Contra Costa Herald

News Of By and For The People of Contra Costa County, California

Help shape Contra Costa’s transportation future

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Source: CCTA

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By Contra Costa Transportation Authority

Every trip matters! No matter if you’re driving to work, catching BART, biking to school, or strolling your neighborhood, we have a plan to make traveling around our county easier, safer, and smarter.

The Contra Costa Transportation Authority (CCTA) is updating your Countywide Transportation Plan (CTP), and we’re asking residents to weigh in on the next 25 years of investments that will keep our communities moving smoothly and sustainably.

What’s on the Table?

In 2024, CCTA surveyed residents to find out what transportation solutions were most needed in their Contra Costa community — and thousands of you responded! Public engagement in early 2025 identified strategies for improving transportation

Based on your feedback, CCTA has created a series of Transformative Visions — bold project and program ideas that are visionary and will bring safer streets, more reliable transit, cleaner air, and more access to good transportation options for every corner of Contra Costa County. Your feedback will help us refine these ideas and decide which deserve top priority.

These visions are:

  • Create People-First Transportation Spaces: Redesign streets to put people first, making everyday travel safer, easier, and more comfortable.
  • Provide a Complete, Reliable Transit Network: Expand fast and reliable bus, shuttle, rail, and ferry services that come more often and connect you to key places.
  • Provide Reliable Freeway Travel: Keep freeways moving smoothly by reducing backups from crashes, better using existing travel lanes, and fixing bottlenecks.
  • Build Vibrant Communities: Revitalize and create places where people can live, gather, and connect to natural and community destinations.

Learn more about these Transformative Visions. Complete this brief survey to tell us which best fits YOUR vision for Contra Costa County. Your feedback will help us refine and update these Transformative Visions to show what the Plan’s focus should be for transportation investments in the next 25 years.

Why Take the Survey?

  • Influence real projects. Your answers guide where billions in transportation funds are spent.
  • It’s quick. The survey is mobile-friendly and takes just a few minutes.
  • Perks! Complete it and you can enter a drawing to win one of five $100 virtual Visa gift cards—the sooner you participate, the more chances you’ll have to win.
  • Survey window. The questionnaire is open through September 30, so don’t wait.

Click to take the survey.

We greatly appreciate your feedback. Individuals who complete this survey may enter a drawing to win one of five $100 virtual VISA gift cards. Winners’ names will be drawn throughout the survey period, so the earlier you take the survey, the more chances you will have to win! The survey is open through September 30.

Tri Delta Transit launches system overhaul beginning Aug. 10

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“The New TDT Network” brings community-driven changes to nearly all of the agency’s bus routes

By Leeann Loroño, Manager of Customer Service and Marketing, Tri Delta Transit

After canvassing East County for input from riders and residents over the last year, Tri Delta Transit (also known as East Contra Costa Transit Authority) is poised to launch a significant realignment of its transit system, offering service that is faster, more direct and more frequent beginning Aug. 10.

Dubbed “The New TDT Network,” this realignment brings sweeping changes to nearly every Tri Delta Transit route, informed by a blend of public feedback and data analysis. Bus routes across the system have been made faster and more direct, with better connectivity between buses and BART.

A brief video highlighting the major changes of the new network – and how they were determined – is available at revitalizetridelta.com.

Busier areas will see more frequent and consistent service, with improved weekend service across the board. The updated system introduces a brand-new route running every 15 minutes, along with four additional routes operating every 30 minutes, making morning commutes smoother for bus riders.

“We wanted to be sure these changes served local riders – particularly those who rely on transit for their morning commutes,” said Contra Costa County Supervisor Diane Burgis, who chairs Tri Delta Transit’s Board of Directors. “These updated routes – including Tri Delta Transit’s first route to run every 15 minutes – will not only greatly improve commutes for those who already ride but open up new possibilities for those whose schedules didn’t align with the previous system.”

Source: Tri Delta Transit

Integration with Tri MyRide has also been expanded to better serve the Brentwood, Antioch and Oakley areas, while maintaining existing coverage in the Pittsburg and Bay Point area.

“From the beginning of the New TDT Network initiative, our goal has been to ensure that the new network is able to better meet the needs of the communities we serve,” said Rashidi Barnes, CEO of Tri Delta Transit. “This new network is a direct result of that goal and aligns with everything we’ve heard from the public over the last year. Our riders can look forward to consistent bus service with lower wait times that offer faster, more direct routes to where they need to be.”

For details on specific route changes and other information about The New TDT Network, visit revitalizetridelta.com.

About Tri Delta Transit

Tri Delta Transit provides over 2,000,000 trips each year to a population of over 315,000 residents in the 225 square miles of eastern Contra Costa County. For additional information about the Tri Delta Transit, please visit www.trideltatransit.com.

Fact check: Claims swirling around CA gas tax increase to 61.2 cents per gallon July 1

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A legislatively mandated and voter-approved gas tax increase of 1.6 cents and updated fuel standards that could, according to experts, translate to 5 to 8 cents not 65 cents per gallon

What you need to know: There are many disingenuous claims swirling about California gas prices “set to soar” – the truth is that gas prices won’t come anywhere close to increasing by 65 cents, as many would have you believe.

By Office of the California Governor

SACRAMENTO – California gas prices are 20 cents lower than one month ago and 17 cents lower than one year ago – despite a swirl of misinformation drawing attention to current prices.

According to a 2024 report, thanks to major improvements in fuel efficiency, California drivers rank 45th in the nation for gasoline consumption and 21st in spending on gasoline per capita. Trump’s tariffs and policies impacting the price of crude oil stand to swing gas prices far more than any state policy.

Driven by misinformation pushed by Republican lawmakers and the oil industry, there remains a lot of speculation about California gas prices. Here are the facts.

CLAIM: California gas prices will go up by 65 cents or higher on July 1. 

FALSE. There are two separate changes to fuel prices expected on or around July 1 – a legislatively mandated and voter-approved gas tax increase of 1.6 cents and updated fuel standards that could, according to experts, translate to 5 to 8 cents.

  • Gas tax: California’s gasoline tax will increase by 1.6 cents per gallon, starting July 1, as required by law. This annual inflation increase was enacted by the Legislature in 2017 to help pay for road repairs – and overwhelmingly approved by voters in 2018 when they rejected a repeal attempt.
  • Fuel standard: Additionally, changes to the state’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) – which is not a tax – have been requested to go into effect on July 1. Experts at UC Davis estimate this program, first established by Republican Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, could add between 5 and 8 cents per gallon – well below one extreme projection that showed 65 cents. In the long term, LCFS is estimated to reduce fuel costs for Californians per mile by 42% – translating to savings of over $20 billion in gasoline costs every year by 2045. Studies also show that LCFS credit prices have no correlation with gasoline prices.

CLAIM: Gas prices could top $8 a gallon by next year.  

FALSE. That number – widely reported in the media – comes from an unscientific analysis whose author has close ties with the oil industry and has been on the payroll of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The author fails to provide evidence to support his main claim and only relies on vague references to models with no details on what those models are based on. Other experts, such as these Stanford economists, say gas price increases based on recent refinery announcements are likely to be negligible.

CalTax Says Gas Tax Will Increase to 61.2 Cents per Gallon

According to the California Taxpayers Association, California’s excise tax on gasoline will increase to 61.2 cents per gallon July 1, an increase of 1.6 cents per gallon over the current rate of 59.6 cents per gallon, the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration announced June 4.

The tax rate on diesel fuel – a matter of great interest for many businesses, especially those in the trucking and agricultural industries – will increase from 45.4 cents per gallon to 46.6 cents per gallon, likely leading to higher costs for consumers for many goods and services.

The tax increases are in addition to any other increases that may be imposed as a result of fuel standards developed by the California Air Resources Board (CARB). Increases resulting from CARB actions also would take effect July 1.

The gas tax rate has more than doubled during the past 10 years. The largest year-to-year increase occurred in 2017 as a result of SB 1 (Chapter 5, Statutes of 2017), which increased gas tax by 12 cents per gallon and increased the diesel tax by 20 cents per gallon (both effective November 1, 2017) and required that the rates be adjusted annually based on the California Consumer Price Index.

Although Californians often mention vehicle-related taxes as a topic of major concern – and cited an increase in the vehicle license tax as a major factor in their decision to recall Governor Gray Davis in 2003 – the CDTFA did not issue a news release or use its social media channels to alert the media or general public to the increase. Instead, the increase was posted on the agency’s website as a special notice to retailers of gas and diesel fuels.

Allen D. Payton contributed to this report.

Contra Costa Transportation Authority hosts 10th Annual Redefining Mobility Summit April 22

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Featuring latest innovations in transportation technology  

San Ramon, Calif.- The Contra Costa Transportation Authority (CCTA) will host the 10th annual Redefining Mobility Summit (RMS) in San Ramon on Tuesday, April 22. RMS, which started in 2015, has grown from a regional meeting to a global gathering of government, industry, and international (from Finland to Japan among others) transportation leaders. The day-long summit features interactive sessions and dynamic and virtual-reality demonstrations of how cutting-edge technology is paving the way for the future of transportation.

CCTA’s Executive Director, Tim Haile, will present awards to two Contra Costa County students who entered an art and design contest. The first-place winner designed an “ideal” intersection using the online gaming platform Roblox, and the second-place winner created a short film of how they use Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) daily.

Also in attendance will be Contra Costa County’s Teacher of the Year and Dr. Cristian Gaedicke, who will discuss how they use STEM education to inspire their students to imagine and design what’s next for transit.

The Summit will be held from 8:00 AM – 4:30 PM at the Roundhouse at Bishop Ranch, 2600 Camino Ramon in San Ramon.

A welcome reception will be held Monday, April 21 at 6:00 p.m.

Agenda

8:00 AM – 8:45 AM Breakfast and Networking

8:45 AM – 9:00 AM Welcome

9:00 AM – 10:00 AM Panel: Smart Cities, Smart Solutions

10:00 AM – 10:30 AM Student Showcase

10:30 AM – 11:30 AM Panel: Building the Workforce of Tomorrow

11:30 AM – 12:00 PM Art & Design Awards

12:00 PM – 1:30 PM Lunch and Demo Zone

1:30 PM – 2:30 PM Panel: New Innovative Business Models

2:30 PM – 3:00 PM Coffee and Conversation Break

3:00 PM – 4:00 PM Panel: The Next Frontier of Autonomous Mobility

4:00 PM – 4:30 PM Closing Remarks

Tickets are $395 per person plus fee to attend. To register and for more information visit The 10th Annual Redefining Mobility Summit, Tuesday, April 22, 2025.

West County: Richmond-San Rafael Bridge night bike lane closure for maintenance April 20 & 21

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Richmond-San Rafael Bridge. Photo: Caltrans

Sunday, April 20 and Monday, April 21 from 9 p.m. until 5 a.m.

By Matt O’Donnell, PIO & Gia Whiteside, Associate Governmental Program Analys, California Dept of Transportation

Contra Costa County, Marin County — Caltrans is scheduled to close the bike lane in the Westbound direction of the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge (I-580) on Sunday, April 20 and Monday, April 21 from 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. the following mornings to perform sweeping and general maintenance.

Shuttle services will be provided at the Stenmark Drive Bridge entrance and at Vista Point in San Rafael for those impacted by the closure.

Speed limit signs will be posted as 40 mph in construction areas.

Caltrans will turn on Changeable Message Signs (CMS) to notify the public ahead of time.

For 24/7 traffic updates, please visit 511.org: https://x.com/511SFBay
For real-time information, visit Caltrans QuickMap: https://quickmap.dot.ca.gov
Follow us on X: https://x.com/CaltransD4
Or call 1-800-472-7623, 1-800-427-ROAD for state highway conditions statewide.

City of San Pablo wins 3 major Public Works project awards

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These awards from the Northern California Chapter of the American Public Works Association (APWA) highlight the City of San Pablo’s extraordinary vision and dedication that are transforming San Pablo into a safer, greener, and more sustainable community. Source: City of San Pablo

By Carl Dameron, Vice President of Public Relations, Strategy Research Institute

The City of San Pablo took home three major awards at the 2025 APWA Project Awards Ceremony, hosted by the Northern California Chapter of the American Public Works Association, on February 20, 2025.

The Rumrill Blvd. Complete Streets Project won both the Small Cities Transportation Project of the Year award and the prestigious Project of the Year awards.

Rendering of improvements to Rumrill Blvd. between Costa Avenue and Market Avenue. Source: City of San Pablo

Additionally, the San Pablo Public Works Department received the Exceptional Performance in Sustainable Practices award, recognizing the City’s commitment to innovative, sustainable projects that benefit both the community and the environment.

Rendering of improvements to Rumrill Blvd. between Market Avenue and San Pablo Avenue. Source: City of San Pablo

“This is an acknowledgement of the City’s commitment to making San Pablo a wonderful community where to reside,” said Allan Panganiban, Public Works Director/City Engineer.

Caltrans work on Antioch bridge to continue March 17-21

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Source: Caltrans

One-way traffic control for maintenance work.

Expect delays & follow flaggers.

Contra Costa County— Caltrans’ scheduled one-way traffic control on the Antioch John A. Nejedly Bridge (SR-160) to continue Monday March 17th from 7 a.m. until 2 p.m.

Southbound SR-160 from the North End of the bridge to the Antioch Toll Plaza will be closed daily from from March 17-21, 2025. Traffic will be able to flow Southbound in the Northbound Lane when clear by flaggers holding traffic coming Northbound at the South End of the Bridge.
The closure will extend the entire length of the bridge.

A pilot car will be implemented and the speed will be restricted to 25 mph in the work zone.

Caltrans will turn on Changeable Message Signs (CMS) to notify the public ahead of time.
For real-time traffic, click on Caltrans QuickMap: http://quickmap.dot.ca.gov/

 

New poll indicates majority support for Bay Area transit revenue and reform measure

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Source: MTC

Contra Costa voters polled support two of three options; want potholes fixed on local streets, improved traffic flow and safety

Members of the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC)’s and the Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG)’s Joint Legislation Committee heard, on Friday, Feb. 14, the results of a January 2025 poll of Bay Area voters conducted by Oakland-based EMC Research on options for a potential transportation tax measure that could avert deep service cuts by BART, San Francisco Muni, Caltrain and other transit agencies; and could spur implementation of the Bay Area Transit Transformation Action Plan to improve the customer experience for transit riders. State senators Scott Wiener of San Francisco and Jesse Arreguín of Berkeley last month introduced Senate Bill 63 to authorize placement of such a measure on the November 2026 ballot. EMC Research, Inc. conducted the poll of 3,050 Bay Area voters to test support and overall attitudes regarding a potential transportation revenue measure, including a three-way split sample to test three different funding frameworks. They included the following:
  • Scenario 1A: A 10-year 1/2-cent sales tax focused on averting major transit service cuts and providing funding for Transit Transformation, generating at least $560 million annually and
  • Hybrid: A 30-year 1/2-cent sales tax plus $0.09 per building sq.ft. parcel tax including at least five counties and up to nine, providing a higher level of funding for transit operations in early years, funding for Transit Transformation, plus flexibility for local infrastructure priorities.
  • Variable Rate: ½-cent to 7/8-cent (0.875) sales tax for transit for 11 years, as proposed by San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency, generating at least $640 million annually focused on transit operations with the goal of more fully addressing transit agencies’ operating funding needs. Note that this framework was included to maximize efficiencies and ensure “apples to apples” comparison of polling results. SFMTA is funding this portion of the poll.
The poll found that a majority (54%) of voters in the four counties of Alameda, Contra Costa, San Francisco and San Mateo would vote yes on a half-cent sales tax to avoid major transit cuts to BART, Caltrain, Muni and AC Transit. It also found majority support (55%) in these four counties for a variable tax option that included a half-cent sales tax in Contra Costa, Alameda and San Mateo and a higher (0.875 cent) sales tax in San Francisco. In Contra Costa County the results of 600 total voters polled, with 200 for each option, initially showed 53% support for Scenario 1A: 10-year 1/2-cent sales tax, 51% support for the Hybrid option and 54% support for the Variable Rate. But after hearing more information and opposition, 56% of Contra Costa voters opposed the Hybrid option, 53% supported the Variable Rate and just 51% supported the 1/2-cent sales tax. “While it’s good to see most voters would support a measure of these types, support is well below the two-thirds threshold that would be required if MTC were to place the measure on the ballot,” noted MTC Commissioner and Pleasant Hill City Councilmember Sue Noack. “This means any near-term path would need to be via a citizen’s initiative, which would require a broad coalition to gather the needed signatures as well as strong campaign leadership.” The poll results show transportation ranks comparatively low on the list of voters’ concerns when respondents were asked an open-ended question (affordable housing, drugs/crime and homelessness top the list) but awareness of the post-pandemic challenges faced by transit agencies is high, with over two-thirds of the voters polled saying Bay Area public transit needs more funding. “Transit has an irreplaceable role in our region, being the only source of transportation for many essential workers, people of color, and working-class families,” added Senator Arreguín. “As we continue our recovery from the pandemic, securing funding to public transit is required to ensure a stronger, more resilient economy for all of us in the Bay Area.” A third tax framework for which EMC Research polled Bay Area voters involved a measure that would be funded by a combination of a half-cent sales tax and a 9-cents per square foot parcel tax over 30 years to funds pothole repairs and highway improvements in addition to transit improvements. Support for this framework started at 51 percent but dipped to 44 percent after respondents heard opposing arguments. MTC in December 2024 approved several policy provisions for inclusion in state legislation that would enable voters to consider a future ballot measure. These include requiring stronger oversight of transit agencies’ financial information and requiring transit agencies to adopt policies to help improve the transit customer experience as a condition for receiving new funds. About MTC MTC is the transportation planning, financing and coordinating agency for the nine-county San Francisco Bay Area. The full presentation delivered to the MTC-ABAG Joint Legislation Committee may be accessed on the MTC website. Allen D. Payton contributed to this report.

Sand Creek Road Extension in Brentwood now open

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Eastbound and westbound views of the now open Sand Creek Road Extension including the bridge over the creek. Herald file photos.

Connects Hwy 4 to Heidorn Ranch Road and Hillcrest Avenue in Antioch

By Allen D. Payton

The City of Brentwood announced on Monday, “The Sand Creek Road Extension is NOW OPEN! We’re thrilled to bring this new roadway to the community and hope it enhances your travels. Please drive safely and enjoy the new route!”

About the delay in the road’s opening two weeks after the ribbon cutting, Assistant City Manager Darin Gale said, “The extension is a unique project because it starts at an intersection that’s controlled by Caltrans and ends at an intersection that’s controlled by Antioch.”

“There were still some items that needed to be completed before we could open the road,” he shared, reiterating what City Manager Tim Ogden said during the ribbon cutting ceremony on Jan. 28. (See related article)

“We appreciate the partnership with those two agencies in getting the road open as quickly as possible” Gale added.

“Part of the intersection built by the developer in Antioch had not yet been approved by the City of Antioch,” he explained as one of the reasons for the delay.

Aerial view of the Sand Creek Road Extension at Heidorn Ranch Road. Source: City of Brentwood

Gale was asked about the timing of the opening and if it had anything to do with the new Costco opening nearby.

He responded, “The City of Brentwood was moving forward with the Sand Creek Road anyway. However, the road does provide a connection to Costco. While it was coincidental to the timing of the opening of Costco, it helped us with attracting the store to Brentwood.”

“We look forward to Sand Creek Road serving the Brentwood Innovation Center (located to the north) and bringing jobs to the residents of East County,” Gale stated.

The new section of the road now connects to the Antioch section at Heidorn Ranch Road, then to Hillcrest Avenue and west to the road that runs north adjacent to Dozier Libbey Medical High School in Antioch.

Gale also reiterated what Antioch Mayor Ron Bernal said at the ribbon cutting, as previously reported. He said, “Richland Communities over to the west of us, they’re going to be starting this year, I’m told, on their subdivision that’s going to build that final link between Sand Creek Road, where it terminates right now, and Deer Valley Road. So, that’s going to be able to get residents and folks over to Kaiser, which is important, getting people off of Deer Valley Road.”

Sand Creek Road will eventually connect to Dallas Ranch Road in Antioch, on the west side of Deer Valley Road and run through The Ranch 1,177-new home subdivision developed by Richland Communities and approved by the Antioch City Council in July 2020.