Keep BART on 580 Group Submits Petition

Opponents of a moved closer to placing a measure against the plan on the November ballot.

Organizers of the Keep BART on 580 group on Tuesday turned in a petition to city officials. The petition was signed by 8,360 residents who say they prefer a Livermore BART station be located on the freeway.

The group needed slightly more than 4,600 valid signatures from Livermore residents to get the proposal on the fall ballot.

City officials will review and count the signatures on the petition before sending it to the Alameda County Registrar of Voters. The registrar has up to 30 days to verify that all the signatures are from Livermore residents who are registered voters.

Livermore City Attorney John Pomidor said once the signatures have been verified council members have three options:

• Put the measure on the ballot right away;
• Adopt it; or
• Request a report (fiscal impact, effect on land use, etc.).

Valerie Raymond, a member of Keep BART on 580, previously told Livermore Patch that the ballot measure would change the city's general plan and prohibit the City Council from cooperating with BART directors on any plan to bring the transit agency's tracks to downtown Livermore.

Members say their goal is to have Livermore's BART station built on the Interstate 580 corridor, much like the Pleasanton and Dublin stations.

The plan is to build a BART extension from I-580 through the Airway-Portola region to downtown Livermore and perhaps continue it to Vasco Road.

Proponents say it will bring visitors and customers to downtown Livermore. They also say it will spur new development there.

Opponents say the downtown plan's $4 billion price tag is too high and that it will increase traffic and noise in the area.

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