At the March 24 meeting of the San Joaquin Joint Powers Authority, the Board will discuss decommissioning the Antioch-Pittsburg San Joaquins Passenger Stop and will instead opt for the new Oakley station.
By late 2025, Antioch residents will have access to the new Oakley station, including dedicated parking.
Prior to this vote, Antioch Mayor Lamar Thorpe is on the agenda (Item 8) who will provide a City of Antioch presentation to the board regarding the Antioch-Pittsburg San Joaquins Passenger Stop.
Here is the staff Report:
Item 9: Approve a Resolution of the Governing Board of the San Joaquin Joint Powers Authority Approving the Decommissioning of the Antioch-Pittsburg San Joaquins Passenger Stop
Background:
The San Joaquins service in Antioch–Pittsburg is a quick stop with a platform only and no shelter. The City of Antioch owns and is responsible for maintaining the land and platform, BNSF Railway owns the track.
Between Federal Fiscal Year (FFY) 2018 and FFY2020, SJJPA funded $433,000 towards the following Minor Capital projects in Antioch-Pittsburg:
- Landscaping
- Signage
- Removal of Passenger Shelter
Best view on the Delta: On March 8, 2018, Antioch Police locate transient on top of Amtrak station roof camping
There have been several issues at the Antioch-Pittsburg Passenger Stop which staff has determined justifies decommissioning this passenger stop for the San Joaquins. Below is a list of the larger issues reported and is not an all-inclusive list:
- In September 2019, due to safety concerns with the unhoused population, the passenger shelter was demolished after a homeless individual was found residing on the roof.
- Due to the unhoused population challenges, the previous Antioch City Manager approved the decommissioning of the stop.
- In December 2022, unhoused individuals were camped inside the ADA shelter; Amtrak staff requested they vacate. When staff returned later, the homeless individuals had stolen the wheelchair lift (valued at $11,000). Until the wheelchair lift is replaced, passengers who use a wheelchair must board in either Martinez or Stockton.
- Amtrak onboard staff have been assaulted by passengers boarding in Antioch.
- To reduce fare evasion, the Antioch – Pittsburg stop uses the streetcar method, with only one door opened per train for boarding and deboarding passengers
Timeframe:
The San Joaquins will no longer serve the Antioch station upon the completion and activation of the Oakley station, estimated completion Q3 2024.
Rail Options for Antioch residents:
- Beginning in late 2025, Antioch residents will have access to the new Oakley station, including dedicated parking.
- The county’s Tri Delta Transit also serves the neighborhood, connecting residents to the future Oakley Station and Antioch’s eBART station.
- The eBart system is a ten-minute drive from the Amtrak Antioch station
San Joaquin Joint Powers Authority Board Meeting
Friday, March 24, 2023 – 10:00 AM
Robert J. Cabral Station
South Hall Meeting Room
949 East Channel Street, Stockton, CA 95202
Agenda – Click here
- Source – Antioch Police Amtrak Photos
- Downtown Oakley Development Study – click here
21 comments
They should keep both stations; BART is not dependable. Antioch should still be a stop; Oakley not convenient for any Pittsburg or Antioch resident and neither is Martinez for any resident along 4 corridor. What happened to the highspeed rail to nowhere? Do you even trust today’s idiot CA politicians with any public transportation or any mass transit plan? They ruin everything they touch in the name of woke.
Oh stop it. In the name of woke. Jus couldn’t help yourself …had to throw that catch phrase out there. Doesn’t even make sense.
Damn… I recently spoke to a person out in the valley of Modesto who ironically visited Antioch years back, specifically the marina. During the conversation, I realized they have not been to Antioch, recently. They boasted about how nice the downtown area was and this specific train station and how Pittsburg was rough and they did not feel safe. I had to inform them that things have changed dramatically and gave them pointers. After the conversation it made me think about the businesses in this area and whether or not they are heavily dependent on the train station and visitation from passengers. Hopefully, the presentation can salvage this once-thriving station, yet overall it is about public safety and whether or not the city of Antioch can meet this demand.
I give Thorpe credit for going to attend this meeting but what a disaster and what does this say about Antioch to decommission a station. Terrible leadership. Not a peep out of District 1 councilmember Tamisha Torres-Walker. Elections have consequences people. A 120k resident city just lost out to a city with less than 50k for transportation. How embarrassing.
Antioch has been putting lipstick on the pig that is downtown “Rivertown” for decades, and it’s a lost cause. The “unhoused population” is taking it over.
It’s a ghost town… the Amtrak station does not support local business because nobody is using Amtrak to go to Rivertown to shop (locals for that matter aren’t going there to shop either).
I was planning a day trip on Amtrak down to Fresno, so I drove to the Antioch station to check it out… no way in hell would I use it, everything says too sketchy to feel safe about it. If I was to park and leave my car to board the train, I’m certain that upon my return at the end of the day, I would find it broken into.
“… the previous Antioch City Manager approved the decommissioning of the stop.”
Rather than enforce the law and mitigate problems thru Policing, easier softer LAZY WAY was opted for.
.
More evidence of city council and city manager in desperate need of ADULT SUPERVISION.
Why on earth should citizens of Antioch be subjected to this level of incompetence?
Wow, how and why did Antioch city officials allow this to happen? How can these city officials stand idle in the face of such disarray? Do they not realize how hard it is to get an Amtrak stop? The Antioch station is a key transit corridor for residents in Oakley, Brentwood, Antioch, Pittsburg, and even Clayton. This would be such an inconvenience. I know many of you may not ride Amtrak, but Amtrak has come a long way. The customer experience is much better than it used to be, plus they are rolling out higher-speed trains.
Antioch city leaders asleep at the switch. Again. Passed over because we can’t maintain a safe environment. Another result of ceding important waterfront space to our burgeoning bum….er….homeless…er….unhoused population. Antioch has been passed by by our neighbors to the east and is receding into a nothing burger. Congrats to us
Antioch is becoming a ghost town! First, the Somersville mall is an embarrassment. Downtown is barren. The strip mall by Mokelumne and Lone Tree Way has a huge empty movie theater. Fosters Freeze is gone and there aren’t any other restaurants with seated inside dining in that area. Even Weinerschnitzel’s closed its lobby. Thieves are walking out of stores with stolen merchandise and no accountability. It just gets worse every year! This is ridiculous!
I’ve been an Antioch resident and taxpayer for 21 years plus I paid Mello Roos taxes for 15 years! My husband’s family lived in Antioch for 40 years before that! Where has all of our tax dollars been spent on?! Why aren’t we making it safe for hardworking residents to live here and to use Amtrak LOCALLY by cleaning up our city instead of driving everything away?! I’m all for using some of my tax dollars to provide housing, drug rehab, food, clothing, etc., to help the poor, mentally ill, ex-convicts, etc. However, moving business, transportation, etc., out of Antioch is not the best solution to our problems!
My daughter used Amtrak several times to get to and from Humboldt University from Antioch several years ago, and it was a great alternative to me having to always drive her up there. I would always be at the station long before her arrival, and waited with her to make sure she got on safety, as it was major sketch then, I can’t even imagine what it’s like down there now. What a shame, though, Amtrak is a great way to travel, and that station probably deters some folks from trying it.
I understand but. Wow. Just. Wow. Antioch is just Antioch an island that residents has to go to Brentwood and give. Brentwood sales tax revenue because what’s really here? Golf bowling skate rink in the gutter and an over priced community center. No social activities for 13 -16 year old Youths not unless they want to swim ride horses kayak throw a ball bounce a ball hit a ball or kick a ball… not all Youth are into ball games. No leisure or hospitality. Antioch is just an island.
I can tell you that there are no crimes being committed to the public from the homeless in that area in fact often times the homeless will help the passengers out by giving them information about a train that it went by or when it rains going to come and a lot of time passengers are down there with their eyes and their phone kind of scared looking around when actually the homeless that stay in that area would actually protect those passengers, the homeless down there are doing nothing more than they’re entitled to within their rights, we don’t have a train station problem we have a problem to where Antioch cannot enforce small misdemeanors in their City and if that happens the city would police itself, they always try to make the homeless out to be pariah’s and the problem, if you go by there these days there are almost down there they’re enjoying a dice game legal, and just hanging out there’s nothing wrong with that there’s no law against it and if they move the train station that would just mean that the people who are drunk driving coming out of Monica’s at 50 miles an hour hitting the gas in their cars don’t have to wait for the training anymore and and the car is going back up trying to get out of the parking lot and it’s like the Indy 500 once the train goes, I don’t want to be unfair to Monica’s they’re kicking butt and they’re bringing in the money but I’ve seen so many people come out of their drunk and getting their cars and speed up high Street it’s unbelievable.
I’ve never had a bad experience at the Antioch station. Other than missing my train. I’m in river town regularly and the in-house that are down their have been nothing but friendly and helpful to me. And very grateful when given clothing and food. They are human and should be treated like it. The police station is 2 seconds from Amtrak station if there is so much crime down here they should be able to handle it quickly but they don’t. Why is that?
crime is not the excuse It’s the mayor
I grew up in Antioch. Moved to Oakley in 87. In the last 10 years or so, I don’t even believe my eyes or ears when I see and hear what it’s become! It’s pathetic to say the least in comparison to what it was when I grew up there. Lemar Thorpe is a criminal posing as a Mayor! Gets away with DUI! Having underaged girl during arrest! And all swept under the rug!!! He’s the main problem at the moment!
Seems logical enough to eliminate a “station” that has neither facilities, parking or ready access to other mass transit. Missing in this discussion are any numbers: how many passengers actually USE this stop?
Does anyone know about the huge funds that was funded to Antioch for homeless? Supposedly, Three million dollars was funded to the city of Antioch for housing program at the motel on East 18th Street for three years. Which they housed only a few and then was open to public to rent motel rooms again in less that 6 months later. I’d done or all of this true? If so, shouldn’t somebody be getting a hold of a higher authority to accomplish helping the city of Antioch . Its not right how corrupted or city is getting due to lack of responsible and righteous political leaders that run the city of Antioch what happened?
Is anyone higher in the political boards even looking at the Mayor’s bad leadership, not to mention, bad habits. Hello
As someone who has lived in the city ANTIOCH almost all my life, and its always downtown. I moved up near Pruitt ranch for a little while, totally did not like the vibe. I moved over by gentry town and Buchanan for a little while that was nice. It wasn’t bad that’s when food max or whatever that was was still there. But honestly to tell you the truth there is nothing more that I love about Antioch, then downtown. Literally the heart. All of the older homes down here, the original buildings, homes, stores. In case you guys didn’t really know, Antioch holds a lot of history for California. It’s so sad that the issues and ways that I won’t just say from politics but mostly just as a community…. I remember being 13 or 14 and getting dropped off down at the community center for the overnight slumber party with my friends, or sometimes by myself, where I would meet new friends. Yes, Antioch has changed. But it’s not just “unhoused” people. First of all, how do these people become unhoused? I went from having a roof over my head for 30 something years. To Jess, a couple of months to prepare for having nowhere to go no place to live. Literally living in a tent with my dog and my cat. Because I had no other options. I have no kids. So qualifying for some unhoused shelter or program wasn’t an option. And being unhoused is hard as hell. Try finding a water Spicket that’s not attached to someone’s house or the business that it is attached to not minding you using it. You guys don’t understand. I say you guys, the ones that either sound like they’re not from Antioch originally, or they have resided in the upper echelon areas of Antioch all of their sheltered life. There’s a lot of things wrong with how things are in this town. Let’s not even start with the school systems. Should we demolish those buildings to, because our children aren’t getting the education that they so rightly deserve, especially when they come from poverty. If I’m gonna blame anybody, I’m gonna blame the city officials and basically who doesn’t really give two craps about this place I know as my home I have very great memories of living downtown growing up. I learned a lot about the history of Antioch. And instead of pouring money into ridiculous schemes that only wind up, putting money in the wrong persons, hand and stupid stuff like this happens. All this is just their way of cutting back keeping more money for themselves for some shady scheme or other money making tactic. And more than likely don’t even live here or ever have lived here. If it’s so bad, then go somewhere else and let the people who truly love Antioch live here. Meaning, even the unhoused. There are more people that sweep the streets parking lots pick up garbage and deal with a lot of you well offs attitude. People only break into other peoples cars for a reason. My whole life I’ve never had anyone break into mine. It’s amazing, all of the upstanding and residing in the higher elevations of Antioch. Yes, the ones that are also “taxpayers”…. It’s just amazing how concerned you are with downtown, the judgment you put on some people, the snooty looks and bad attitude, and then go right back to here, secure a little home somewhere up in uptown Antioch nicer parts, pfffft. I’m sorry, but everywhere you look down here it’s everywhere you go no matter where you are just different ways of hiding it only downtown Antioch can’t hide it. No one cares to help it. And only wants to destroy it. It’s community blindness. So much would be so better if we all came together as a community and stopped judging and separating ourselves from one another, we live here act like it. And just in case you were wondering. I am no longer unhoused. I have a job and I have a vehicle. Oh, and I also pay taxes.
I only hope that Oakley hires more officers to keep an eye on this new development. If not, we here in Oakley will only be subject to more crime, theft, and homeless moving into our city. It’s bad enough already.
I think downtown Antioch with the delta and a lot of the older buildings and houses can be one of the better downtowns in the whole of the East Bay….such a shame that it isn’t.:-(
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