Oakland Central

A New Station at the Crossroads of the Region

With or without a new Bay Crossing, there is a need to improve rail operations in Jack London Square. With I-980 removed, I-880 can be modified to make room for a parallel rail viaduct, with a new station for both BART and regional rail.

Goal:

Define a location for a station that is compact enough to create a simple connection for passengers between BART trains and regional rail system so the two can function as one. Secondary goal, an easy connection to the Island of Alameda.

Solution:

The video below is a quick overview of this possibility. Detailed drawings will be added in future updates. Modifications to the BART Wye to add a stop at this station are shown in the second video.

While some might question the elevated alignment, as things like this are often blamed for dividing communities, I-880 has kept the continuing development in Jack London Square from entering and gentrifing Chinatown and the Acorn neighborhood. In this case, the seperation has worked to preserve neighborhoods. It will be important to provide spacious, well-lit, maintained, and beautiful crossings for pedestrians and cyclists to cross beneath the elevated rail and freeway between the distinct neighborhoods. For comfort and aesthetics, it is proposed to build bike and pedestrian crossings seperate from surface auto and truck traffic. The pedestrian and bike crossings will be quiet, well-lit, and free from particulates and pollution.

This video below shows the modifications to BART in the area, including project phasing to minimize disruptions to BART service. When completed, the new station would provide operational benefits to BART. Multiple platform faces will allow trains to be held to permit precision scheduling, maximizing capacity heading onto the M-Line into San Francisco. West of the station, multiple tracks will be provided to store out of service trains and potentially reverse trains, enabling new service patterns and providing a refuge for trains with mechanical problems.  

The combined station would place dual BART platforms beneath dual standard guage platforms, providing direct vertical connections via escalators, stairs, and elevators for transferring passengers, uniting the region's rail systems. Atop the station, an aerial tram would provide trips across the Estuary to a terminal in Alameda.