:
Spare the Air: 1-800-HELP-AIR; http://www.sparetheair.org
Weekend Effect: ARB, 1-800-272-4572; Joann Myrhe, jmyhre@arb.ca.gov; http://www.arb.ca.gov/aqd/weekendeffect/weekendeffect.htm
Ozone Study: ARB, 1-800-272-4572; Saffet Tanrikulu, stanriku@arb.ca.gov; http://www.arb.ca.gov/ccaqs/ccos/ccos.htm
There are many ways to find out when your help is needed to Spare the Air:
• call 1-800-HELP-AIR
• visit the Spare the Air Website: http://www.sparetheair.org
• sign up for an e-mail notification
• watch and listen for alerts from the media, public agencies, and participating employers
Park and open space districts are battling an invasion which doesn't march in ordered ranks—it drifts on the wind, clings to clothing, and masquerades as wildflowers. The invaders are plants from other parts of the country and the world. Like the marine species which are creating problems for San Francisco Bay (see March/April 2000 issue), most of them have hitchhiked into the Bay Area, but some have been deliberately introduced.
Not every non-native plant is a problem, but certain exotic plants fall into the category of invasive exotics because they proliferate quickly and are so aggressive that they come to dominate ecosystems, wiping out native plants, reducing habitat for birds and animals, and creating fire hazards. Invasive plants are often quick to take advantage of areas which have been disturbed by human activity or natural disaster, affecting the natural sequence of revegetation. That same human activity or natural disaster may impact native plant species. Biodiversity suffers as the ecosystem is disrupted, displacing plants and animals dependent on each other which are unable to cope with the invasive plants.
A 1998 report issued by the Federal Interagency Committee for the Management of Noxious and Exotic Weeds, a 17-agency committee, noted that the problem was compounded because "many introduced plants appear innocuous when first introduced; these plants then adapt, and in the absence of their co-evolved predators, explode in their new environment." Thomas Casadevall, US Geological Survey, compared the spread of some invasive plants to metastatic cancer, saying, "It starts with a single individual or seed and then is carried to other places by people or nature where nodes get established and proliferate..." The federal Bureau of Land Management estimates that 6,000 acres/day nationwide are lost to invasive weeds—4,600 acres/day in the West.
One plant in particular epitomizes the invasive exotic plant problem in the region, and throughout much of California—yellow starthistle. An escapee from imported alfalfa seed, it has taken over extensive areas of open space in the state. It is poisonous for horses and unpalatable for cattle and sheep, making grazing land useless, and the sharp spines which develop around its flower heads make it a menace for hikers and campers. Its impact on agriculture is reflected by the growing number of bills in the state Legislature, one of which (SB1740, Leslie) would allocate $10 million to the California Department of Agriculture and county agriculture departments for starthistle eradication.
Park and open space districts in the region have targeted yellow starthistle in a concentrated eradication effort. The most threatened habitat in the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District (MROSD) is grasslands, and the biggest problem is yellow starthistle. Nancy Brownfield, Integrated Pest Management Specialist for the East Bay Regional Park District (EBRPD), estimates that she spends at least one-third of her time fighting yellow starthistle, which is especially widespread at Black Diamond, Briones, Contra Loma and Las Trampas Regional Parks.
One technique used by EBRPD is biological control, through insects which feed on the thistle. Since yellow starthistle originated in the Mediterranean, four insects from that area were tested and approved by the U.S. Department of Agriculture for release into affected areas: two types of weevils and two kinds of flies. The false peacock fly is the most successful, eating up to 78 percent of the seed on each plant. Research shows that the four insects attack only yellow starthistle (unlike the flowerhead weevil, which was introduced into Canada and later the US to control another thistle invasion, and which has been found to attack many beautiful native thistles as well). However, insect control of yellow starthistle will take at least ten years, and given the massive infestations in the region, the effect will probably not be noticeable for some time.
In the meantime, mechanical control, such as mowing or burning fields of thistle at the pre-bloom stage, is being used. Goats are not affected by grazing on the thistle, and can be used where mechanical control is infeasible, or when weather conditions have precluded burning at the critical point. Pesticides which may be selective enough to kill the thistle without harming other plants are being tried in small test plots at Briones with promising results, although pesticides are just one tool in the overall integrated approach to this thistle's control.
As nasty and pervasive as yellow starthistle is, it is not the only invasive plant in the region. Several species of broom, which cover hillsides with yellow during spring months, are common in the interface between urban land and open space, and in coastal areas. Broom contributes to increased fire danger and supplants oak woodland habitat. Giant pampas grass, originally grown as an ornamental, spreads easily by wind-carried seeds and has a root system which outcompetes even larger plants for nutrients and water. Like broom, it is a particular problem in the coastal habitats in the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District. Cordgrass is a problem for both districts in shoreline and wetland areas.
Although volunteers from the California Native Plant Society and others have helped the regional districts with conservation and restoration projects, the primary burden of managing the invasions has fallen on the agencies themselves. Like park agencies across the country, they have begun to respond to the problem of invasive non-native plants with strategies and risk management practices which enable them to make the best use of limited resources to attack infestations.
One strategy is to prevent invasion, through awareness and early identification of invaders, and diligence to prevent importing new problem species in feed or revegetation materials. Another strategy is education of park personnel and the public about the impacts of invasive species, and how to avoid introducing undesirable plants into the parks. Both EBRPD and MROSD integrate information about invasive plants into their educational materials for the public. The Bioregional Council in the Santa Cruz Mountain area, which includes MROSD, has sent letters to local nurseries requesting them not to sell species which are particularly aggressive.
Sharing technology and knowledge of how to manage invasive species can stretch resources and aid in evaluating when and how to target an infestation. The park district is a partner in the Alameda-Contra Costa County Weed Management Area, formed in August 1999, which includes public agencies and private organizations committed to use all available methods to prevent, eradicate, control or manage noxious weeds. The group plans a Yellow Starthistle Management Workshop with experts from UC Davis on May 25, 2000 (see below).
The open space district has had a resource management program for the past four years. Priorities are determined based on the threats to habitat. Jodi Isaacs, Resource Management Specialist for MROSD, says, "acre for acre, non-native plants threaten more habitat than anything else we deal with, including wild pigs, recreational use, and impacts from urban neighbors." While plants such as starthistle and broom top MROSD's list, others such as eucalyptus and acacia are also high priorities if they are present in an area of particular concern for conservation or restoration.
In a book on California weeds published by the state in the early 1950s, it was estimated that 63%, 437 species, were non-native plants. A 1998 estimate by the US Geological Survey puts the number of non-native plants in the state at over 1000. These plants pose a major challenge to our regional park and open space districts as they work to preserve the habitats which make our recreational lands special.
Leslie Stewart
For more information:
Nancy Brownfield, EBRPD, 510-635-0138, ext. 2343; nbrownfield@ebparks.org
Jodi Isaacs, MROSD, 650-691-1200; jisaacs@openspace.org
May 25, 2000
8:30 am - 3:30 pm
Brazil Room
Tilden Regional Park
Wildcat Canyon Road, Orinda
Free (lunch $10)
Information: Nancy Brownfield, EBRPD, 510-635-0138, ext. 2343
