Oakland Airport Connector

The Oakland Airport Connector AGT system is operated by BART and is integrated into BART's existing fare system. However, it does not utilize existing BART rolling stock and it is not physically connected with existing BART tracks. Instead it has its own fleet of AGT vehicles that operate on fixed guideways and are cable-drawn. The guideways and Cable Liner vehicles were built by Doppelmayr Cable Car. The line is designed to have an approximate headway of 4.5 minutes (though it is currently operated with a headway of 6 minutes) and to complete a one-way trip in approximately 8 minutes, with an on-time performance of more than 99.5%. The initial setup is four 3-car trains (113 passengers each train), The trains automatically switch cables four times: once at each end, and halfway between the two stops at the wheelhouse, near the intersection of Hegenberger Road and Airport Access Road. The wheelhouse has four drive wheels that move the cables. The AGT route between Oakland Coliseum Station and the airport is mostly elevated, largely in the median of Hegenberger Road, with one underground section as it passes under Doolittle Drive, and one at-grade section just west of that point, before the AGT enters airport property on an elevated guideway. A maintenance and storage facility is located near the midpoint of the system. A two-person team monitors the operation of the system from a central control room in the Doolittle Maintenance and Storage Facility. The Airport station's fare gates are located at Coliseum station, between the line's dedicated platform and the elevated walkway above San Leandro Street linking it to the original platform. Both stations for the line feature platform screen doors – a first for the system. The line is paralleled by AC Transit Route 73, which is less frequent during peak hours but less expensive. Routes 73 and 805 provide overnight service during hours that the Oakland Airport Connector – and the rest of the BART system – are closed. Fares On June 12, 2014, BART's board of directors voted to set the base fare for travel on the BART to Oakland International Airport AGT system at US$6. The board left open the possibility that temporary promotional fares could be introduced in the future. In addition, seniors, people with disabilities, and children age 12 and under will be eligible for BART's 62.5% discount. , the line operated with a farebox recovery ratio of 96%. This lower-than-expected revenue, in part due to competition from ridesharing companies, resulted in a net operating cost of US$860,000 between 2014 and 2016. == History ==

AirBART }} On July 1, 1977, BART began a shuttle bus service called AirBART that ran to the airport terminals from street level at Coliseum station (thereafter named Coliseum/Oakland Airport). The shuttle ride took ten minutes and cost 50 cents. AirBART was a joint project of BART and the Port of Oakland, which owns and operates the airport. The diesel bus fleet was replaced by compressed natural gas buses around 2008. At the time of replacement, AirBART ran from 5:00am (8:00am on Sundays) to midnight – approximately matching BART operating hours – with nominal headways of ten minutes at most times. Travel time was estimated as 15 minutes. However, travel times and frequency were inconsistent due to traffic congestion from commuters and Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum events. Passengers were required to pay the $3 fare with exact change or a $3 BART ticket from dedicated fare machines. Ridership was about 2,800 per day in 2008, but dropped to 1,900 daily riders by 2014. AirBART service was discontinued on November 22, 2014, when the Oakland Airport Connector opened, though buses were kept on standby for one week in case the new line experienced failures. By September 2010, all necessary federal and state funding for the Oakland Airport Connector had been re-established, and a groundbreaking ceremony was held on October 20, 2010, featuring key administrators: BART Director Carole Ward Allen, Congresswoman Barbara Lee, State Assemblyman Sandré Swanson, Oakland Mayor Ron Dellums and Oakland City Councilman Larry Reid. == References ==