Contra Costa Herald

By Dan Radovich, ADA & Communications Officer, Contra Costa County Superior Court

MARTINEZ, Calif. – The Contra Costa County Superior Court today announced its judicial leadership for 2027-2028. The Honorable Joni T. Hiramoto, the Court’s current Assistant Presiding Judge, will become Presiding Judge, and the Honorable Benjamin T. Reyes II has been elected to serve as Assistant Presiding Judge. Their terms run from January 1, 2027, through December 31, 2028. Judge Hiramoto will succeed the Honorable Christopher R. Bowen, whose term as Presiding Judge ends December 31, 2026.

Judge Hiramoto was appointed to the Contra Costa County Superior Court bench in 1998. She was the first Asian American judge to serve the Superior Court, and the first judge to preside over the Court’s Behavioral Health Court. Before serving as the Court’s Assistant Presiding Judge, she previously served as Supervising Judge of the Richmond Branch. Judge Hiramoto also currently serves as Dean of the Bernard E. Witkin Judicial College, which trains new judges statewide, and she received the California Judges Association’s Bernard S. Jefferson Award in 2024 for distinguished service in judicial education.

Judge Hiramoto earned her bachelor’s degree from Harvard-Radcliffe College and her Juris Doctor from the UC Berkeley School of Law. Before her appointment, she practiced litigation at McCutchen, Doyle, Brown & Enersen in San Francisco and was a branch chief in the Enforcement Division of the US Securities and Exchange Commission.

“The Court thanks Presiding Judge Bowen for his courageous, diligent and visionary leadership these past two years,” said Judge Hiramoto. “He leaves the Court in a far stronger state than he inherited. I owe him a tremendous debt of gratitude for his inspirational guidance and practical support as I navigated serving as Assistant Presiding Judge. I am delighted by the election of Judge Reyes as Assistant Presiding Judge. He has been an inspiration to me ever since he joined the bench and I look forward to working together to serve the Court and our Contra Costa County community.”

Judge Reyes was appointed to the Contra Costa County Superior Court bench in 2017. He currently serves as Supervising Judge of the Civil Division, and he has previously served as Supervising Judge of the Family Law Division and Presiding Judge of the Civil Grand Jury. Judge Reyes was honored as Trial Judge of the Year by the Alameda-Contra Costa Trial Lawyers’ Association in 2022. He also teaches at the UC Berkeley School of Law and in the University of San Francisco School of Law’s Intensive Advocacy Program.

Judge Reyes earned his bachelor’s degree from UC Berkeley and his Juris Doctor from the University of San Francisco School of Law. Before his appointment, he spent 24 years in public agency law, including 14 years as an equity principal at Meyers Nave, where he chaired the firm’s statewide public contracts practice group. While at the firm, he served as City Attorney for Pinole and Union City.

“I am deeply honored by my colleagues’ confidence in electing me as Assistant Presiding Judge of our Superior Court for 2027-2028,” said Judge Reyes. “Serving on the Court remains the greatest privilege of my professional life. I have the advantage of working with jurists who are dedicated to justice, collegiality, and who have demonstrated an unwavering commitment to the rule of law. Our Court’s strength lies in our collective commitment to excellence. I am committed to fostering an environment where, as independent judicial officers, every voice is heard, where collaboration thrives, and where we continue to uphold the highest standards of justice. I look forward to working with Presiding Judge Joni T. Hiramoto, CEO Sarah Lind and her team, and with our justice partners to ensure that we are consistently delivering an exceptional level of service to the people of Contra Costa County.”

Current Presiding Judge Christopher R. Bowen congratulated Judge Hiramoto and Judge Reyes on their new roles. “Judges Hiramoto and Reyes bring years of experience on the bench to the Court’s leadership,” said Presiding Judge Bowen. “Both of them have served in multiple divisions of our Court and have a keen sense of the Court’s strengths and areas for continued improvement. I am pleased that the Court will have such dynamic leaders in the coming years.” The Court thanks Presiding Judge Bowen for his leadership, his commitment to excellence, and his dedicated service to the Court and the people of Contra Costa County during his 2025-2026 term.

The Presiding Judge is responsible for leading the Court, establishing policies and allocating resources. The Presiding Judge’s duties include making judicial assignments, overseeing the Court’s budget, and serving as the Court’s spokesperson. The Assistant Presiding Judge supports the Presiding Judge in these responsibilities and helps ensure an orderly transition of leadership.

For more information about Contra Costa County Superior Court visit Home | Superior Court of California | County of Contra Costa.

 

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By Pittsburg Police Department

Last week, Pittsburg PD’s Special Investigations Unit (SIU) served a search warrant at a residence here in town.

The warrant was the result of a collaborative investigation with an outside law enforcement agency, combined with some solid investigative work by our SIU detectives.

During the search, detectives located nearly a quarter-pound of suspected heroin, additional suspected methamphetamine, a firearm and cash.

The suspect was arrested and, as it turns out, was already prohibited from possessing firearms. Apparently, the “prohibited” part wasn’t clear enough. We helped clear that up.

More importantly, another suspected drug dealer is off the street, a firearm is out of the hands of someone who legally shouldn’t have had it, and hopefully the neighbors can enjoy a little less traffic at all hours of the day and night.

No more customers. No more doorbell. No more neighborhood pharmacy.

Nice work, SIU.

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With 37, Dougherty Valley High and with 68, San Ramon Valley Unified School District lead county; see list of students; winners be announced April-July 2027

By Contra Costa County Office of Education

PLEASANT HILL, Calif.— Some 103 high school seniors in Contra Costa County have been named Semifinalists in the 72nd annual National Merit Scholarship Program, joining more than 16,000 students nationwide recognized for their academic achievement.

The students represent 18 high schools, and one homeschool across Contra Costa County, reflecting the strength of the county’s educational programs and the dedication of students, educators, and families. Among the schools represented, Dougherty Valley High School in the San Ramon Valley Unified School District led the county with 37 Semifinalists. As previously reported, the San Ramon Valley Unified School District boasts 68 Semifinalist among its students.

“Earning the status of a National Merit Scholarship Semifinalist places these students among the highest-achieving scholars in the nation,” Contra Costa County Superintendent of Schools Lynn Mackey said. “These students have distinguished themselves through their dedication to learning and commitment to excellence. I am equally proud of the educators and school communities that have helped foster the conditions for this level of success. The recognition reflects the academic foundation and support systems found across schools throughout our county.”

Schools with National Merit Scholarship Semifinalists include:

• Dougherty Valley High School (37)
• California High School (16)
• Monte Vista High School (14)
• Middle College High School (1)
• Campolindo High School (7)
• Miramonte High School (5)
• Acalanes High School (4)
• Northgate High School (4)
• Bentley School (2)
• College Park High School (2)
• De La Salle High School (2)
• Los Lomas High School (2)
• Athenian School (1)
• Berean Christian High School (1)
• Clayton Valley Charter High School (1)
• El Cerrito High School (1)
• Hercules High School (1)
• Middle College High School (1)
• San Ramon Valley High School (1)
• Homeschool/Online (1)

Semifinalists now advance in the competition for approximately 6,700 National Merit Scholarships, collectively valued at nearly $24 million, which will be awarded in spring 2027. To advance to Finalist standing, students must fulfill additional academic and program requirements. According to the National Merit Scholarship Program, Finalists are selected based on their academic record, extracurricular accomplishments, leadership, and potential for success in college.

Historically, about 95 percent of Semifinalists advance to Finalist status, and approximately half of those students earn the distinction of National Merit Scholar.

More than 1.2 million high school juniors from approximately 20,000 schools across the nation entered the 2027 National Merit Scholarship Program by taking the 2025 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT®). Semifinalists represent the highest-scoring participants in each state, making the honor one of the nation’s most recognized academic distinctions for high school students.

National Merit Scholarship winners will be announced between April and July 2027 and will join a community of more than 395,000 scholars who have received National Merit honors since the program began.

For more information on the National Merit Scholarship Program, visit www.nationalmerit.org.

CONTRA COSTA COUNTY NATIONAL MERIT SCHOLARSHIP SEMIFINALISTS

ACALANES HIGH SCHOOL – 4

Krick, Trevor

Penn, Carissa

Perry, Felix

Werner, Henry

ATHENIAN SCHOOL – 1

Shiu, Jaden

BENTLEY SCHOOL – 2

Marietta, Jude

Markovich, Felix

BEREAN CHRISTIAN – 1

Cortez, Caleb

CALIFORNIA HIGH SCHOOL – 16

Baugh, Matthew E.

Bhate, Aditya

Bidhurakanthu, Varun

Chauhan, Shaurya

Eraniyan, Keerthi

Hovarth, Tyler

Khoo, Naomi G.

Kralin, Platon

Liu, Avery J.

Nagandia, Sahana R.

Pacheco, Rizal Arturo M.

Ramesh, Harshit

Rana, Abhiveer S.

Singh, Aashvi

Wang, Maxwell L.

Zhao, Vivian G.

CAMPOLINDO HIGH SCHOOL – 7

Bronson, Zayden

Harrison, Brian

Jaffari, Jade

Kirchner, Andrew

Klisura, Anton

Marchetti, Matteo

Rosenblat, Talia

CLAYTON VALLEY CHARTER HIGH SCHOOL – 1

Channaveer, Anvi

COLLEGE PARK HIGH SCHOOL – 2

Green, Benjamin

Greninger, Oren

DE LA SALLE HIGH SCHOOL – 2

Huang, Luke

Nguyen, Jacob

DOUGHERTY VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL – 37

Ajith, Taran

Asopa, Abhay

Borah, Akanksh

Buenaventura, Tyler Y.

Buragohain, Aiden

Chawda, Toshit

Chen, Cory S.

Chen, Iris S.

Cheng, Zachary S.

Dammanagari, Avaneesh R.

Das, Etash R.

Davuluri, Akhilesh

Goel, Aadi

Goyal, Advita

Gundluru, Nihal

Han, Terrance W.

Jiang, Aiden S.

Joshi, Jayden C.

Kabade, Yash P.

Kattady, Benjamin J.

Krishnan, Nupur

Malani, Girik

Nimmagadda, Sruthi

Patel, Ayaan K.

Patil, Kaashvi V.

Philar, Reva A.

Sabbineni, Shree

Semwal, Aryav

Senji, Aaditya D.

Shao, Yingkai

Suresh, Iniya S.

Tenneti, Anika

Thella, Neil

Wang, Meiyun

Wu, Daniel

Wu, Enzo

Yashvant, Aditi M.

EL CERRITO HIGH SCHOOL –1

Takano, James M.

HERITAGE HIGH SCHOOL – 2

Aaron, James

Jin, Caroline

HERCULES HIGH SCHOOL – 1

Yue, Jordan T.

HOMESCHOOL – 1

Nguyen, Anastasia

LAS LOMAS HIGH SCHOOL – 2

Schaible, Coltrane

Steinberg, Nyana

MIDDLE COLLEGE HIGH SCHOOL – 1

Stemmle, Maxwell

MIRAMONTE HIGH SCHOOL – 5

Chan, Cailyn

Colburn, Andrew

Gaarder-Wang, Rory

Maiti, Yuvaan

Zheng, Richy

MONTE VISTA HIGH SCHOOL – 14

Goyal, Rohan

Hughes, Oliver J.

Jiang, James Z.

Kapoor, Anusha

Kotamraju, Rohan

Li, Gianna J.

Mall, Subhang

Medeiros, Tiago K.

Mishra, Tanya

Pant, Esh

Rajnikanth, Sahana

Sarkar, Karisma G.

Venkatesh, Arvind

Yanamandra, Keshav V.

NORTHGATE HIGH SCHOOL – 4

Dixit, Sahara

Hermansyah, Rayyan

Mitchell, Russell

Zhang, Derek

SAN RAMON VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL – 1

Chang, Briar T.

About Contra Costa County Office of Education

One of 58 counties in California, Contra Costa County has the 11th largest public-school student population in the state (approximately 169,225 students). Officially established in 1932, CCCOE has a long history of providing direct services to some of the county’s most vulnerable students, including young people who are incarcerated, homeless, or in foster care, as well as students who have severe physical or emotional challenges.

CCCOE also provides support services to schools and school districts in Contra Costa County; services that can be handled most effectively and economically on a regional basis rather than by each of the county’s 286 schools or 18 school districts. These services range from budget approval and fiscal support to technology infrastructure, communication support, and high-level professional development opportunities for educators. CCCOE maintains a website at www.cocoschools.org.

 

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Becton says 72-year-old Yolanda Bustos Ramirez “died from a stroke and other health related issues” Oct. 3, 2025, while in the hospital and, “No further action will be taken in this case.”

Shares details about inquest jury’s split vote on findings

By Allen D. Payton

According to Contra Costa District Attorney’s Office PIO Ted Asregadoo, “The Contra Costa DA’s Office has released its full report on the investigation into the death of Yolanda Bustos Ramirez, following a thorough review of the circumstances surrounding her death. This release reflects our office’s commitment to transparency in matters that affect the community we serve.”

As previously reported, 72-year-old Yolanda Bustos Ramirez, died on Oct. 3, 2025, following her arrest during a family dispute. She was in the hospital and not in police custody at the time of her death. But her family is blaming police for causing her death and have filed a wrongful death lawsuit. A letter to the City from the family’s attorney claims she was “violently arrested by multiple Brentwood Police Officers.”

According to the Department, “On Friday, September 26, 2025, at around 11:00 a.m., Brentwood Police officers responded to a call involving a family dispute, during which Yolanda Ramirez, approximately 70 years old, was placed under a citizen’s arrest at the request of a family member. When officers arrived, Ms. Ramirez attempted to flee the scene. Officers detained Ms. Ramirez, and after being secured in a patrol vehicle, officers noticed she appeared to be having a medical issue, and they immediately contacted medical personnel. Ms. Ramirez was promptly released from police custody and transported by medical personnel to a local hospital.

“Several days later, the Police Department was notified that Ms. Ramirez was still hospitalized, her condition had worsened, and that she was not expected to survive. In accordance with Contra Costa County Law Enforcement Involved Fatal Incident Protocol, the Brentwood Police Department immediately notified the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office, and their agency initiated an independent investigation into the incident.”

In February, Brentwood Police released “a community briefing video consisting of in-car and body-worn camera footage, as well as 911 audio” of Ramirez’s arrest. They reported, “the family of Ms. Ramirez was provided with an opportunity to privately view the video prior to its release to the public.” (See related article)

Then, in July, a Contra Costa Sheriff-Coroner’s inquest jury found her death to be an accident. “The inquest presented the facts of the incident, including witness testimony, medical information, and body-worn camera footage, to a jury tasked with determining the manner of death: natural causes, accident, at the hands of another, or suicide,” Asregadoo shared. (See related article)

Investigation Report & Timeline

The investigation report includes audio and video footage of both police body cam, dash cam and a home surveillance camera, interviews with the involved police officers, Bustos Ramirez’s family members and a Con Fire paramedic, as well as medical records, autopsy report and the results of the Sheriff-Coroner’s Inquest Jury findings.

Asregadoo’s press release provided the following additional details:

Brentwood Dispatch Receives a Call

On September 26, 2025, at 10:37 a.m., a family member called Brentwood police to report a disturbance involving Ramirez, who was outside a residence banging on the front door and had broken a coffee mug on the porch. The family member, who is Ramirez’s sister, told dispatch that Ramirez had been confrontational in the past and that she feared Ramirez would become combative again.

Officers Aaron Peachman and Danielle Tjhia arrived at approximately 10:49 a.m. and found Ramirez standing in the driveway. The family member told Officer Peachman that a dispute arose over who was responsible for driving their brother to a medical appointment. When the family member took their brother back inside, Ramirez banged on the door and broke a coffee mug on the porch. The family member told officers she wanted to press charges for property damage.

Ramirez’s Arrest

As Officer Peachman explained the process of a citizen’s arrest, Ramirez attempted to leave the scene. Despite repeated commands to sit down and statements that she was not free to leave, Ramirez refused the officer’s directives. When officers took hold of her wrists and attempted to guide her away from her car, she said “stop” and continued to resist. Officer Peachman advised her she was under arrest and ordered her to place her hands behind her back. When she refused, officers moved her hands behind her back, handcuffed her, and escorted her to the patrol vehicle.

At the patrol car, Ramirez pulled away as officers attempted to search her pockets and repeated instructions to enter the patrol vehicle. Officers Peachman and Tjhia held Ramirez by the upper arms and walked her toward the open rear door. Approximately two to three feet from the door,

Ramirez dropped to her knees and struck the left side of her face against the vehicle’s interior, crying out in pain. She appeared alert afterward, with no visible injury. When she did not respond to further requests to stand and enter the car, officers lifted her to her feet and placed her across the back seat. As Officer Peachman guided her feet inside and closed the door, Ramirez pushed her leg against it. When he closed it firmly, Ramirez’s body shifted forward and the top of her head struck the closed door on the opposite side of the vehicle. She did not react audibly, nor were there visible signs of being hurt.

Medical Distress in the Patrol Vehicle

At approximately 11:04 a.m., Ramirez shifted to an upright position in the back seat and appeared alert. She repeatedly asked to be uncuffed, given water, and allowed to call family. After Officer Peachman stepped away at 11:14 a.m., her condition declined. As captured on the interior video camera in the patrol vehicle, her breathing grew slower and shallower, and her speech became incomplete and incoherent. When Officer David Smith checked on her at 11:18 a.m., she had difficulty understanding his questions, though she was able to state her name. After several more minutes of attempted interaction, officers called for medical assistance at 11:21 a.m. While medical responders were en route, Ramirez vomited in the vehicle.

Transport to Hospital and Death Days Later

Paramedics arrived at 11:29 a.m. and transported Ramirez first to Kaiser Permanente Antioch Medical Center and then to John Muir Health Walnut Creek Medical Center, where she was diagnosed with an intraparenchymal hemorrhage – which is bleeding in the right basal ganglia, deep inside the brain. She received medical treatment for several days before she died on October 3rd.

Autopsy Findings

On October 4th, 2025, Forensic Pathologist Dr. James Caruso conducted an autopsy of Ramirez and concluded that her death was caused by a cerebrovascular accident, or stroke, with hypertension, cardiovascular disease, diabetes mellitus, hyperlipidemia, and obesity as other significant preexisting conditions.

On October 26th, 2025, a second forensic pathologist, Dr. Matthias Okoye, conducted a private autopsy of Ramirez and concluded that her death was due to “multiple blunt force trauma and asphyxiation with complications all due to, and as a consequence of, police restraint.”

Additional Witness Account

On February 2nd, 2026, a resident who lived near the scene of the incident provided a statement to a Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office inspector describing his observations of the arrest. The witness stated that he saw a male officer strike Ramirez three times in the back of the head with his elbow or forearm, driving her face into the closed rear passenger window as she stood next to the patrol vehicle. This account was incorporated into the investigation’s overall analysis, but a review of all witness statements and body-worn camera video capturing the entirety of the police contact with Ramirez found that the use of force described by the additional witness did not occur.

The officers “had the Legal Authority to detain/arrest Yolanda Ramirez” and “used objectively reasonable force” – Contra Costa DA Diana Becton

District Attorney’s Findings

The investigation report includes audio and video footage, interviews with the involved police officers, Bustos Ramirez’s family members and a Con Fire paramedic, as well as medical records, autopsy report and the results of the Sheriff-Coroner’s Inquest Jury findings.

DA Diana Becton’s Executive Summary provides more details about the results of the inquest jury writing, “The jury returned a split verdict on the case. Seven members of the jury determined that the cause of death was by ‘natural causes’, and eight members of the jury determined the cause of death was by ‘accident.’ None of the jurors concluded that the death was ‘at the hands of another’ or by ‘Suicide’.’”

Becton’s Executive Summary and Conclusion states, “In applying the law and the California District Attorney’s Uniform Crime Charging Standards to the present case, the CCCDAO finds the following:

1. As a matter of law, Officers Peachman and Tjhia had the Legal Authority to detain/arrest Yolanda RAMIREZ.
2. Officers Peachman and Tjhia used objectively reasonable force during the arrest of Yolanda RAMIREZ and there is no evidence that excess force was applied.
3. While incredibly tragic, Yolanda RAMIREZ died from a stroke and other health related issues, as opposed to police use of force.

“Based on the aforementioned findings, no further action will be taken in this case.”

Read the complete findings here: https://www.contracosta.ca.gov/DocumentCenter/View/92820/LEIFI-Final-Report-Yolanda-Bustos-Ramirez.

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By Pleasant Hill Police Department

On Friday, September 18, 2026, during the early morning hours, Officers Margiotta and Munoz engaged in proactive enforcement.

They located a white Mercedes-Benz without license plates in the vicinity of Contra Costa Boulevard and Dexter Drive. Subsequently, they initiated a traffic enforcement stop. The vehicle was occupied by two individuals, a man and a woman.

The investigation revealed that the driver was operating a vehicle with a suspended license. Officers also discovered mail that did not belong to either the driver or occupant. The vehicle was impounded, and both occupants were subsequently arrested for violation of California Penal Code § 530.5(e), which prohibits the possession of another person’s identifying information or mail under circumstances involving identity theft.

Great proactive police work by our officers to identify and address suspicious activity!

Unfortunately, the department’s CitizenRIMS does not show the incident on the map nor names of the suspects in the list of arrests, and the latest updates are from Sunday, Sept. 13. An effort to reach a spokesperson in the department for more details was unsuccessful prior to publication time.

Please check back later for any updates.

Allen D. Payton contributed to this report.

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By Pleasant Hill Police Department

Good evening Pleasant Hill! We’re sorry about the delay, but the Pleasant Hill Police Department is back with a snapshot of our monthly crime stats, giving you a look at some of the police activity that took place in our city in August 2026.

Of the 68 arrests, 68% were misdemeanors, 32% were felonies, 100% were adults and five were for DUI. In addition, 144 citations were issued of which 43% were hazardous cites, and 57% were non-hazardous.

Other incidents included 10 Injury traffic accidents, 10 Non-injury traffic accidents and five Handicap violations.

Of the 1,936 calls for service in August, bringing the total to 18,373 total incidents / calls for service for 2026, a 10.8% increase compared to the same time last year, there were 92 Property Crimes and three Person Crimes. Of the Property Crimes, 78 were larcenies which include shoplifting, theft from a car, bike theft, purse snatching, etc., 10 were auto thefts, three were residential burglaries and there was one business burglary. Of the three Person Crimes, one was for aggravated assault, one rape and one robbery.

We’ll continue sharing this information monthly on social media, but for a more extensive look at our crime stats, please visit our website: https://www.phillca.gov/1384/Crime-Statistics

Allen D. Payton contributed to this report.

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By Gail Murray, League of Women Voters of Diablo Valley

How secure are our elections? On September 24 at 2:00 p.m., join a Community Conversations informative webinar exploring the safeguards that protect our voting systems and ensure every eligible vote is counted accurately.

Panelists will describe election security, ballot protection, and the processes that help maintain public confidence in our democracy. Whether you’re a new voter or a longtime election volunteer, you’ll leave with a better understanding of how safe and secure our elections really are.

Panelists:

• Kristin Connelly, Contra Costa County Clerk-Recorder and Registrar of Voters

Reelected in June; focus is on voter access, election transparency and battling election misinformation.

• Helen Hutchison, past president of the League of Women Voters of California

Serving at the state League, worked on initiative and referendum reform, ballot measures and redistricting.

Register here to join: https://ccclib.bibliocommons.com/v2/events/6a849254bf1aec09082b6699

Information on how to access the Zoom webinar will be sent to your email address 24 hours before the program.

The webinar will have simultaneous Spanish interpretation and the Contra Costa County Library will provide closed captioning. This program will be recorded and uploaded to the Library’s YouTube and the LWVDV YouTube channels after the event. For special accommodations, please contact the Library with 72 hours’ notice.

Sponsors include the League of Women Voters of Diablo Valley, the League of Women Voters of West Contra Costa County, the Contra Costa County Library and Contra Costa TV.

Contact programs@lwvdv.org for more information.

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By Kelly Kalfsbeek, Community & Media Relations Coordinator, PIO, Contra Costa County Public Works Department

Antioch and Brentwood, CA – Contra Costa County Public Works will perform road traffic safety improvements at four sites along Deer Valley Road between Empire Mine Road and Marsh Creek Road, from Tuesday, September 8, 2026, through Friday, November 20, 2026, barring unforeseen circumstances. Work will occur between 7:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding holidays, weather permitting.

Traffic control will be used at each site with restrictions in place to minimize impacts during commuting hours. Message boards will alert drivers to the work. Drivers should expect delays through the work zones and consider alternative routes during working hours.

The project is intended to enhance safety at four locations on Deer Valley Road. Funding for this project is provided by the Federal Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) and Local Gas Tax SB1. For more information about this project, visit www.contracosta.ca.gov/Deer-Valley-Road-Traffic-Safety-Improvements

About Contra Costa County Public Works Department:

The Contra Costa County Public Works Department (CCCPWD) is responsible for the maintenance and operation of over 650 miles of roads, 79 miles of streams and channels, and over 150 County buildings. CCCPWD services include parks and recreation, sandbag distribution, flood control, road and facilities maintenance, and storm water management. CCCPWD operates two airports, Buchanan Field Airport in Concord and Byron Airport in Byron. For more information about CCCPWD, please visit us at: www.cccpublicworks.org.

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By San Pablo Police Department

Friday night, Sept. 18, 2026, your San Pablo Police Department graveyard officers kept busy.

One traffic stop led to the arrest of a prohibited felon who was carrying a concealed firearm equipped with a conversion device that made the firearm capable of fully automatic fire.

A second traffic stop resulted in the discovery of an individual possessing methamphetamine.

Two stops. Two dangerous discoveries.

The name of the game that night was “Crystals & Pistols.”

Our officers remain vigilant around the clock, working to keep our streets safe. Great work by the graveyard shift!

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Then expand to Antioch, Benicia-Martinez and Carquinez Bridges in 2027-28; San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge, San Mateo-Hayward and Dumbarton Bridges in 2028

Offers high-speed toll collection system; see how an ORT gantry works

By Bay Area Toll Authority

Acting Caltrans District 4 Director and Bay Area Toll Authority (BATA) Commissioner Doanh Nguyen reminds drivers that the toll booths at the Bay Bridge and other state-owned toll bridges will soon be a thing of the past. “The transition to open-road tolling already is underway, with the new system set to debut next year at the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge.”

Open Road Tolling (ORT) Program will streamline the driver experience when the toll booths are removed from the seven state-owned toll bridges which currently use All-Electronic Tolling (AET). They will, over time, be converted to ORT.

Why Do We Need the Open Road Tolling (ORT) Program?

The ORT Program will replace the current, aging toll system with newer “toll gantry” technology that will be optimized to process all tolls electronically.

These days, it is not necessary for drivers to stop at toll booths to pay the toll. The ORT Program will remove the toll booths and update the roadway through the toll plaza area, improving safety and highway operations.

Project Benefits

The implementation of ORT will result in more efficient tolling, increased safety at toll plazas and provide a consistent regional experience to Bay Area travelers. Implementing ORT has also been shown in other regions to improve traffic flow and reduce vehicle emissions.

What’s a Toll Gantry?

A toll gantry is an overhead structure with mounted toll readers.

Bay Area Express Lanes use gantries above part of the roadway. In the former toll plazas, the ORT Program will install gantries that cross the entire roadway.

In the illustration at the top of this page, a conceptual toll gantry design is shown at the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge. A The toll plaza has been removed and replaced with toll equipment centered over the lanes.

How Does ORT Work?

The ORT toll system is a roadside system that detects vehicle information as drivers pass through the toll zone.

A typical ORT roadside system is shown in the figure above.  Overhead cameras, antennae and associated toll equipment are mounted on gantries that span the entire width of the roadway. This equipment captures toll tag and license plate information. Inductance loops are embedded in the pavement and centered on the travel lanes. These loops are used to count the number of axles to assign the right toll rate. The Roadside Toll Equipment Enclosure houses computer processors that package the pieces of information into a single toll transaction. This data is transmitted to the FasTrak Customer Service Center to collect the toll from customers

Construction Period

Construction began in spring 2026 on the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge, the first of the Bay Area’s state-owned bridges to convert to open road tolling.

Before, during and after construction, the collection of tolls will be seamless to the customer. Customers will continue to be able to use their FasTrak toll tag or use their license plate to get an invoice in the mail. While this program will shift the location where tolls are collected from the traditional toll plaza to a gantry over the road, the toll collection process is unchanged.

How Do Drivers Pay Tolls?

Toll payment options will be no different under the ORT Program. Drivers can set up a FasTrak account or a Pay By License Plate account to pre-pay tolls. Vehicles without pre-paid accounts will receive an invoice in the mail. A FasTrak toll tag in the designated HOV lane with the required occupancy is required to receive HOV discounts. For more information visit the FasTrak website.

No More Cash Collection

The toll plazas in use today were designed for both cash and electronic payment.

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Governor Newsom removed the cash toll booth collectors from the toll plazas on March 21, 2020. This is a permanent change, so there will be no more cash collection at Bay Area toll booths. This effectively changed the toll collection system to operate as an all-electronic system.

Notice of Exemption for Antioch, Benicia-Martinez & Carquinez Bridges

In September 2025, a Notice of Exemption was issued by the Bay Area Toll Authority (BATA) on the California Environmental Quality Act website for the ORT Conversion Northern Bridges Project specifically for the Antioch Bridge, Benicia-Martinez Bridge and Carquinez Bridge toll plazas. The project would replace existing toll booths with new toll gantries, which will serve the same purpose and capacity as the toll booths without expanding the use of existing highways or streets, nor create additional automobile lanes.

BATA, in coordination with the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans), proposes Open Road Tolling (ORT) systems at the Antioch Bridge (State Route-160 [SR-160]), Benicia-Martinez Bridge (Interstate 680 [I-680]), and Carquinez Bridge (Interstate 80 [I-80]) toll plazas in Contra Costa and Solano counties.

The purpose of the project is to replace aging tolling system infrastructure to improve operational efficiency through bridge toll plazas and improve safety by eliminating the need to pass through existing toll booths. The project is needed to address operational and safety deficiencies for vehicles traveling through the Antioch Bridge, Benicia-Martinez Bridge, and Carquinez Bridge toll plazas.

The existing toll collection system is aging and needs to be replaced. The existing toll collection booths and other civil infrastructure are physical barriers that act as fixed objects within the travel way of the road. The existing fanning and merging of travel lanes near the toll plazas increase the potential for collisions.

The proposed project would remove and replace existing toll booths, toll equipment, and canopies with ORT systems at the Antioch Bridge, Benicia-Martinez Bridge, and Carquinez Bridge toll plazas. This includes the construction of new ORT gantries and the installation of toll equipment buildings along SR-160, I-680, and I-80. Northbound I-680 and eastbound I-80 would be restriped to four general purpose lanes and one high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lane through the toll plazas. Northbound SR-160 would be restriped to one lane through the toll plaza. Entrance and exit ramps to and from toll administration buildings and parking lots would be modified. Existing roadway signs would be removed, replaced, or relocated at all three bridge locations, as needed.

BATA’s Toll Policy will provide toll discounts to HOVs with FasTrak® Flex tag. All project activities are within State right-of-way, except for minor widening on the maintenance ramp for Bridgehead Road, which lies within City of Oakley right-of way. Construction is planned to begin in 2026 and is anticipated to take approximately 20 months.

Public Comment

Staff updates on the program will be provided during BATA Oversight Committee meetings. Members of the public are invited to comment during these meetings.

Comments and questions may also be directed to info@bayareametro.gov with the subject line “ORT Webpage Comment.”

Allen D. Payton contributed to this report.

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