OAC just won't die

It's the project that just won't die. The Bay Citizen is reporting that BART managed to spend $31 million in two weeks (or underestimate how much they'd already spent), for a total of $95 million, and all they have to show for it is a ceremonial ground-breaking.

That was after BART board member Robert Raburn announced he thought the project could be stopped, which was no surprise given that two of the biggest supporters are no longer with BART, and the costs continues to rise even though no actual construction has been done. Now he's quoted in SFGate's Matier and Ross column, saying "It doesn't look like we are going to be putting the brakes on this project". Gah!!

Supporters claim it will produce jobs for Oakland (not many) and raise the profile of the Oakland Airport (but not in good way). For $500+ million, they want to build a people mover. Not an extension of BART like the one to SFO. Don't throw good money after bad -- just kill the OAC project, and spend 1/2 the money improving the existing BART system and setting up a BRT line to the airport.

update: good post over at Systemic Failure.