Oakland Airport Connector: Pushing the Design-Build Envelope

The San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District (BART) is the lead agency for the development of a 3.2-mile long automated guideway transit (AGT) system that will link BART to Oakland International Airport called the Oakland Airport Connector (OAC). In March 2002, the BART Board of Directors chose an AGT system and preferred alignment that will operate as an extension of the BART line and provide a seamless transfer to the Oakland International Airport. Lea+Elliott, Inc. is the General Engineering Consultant (GEC) for BART on the OAC. Work to date has included planning, support of the Environmental Impact Report for the BART-Oakland International Airport Connector (EIR), system and facilities preliminary engineering and design, development of the draft procurement documents, release of a Request for Qualifications (RFQ), prequalification of six design/build/operate/maintain (DBOM) teams, and an industry and peer review of the draft procurement documents. This paper provides information about the status of the OAC; and discusses how BART, a mature transit agency experienced in operations and expansions, and Lea+Elliott, Inc. pushed the design-build envelope to refine procurement strategies that will reduce costs and increase competition.