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    1. Rail
    2. Infrastructure

    BART completes El Cerrito del Norte Station Modernization project

    March 31, 2021
    The project improves accessibility, safety and the appearance at El Cerrito del Norte Station. 
    Related To: Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART)
    BART
    Bart 60649e9075c80

    The Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) has completed the final Phase 2 of the El Cerrito del Norte Station Modernization project.  

    Phase 2 upgrades and improvements include the construction of two new public restrooms and two art walls. The art walls, featuring landscape and architecture scenes from El Cerrito’s past and present, are the work of Kyungmi Shin, an artist selected by a panel of community members and arts professional from more than 70 artists who applied. 

    "The Del Norte station and new bus shelters, with bright blues and striking glass, provide a beautiful, welcoming entry to the station and the neighborhood surrounding the station,” said BART Board Vice President Rebecca Saltzman. “The murals celebrate the city of El Cerrito, featuring views of the Bay and the hills, and I am excited our riders will get to enjoy this artwork.”   

    Phase 2 improvements also included the addition of LED lighting at various locations around the station, the opening of a new bus lane and a new, raised pedestrian crosswalk between the parking structure and the station.  

    These upgrades follow the completion earlier this year of Phase 1 of the project. Those improvements included a fully modernized south entrance, two new elevators, two new staircases, an additional fare gate array and a dramatic floor to ceiling exterior window wall to brighten the station. The project improves accessibility, safety and the appearance at El Cerrito del Norte Station.  

    “Del Norte serves as a regional hub for connecting transit and all these new amenities will improve accessibility for everyone,” said BART Board member Lateefah Simon. “I want to thank our riders and those who live and work around the station for their patience during the construction. I am so happy we have delivered a space that invites community.” 

    Other improvements made in Phase 1 of the project include doubling the size of the paid area, new LED station lights, a new ADA-compliant bus island with new shelters, a new station agent booth, new fire-life safety systems, new emergency lighting and improvements to the Ohlone Greenway. 

    The expanded paid area and the additional fare gates and stairs will mean fewer bottlenecks and less crowding during peak commute hours, which was previously a common occurrence.  

    Sustainable design concepts were prioritized and two new bioswale areas with new plants were installed in the station parking lots to hold stormwater runoff and protect local waterways from storm water pollutants.    

    The improvements were funded through a combination of State of California Proposition 1B Funds, Contra Costa County Measure J funds and other funds. The project is being coordinated closely with the city of El Cerrito's Ohlone Greenway BART Station Area Access, Safety and Placemaking Improvements project.