What is the Warm Springs Extension Project?
Where will the new Station be located and what will it look like?
When can I reserve parking at the new Station?
When will the new Station in Warm Springs open?
What will train service be like at the new Station?
What will the fares be at the new Station?
Will there be AC Transit bus service from the Warm Springs/South Fremont Station?
What’s the thinking behind the design for the new station and site?
How does the WSX project relate to the Silicon Valley Rapid Transit (SVRT) project?
What is the latest on the Warm Springs Community Plan?
Where will the future Irvington Station be located, what will it look like and when will it happen?
Does the new subway really go under Lake Elizabeth?
How did the project affect Fremont Central Park?
How will Fremont Station be affected by WSX project construction?
What about noise and vibration impacts?
How will BART mitigate for trees which have to be removed for the project?
How will permanent impacts to wetlands and open waters (i.e. creeks and drainages) be mitigated?
How will special status species and sensitive habitat be protected?
How will any cultural resources discovered during construction be handled?
How can I get more information about the BART WSX project?
What is the Warm Spring Extension Project?
The Warm Springs Extension Project (WSX) is a 5.4-mile BART extension south from the Fremont BART Station into the Warm Springs District of Fremont. The project is being implemented via two major construction contracts, the Fremont Central Park Subway Construction Contract (Subway) and the Design-Build Line, Track, Station and Systems Contract (LTSS). The Subway contract, which constructed a cut and cover subway structure through Fremont Central Park and beneath a portion of Lake Elizabeth and the operating UPRR freight track along the park’s east side, was completed in 2013. The LTSS contract, which includes the final design and construction of the Warm Springs/South Fremont Station, the remaining trackway including the tie-in at the Fremont Station, and the transit systems (traction power, electrification, train control, and communications) for the entire extension, and provisions for a future station in Irvington, is nearing completion as of the fall of 2015.
Where will the new Station be located and what will it look like?
The Warm Springs/South Fremont Station will be located on Warm Springs Boulevard, between South Grimmer Boulevard and Warm Springs Court. Its address will be 45193 Warm Springs Blvd., Fremont, CA 94539.
The station will feature 34-acres of an inter-modal transit hub with regional benefits featuring 7 bus bays for AC Transit and VTA, along with taxi, private shuttle and “kiss-and-ride” drop-off locations. The station will be fully accessible with automobile and bicycle parking, plus pedestrian and bicycle pathways, including Braille signs and a tactile sight path to aid riders with disabilities. The trackway and the station’s center platform will be at-grade, with an elevated concourse. BART patrons will enter the station’s concourse at an iconic art glass rotunda, ascend to a pedestrian overpass walkway and then, after passing through fare gates, descend to the platform level below to board on their train. Vertical circulation elements between plaza, concourse and platform levels will include redundant escalators, elevators, and stairs. The Warm Springs/South Fremont Station will offer over 2,000 automobile parking spaces, plus bike lockers and bike racks.
When can I reserve parking at the new Station?
As of Wednesday, September 16, 2015, you may register to be added to the waiting list for a monthly parking permit for the new BART Warm Springs/South Fremont Station. To sign-up, please visit: www.select-a-spot.com/bart/. For more information regarding parking, please call BART Customer Service at (510) 464-6000 and press “3” for parking.
When will the new Station in Warm Springs open?
The Project is currently in the final stages of construction and the systems testing program is well underway. Dynamic testing of out-of-service BART trains is scheduled to begin this fall. On a project as complex as WSX it is difficult to predict with certainty when the systems testing phase will be successfully completed and the extension can be certified to begin revenue operations. When available, the anticipated opening date will be posted on the BART website: www.bart.gov/wsx. You may also check back in with us later this fall or at any time for an update.
When open for passenger service the Warm Springs Extension (WSX) Project will mark a major milestone in the Bay Area’s collective effort to extend BART service to Santa Clara County/Silicon Valley.
What will train service be like at the new Station?
The initial service plan calls for Green Line service to/from Daly City weekdays until 7 pm and Orange Line service to/from Richmond weeknights and weekends. Run time between the new Warm Springs/South Fremont Station and the Fremont Station will be approximately six minutes. When BART’s new rail vehicles arrive and are put into service both the Green and Orange lines are expected to serve the Warm Springs/South Fremont Station as they currently do the Fremont Station.
What will the fares be at the new Station?
BART uses its regular distance-based fare structure to determine fares to each station. Fares to the Warm Springs/South Fremont Station will be 40 or 45 cents (depending upon the specific origin/destination) more than the current fares to/from Fremont Station.
Will there be Valley Transit Authority (VTA) bus service from the Warm Springs/South Fremont Station?
Yes, there will be VTA service from the new station. Below is the VTA service plan for the Warm Springs/South Fremont Station.
Line 120 (Fremont BART - Lockheed Martin) This line would continue to start at Fremont Station, but it would be rerouted to serve the Warm Springs/South Fremont Station instead of stopping at Mission Boulevard & Paseo Padre Parkway. The route would access the Warm Springs/South Fremont Station from Mission Boulevard via Durham Road, Paseo Padre Parkway and Grimmer Boulevard, with a stop at Paseo Padre Parkway & Grimmer Boulevard. A new southbound a.m. trip would be added between the first two trips, and an extra northbound p.m. trip would be added. Trip times are to be determined. Current service to the Shoreline area in Mountain View would be discontinued. These changes are proposed in conjunction with the BART extension to Warm Springs. Additional changes will be proposed as BART extends further south.
Line 140 (Fremont BART - Mission College & Montague) This line would continue to start at Fremont Station, but it would be rerouted to serve the Warm Springs/South Fremont Station instead of stopping at Mission Boulevard & Paseo Padre Parkway. The route would access the Warm Springs/South Fremont Station from Mission Boulevard via Durham Road, Paseo Padre Parkway and Grimmer Boulevard, with a stop at Paseo Padre Parkway & Grimmer Boulevard. From the Warm Springs/South Fremont Station, the route would travel south on Warm Springs Boulevard to Mission Boulevard where it would resume the current routing on Mission Boulevard, Interstate 880 and Tasman Drive. These changes are proposed in conjunction with the BART extension to Warm Springs. Additional changes will be proposed as BART extends further south.
Line 180 (Great Mall Transit Center - Warm Springs BART) Line 180 would operate from Warm Springs/South Fremont Station to the Great Mall and no longer serve the Fremont Station. Line 180 would operate every 30 minutes during peak hours, and hourly during the midday and evening. The scheduled trips to and from Aborn & White would be discontinued. These changes are proposed in conjunction with the BART extension to Warm Springs. Additional changes will be proposed as BART extends further south.
Line 181 (San Jose Diridon Transit Center - Fremont BART) On weekdays, midday service would be improved to operate every 15 minutes. On Sundays, all trips would operate to downtown San Jose every 20 minutes, similar to Saturday service. The routing would not change at this time, but additional changes will be proposed as BART extends further south.
For more information, visit the VTA website: www.vta.org/getting-around/Schedules/Bus-Rail
Will there be AC Transit bus service from the Warm Springs/South Fremont Station?
Yes, there will be AC Transit service from the new station.
Lines 215 (Fremont BART - Warm Springs Boulevard & Lippert Avenue) and 232 (Fremont BART to NewPark Mall), which currently stop at the intersection of Grimmer and Warm Springs Boulevard, will pull into the Warm Springs/South Fremont Station when it's open. Bus headways will remain the same.
What’s the thinking behind the design for the new Station and site?
The Warm Springs/South Fremont Station and parking lot were planned, designed and constructed with both the near and long term future in mind. Emphasis has been placed on safety, capacity, multi-modal access, energy efficiency, future expandability and on-site storm water treatment and management as well as renewable energy generation.
How does the WSX project relate to the Silicon Valley Rapid Transit (SVRT) project?
The WSX project is intended to extend BART service closer to the Alameda/Santa Clara County Line. The SVRT project is intended to extend seamless BART service southward from the Warm Springs/South Fremont Station to new stations in Milpitas and further south to San Jose/Santa Clara County. There will be no need to change trains to go south from (or north to) the Warm Springs/South Fremont Station. The SVRT project is sponsored by the Santa Clara County Valley Transportation Authority (VTA), which is responsible for its implementation under an agreement with BART. For more information on the SVRT project visit www.vta.org/bart.
What is the latest on the Warm Springs Community Plan?
The best way to keep up with developments on the City of Fremont’s Warm Springs Community Plan is to visit: www.fremont.gov/1515/Warm-SpringsSouth-Fremont-Community-Plan.
Where will the future Irvington Station be located, what will it look like and when will it happen?
The future Irvington Station will be located just south of Washington Boulevard along Osgood Road. This future station has been cleared environmentally as part of the WSX project as an "optional" station, pending funding to be arranged by the City of Fremont. The Irvington Station has been planned to be a side platform station with the trackway level at-grade and the concourse level situated above. Station access would be from pedestrian overpasses built over Osgood Road to the east and the UPRR track to the west. As a result of the passage of Measure BB by Alameda County voters in November of 2014 there is $120M in funding earmarked for the Irvington Station. Recently, the City of Fremont’s Planning Commission established the “Irvington Station Study Area” in anticipation of the project. However, an exact date for development and opening of this new station is still TBD as of this time. For more information, visit: www.fremont.gov.
Does the new subway really go under Lake Elizabeth?
Yes. As part of the Warm Springs Extension (WSX) project, BART has constructed a one-mile long cut and cover subway through Fremont Central Park, including beneath the eastern portion of Lake Elizabeth. A temporary cofferdam was constructed through the lake and the portion of the lake on the eastern side was dewatered. When subway construction was complete the cofferdam was removed and the lake restored to its original condition.
How did the project affect Fremont Central Park?
Despite being the site of a major construction project for approximately three and a half years, the park remained open and all facilities were maintained for public use during construction. Some park facilities were relocated prior to subway construction, including the dog park, basketball courts and associated parking. The tennis center parking was expanded as well to offset the loss of public parking during subway construction. A temporary cofferdam was constructed to allow for the de-watering of the eastern lobe of Lake Elizabeth and to provide continuity in the lake's perimeter walking path during subway construction. Other key pedestrian pathways were maintained, albeit occasionally detoured, during subway construction. Construction of the subway included installation of an extensive ground treatment program and construction of two ventilation structures. These ventilation structures, one located near the softball four-plex and the other south of Lake Elizabeth, received landscape planting treatments consistent with their surroundings to reduce their visual impacts. Additional public parking was provided near the northern ventilation structure as part of the project. Major construction in Fremont Central Park was completed in late 2012.
How will Fremont Station be affected by WSX project construction?
The WSX project includes extension of the trackway embankment south of the Fremont Station platform to the Walnut Avenue Overpass, the addition of a new traction power substation along the west side of the new embankment, and the re-configuration of customer parking and bus circulation routes in the southern portion of the parking lot. During construction parking impacts were mitigated by the operation of a remote lot and shuttle. Permanent parking impacts were mitigated in advance by capacity improvements within the lot and the addition of on-street parking along nearby Civic Center Drive. The project has further undertaken to improve pedestrian access from and along Walnut Ave, the final stage of which is currently underway. You will also see that in the Station’s West Plaza, covered seating areas received art tile treatment to improve their appearance. For additional information on Fremont Station construction activities, visit our construction updates section: www.bart.gov/about/projects/wsx/updates
What about noise and vibration impacts?
Construction and operational noise and ground borne vibration will be mitigated consistent with the project’s environmental documents and applicable FTA Guidelines. In certain areas sound walls have been constructed as part of the project to mitigate anticipated operational noise impacts.
How will BART mitigate for trees which have to be removed for the project?
During the course of WSX project construction it will be necessary to remove a certain number of existing trees. Prior to completion of the project, BART will provide replacement trees within the project corridor for all removed "landscape" trees (those not part of riparian or wetland vegetation) six inches or greater in diameter at 4.5 feet above ground on a one for one basis if replaced with a 24-inch box size tree, or a three for one basis if replaced with 15 gallon size trees. Impacted trees associated with riparian habitat will be mitigated in terms of acreage rather than number of trees, in accordance with the requirements of the San Francisco Regional Water Quality Control Board, California Department of Fish and Game, and the United States Army Corps of Engineers. As a result, the number of trees restored at Mission Creek for temporary construction impacts will be slightly greater than one to one. For mitigation of permanent impacts to riparian vegetation, which cannot be restored on site, BART will compensate for the loss of these trees at an off-site location adjacent to the project site at a ratio of 3.5 acres for every 1 acre impacted.
How will permanent impacts to wetlands and open waters (i.e. creeks and drainages) be mitigated?
BART will compensate for permanent impacts to open waters and wetlands at a mitigation site located just to the east of Fremont Central Park. Wetlands will be restored at a ratio of 4 acres for every 1 acre impacted. Open water impacts will be restored at a 1 to 1 ratio based on linear feet impacted.
How will special status species and sensitive habitat be protected?
As part of the WSX project, BART will mitigate impacts to potential habitat for special status species such as the California Tiger Salamander, the California Red Legged Frog and the Western Burrowing Owl. A comprehensive biological monitoring program is in effect during project construction and all project staff and construction personnel will receive environmental awareness training.
How will any cultural resources discovered during construction be handled?
As part of the project, sensitive cultural resources will be treated in accordance with approved plans and applicable laws.
How does the WSX relate to the City of Fremont’s Washington Boulevard and Paseo Padre Parkway Grade Separation Project?
Completed in 2010, the City’s Grade Separation project separated automobile, bicycle and pedestrian traffic from the active UPRR railroad track and eliminated multiple grade crossings by building a vehicular overpass on Washington Boulevard and a vehicular underpass at Paseo Padre Parkway. The Grade Separation project also relocated a portion of the active UPRR track and numerous utilities through the project area. The Grade Separation project was carefully planned by the City and BART to accommodate the WSX project as well.
How can I get more information about the BART WSX project?
You can visit the project website at www.bart.gov/wsx, or call our project information line at 510.476.3900, or email: bartwarmspringsextension@bart.gov. The WSX project site also features live web cams for real time views of the new Warm Springs/South Fremont station and Fremont Station along the Warm Springs extension alignment as well as a construction photo slideshow.
Updated September 30, 2015