Recent news revealed that Bay Area Rapid Transit may put the brakes on the Tri-Valley stations, including the Dublin/Pleasanton and West Dublin/Pleasanton stations. If the stations are closed, it won’t just be the Blue Line feeling the blues. If the Connect Bay Area sales tax measure fails in November, BART may pull the plug on the stations. The Blue Line will run out of track and riders will be out of options.
Las Positas College sits in a hidden corner of Livermore, tucked into a hill. The commute proves a challenge for many students who travel from across the Bay Area. According to the college’s Research Planning and Institutional Effectiveness Department, only about 22% of enrolled students reside in Livermore. The rest are from all over the Bay Area, as roughly 15% come from other local cities.
Reliable public transit is essential for students. Without BART service in Dublin and Pleasanton, LPC students may face long, stressful drives through congested Bay Area traffic, turning what should be a short commute into a test of patience.
The thought of navigating traffic, highway accidents and reckless drivers isn’t manageable at 8 a.m. for those of us afraid of driving. Losing BART stations would force riders like me into a world of driving, something I am not prepared for. A world in which every commute becomes a test of my nerves.
The financial impact of losing BART in Dublin is equally alarming. A single ride on the Blue Line costs around $7. If the stations close, it would force me — and other students who don’t reside in Livermore — to drive all the way to LPC by car. A single week of commuting by car to LPC from my residence would drain an entire gas tank assuming I don’t go elsewhere.
That’s hundreds of dollars more a month in gas alone, not including parking costs, insurance and vehicle maintenance. For many similar commuters, the closure of these stations is plain unaffordable.
But BART, too, is facing financial challenges. The agency projected deficits of millions of dollars in February and staff have proposed drastic measures of closing up to 15 stations. It will eliminate night service and raise fares as much as 50%. Hurting riders without addressing the structural financial issue.
“I am not going to take this lying down,” said Melissa Hernandez, president of the BART Board of Directors. “It’s unfair to the Tri-valley. To Hayward. To Castro Valley.”
The cost of shuttering these stations cannot be ignored. Dublin’s economic development manager, Felicia Escover, expressed concern for the closure of local BART stations.
“Such a closure would disrupt daily travel for many residents, add pressure to already congested freeways and create a ripple effect that must be fully understood,” Escover said.
Cutting Tri-Valley stations is poor long-term planning and overlooks a permanent solution. BART can’t simply cut a station, let alone three stations, simply because ridership is low. Closing the stations would leave residents who picked neighborhoods specifically for their proximity to the stations stranded.
I live in a neighborhood right next to the BART station. It’s convenient for me to go anywhere in the Bay Area that has a station. If the stations were to close, that would force me into a position in which I must immediately become comfortable driving.
But every time I get behind the wheel, a familiar weight settles over me. The steering wheel feels heavier than it should, as if resisting my grip. The engine’s roar vibrates through my chest and into my bones. It’s like reliving a memory that feels embedded in the metal and leather, each turn brings me back to the accident from my childhood that left a permanent injury.
Pulling the plug on riders is not the solution. BART could instead consider phased fare increase, targeted cost reduction to keep stations running while addressing financial shortfalls. Riders who depend on BART every day are not expendable — they are the backbone of the system. The communities that support BART deserve a transit agency that supports them in return.
Closing the Tri-Valley stations will be more than inconvenient. It will threaten daily lives, safety and even financial stability. Many commuters could lose their jobs if they cannot find a non-BART option — especially one as affordable and reliable. BART must go back to the drawing board and find a way to keep their established stations accessible. A system designed to move people through the Bay Area should never leave its riders stranded.
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TOP PHOTO: A Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) train arrives at the Dublin/Pleasanton BART station, one of the potential stations being considered for closure. BART officials have warned the public of potential Tri-Valley stations shutting down if the Connect Bay Area sales tax measure fails in November. (Photo by Angelina An/The Express)
Angelina An is a staff writer for The Express. Follow her on X @angiebee_919.
