On Tuesday, the Antioch City Council will look to pass a Resolution opposing the decommissioning of the Antioch-Pittsburg Amtrak Station.
Ironically, the Resolution could have come at any point since the March 24, 2023 meeting where the SJJPA voted 6-1 to decommission the station in favor of opening a brand new station in the City of Oakley. Instead, the Resolution returns as campaign season has started–and while Antioch Mayor Lamar Hernandez-Thorpe has openly blamed former city manager turned mayoral opponent Ron Bernal for the closure while on the dais.
At the June 25 Antioch City Council meeting, Councilwoman Lori Ogorchock requested the Resolution in an effort to allow for others to advocate for the Amtrak station. At the meeting, Hernandez-Thorpe requested the resolution include a statement about Bernal.
“I think its important that it includes language that we were never asked to weigh in. We were never asked an opinion. Whoever made this opinion, according to the SJJPA, you have all seen the video, that this was the former city manager Ron Bernal who made this decision. He never told us about it or make a decision or weigh in. For the city manager to singularly make that decision on his own was inappropriate and I just think it needs to be noted,” stated Hernandez-Thorpe.
Previously, former city managers Bernal and Cornelius Johnson denied approving closure of the station. There is also no proof in emails or records request that Bernal or Johnson made a decision on the station closure.
When asked why now and nearly a year later, Ogorchock stated she hoped the action would change the SJJPA Boards mind and they would reconsider the decommissioning of the AMTRAK station.
“I asked for this resolution in the hopes of our federal and state legislators to come forward to help us to retain the station as it is a valuable asset to the community. This closure will have a negative impact on the seniors, veterans, low income communities, along with black and brown individuals,” stated Ogorchock. “I wish the council was made aware of this prior to it even getting to this point.”
According to ridership data, the Antioch-Pittsburg San Joaquins Passenger Stop has provided approximately 106,000 on-boards and 118,200 off-boards between July 2016 and January of 2024. This equates to a daily average of 82 combined boarding types.
The SJJPA will host a board meeting on September 20 in the city of Martinez.
Staff Report – click here & resolution
March 24, 2023 Meeting
During this meeting, San Joaquin County Joint Powers Authority agreed to decommission the Antioch AMTRAK Station and move it to City of Oakley in a 6-1 vote.
At the meeting, Mayor Lamar Hernandez-Thorpe argued the city of Antioch was blindsided by the move and called it “unfair” while at one point deflecting to other cities who had higher crime levels than the city of Antioch.
He also argued that both councilwoman Monica Wilson and himself were unaware this was occurring and admitted to advocating for the Oakley Station to open up until realizing that station was at the expense of Antioch.
Reasons for the closure included:
- safety concerns, unhoused population (including passenger shelter demolished).
- Continued unhoused population concerns
- Due to the unhoused population challenges, the previous 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
Related
- March 25, 2023 – Antioch Amtrak Station to be Decommissioned for Oakley Station
- March 23, 2023 – Antioch Train Station Set to Be Decommissioned in Favor of Oakley
- Oct 24, 2020 – Oakley Announces Amtrak Train Station Platform is Coming Soon
Other articles of interest
- July 17, 2024 – Whodunnit? No proof any city staff member approved Antioch’s Amtrak station closure
- March 13, 2018 – Homeless encampment discovered on top of Antioch Amtrak station
10 comments
This city council is seriously in need of change. Ogorchock is not reading the room and she needs to go. Lamar is lying and we all know it. AMTRAK will get more riders in any other city than Antioch. No one wants to go there, park there, or hang out there with all the issues. Most people I know would drive the 5 minutes longer to Oakley just to feel more safe
It’s about commuting for the residents of Antioch, not necessarily visiting Antioch. Those regular commuters will not go 6 miles out of the way to Oakley (and what exactly is the draw to Oakley?)
WRONG. Amtrak is for the region, not just Antioch. More people regionally would use Amtrak if it were not in downtown Antioch. Oakley’s draw is it is safe, its clean and they do not embrace homelessness along the railroad track. Oakley residents actually demand a higher standard of living than Antioch residents apparently who advocate for mob rule Mr. Smith.
“Opportunity Lives Here”
Waiting for the train in the rain all because some homeless guy was living on top of station. Solution tear it down to prevent further embarrassment to those running Antioch add it to long list of over reactions. Unfortunate those making decisions have such fragile egos.
Real life. I just took a friend there last week. One dude had a tent along with a linear thirty feet of bicycles, garbage, shopping carts and clothes right where people board. What and introduction to Antioch. These doors won’t fix that, but they virtue flag about who it hurts( except the riders).
Who was mayor when that happened? Would it have been Lamar? Hmmm
Antioch has taken such great care of the area surrounding the station, instead of a warm friendly welcome to outsiders it’s an outdoor urinal with a transient camp. I’m sure whatever it is that gets built in Oakley will be larger, cleaner, snd safer. Better for everyone. The city of Oakley will
Probably spend more time ensuring it’s a safe place for people to be.
Ever the race baiter Lamar, does he not think that his list of types of people can’t go one town over and catch the train there?
Antioch deserves a better mayor and council.
Antioch “leadership” doing their Ostrich routine (heads buried in the sand) on an issue that has existed for a very long time at the Amtrak station, just a short distance away from where they conduct city business. Why so late in doing this “reaction” to the planned closing when that horse has long left the barn. They just don’t get… People want to feel safe and be in a clean setting, is that so hard to fathom?
Hard to believe the Mayor and Vice Mayor were blindsided. If you check the agenda for the April 2023 meeting of the SJJPA it lists a presentation by the City of Antioch regarding the Antioch-Pittsburg Station. Forrest Ebbs was the Acting City Manager at that time. Rarely does a staff member make a presentation to a regional body without information the City Council. Clearly someone isn’t paying attention since Mayor Thorpe sits on the Contra Costa County Transportation Authority and that organization has a representative to the SJJPA. Surely there was some mention of this at one of their meetings. Casting blame and passing a resolution in opposition over a year after a vote doesn’t cut it. Pay attention come November!!
Welcome to Antioch! Take in the beautiful riverfront view of discarded smelly clothes, broken liquor bottles and used syringes. Maybe take a photo of the many piles of bicycle parts or the natives washing (or worse!) in the river.
Thorpe actually lauded Oakley getting an Amtrak station? Did that doofus REALLY think that Amtrak is going to have two active stations just SIX miles apart? What a maroon! Guy has no business running a city!
Tri-Delta Transit has a bus route from Antioch to Oakley ffs. Plus, if an outbound traveler had to leave their car at the station for several days, would you REALLY want to leave it in Antioch?
Maybe if Lamar spent less time in his “Cannabis Capitol” world, changing his name, declaring war on the police, traipsing off to China, etc and paid more attention to the ever-increasing crime (much due to his confederate Diana Becton), he’d have a better handle on the REAL issues that need to be dealt with in Antioch.
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