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GRAND OPENING FOR NEW MARTINEZ AMTRAK STATION OAKLAND, CA -- The Grand Opening and Dedication Ceremony for the new Martinez Amtrak Station is scheduled at 10:00 a.m., Saturday, September 22, 2001 at 601 Marina Vista, located just down the street from the former station. Mayor Michael Menesini, local and regional dignitaries will participate in the opening ceremonies, which include a ribbon cutting to officially open the station. The Keynote Speaker will be Jeff Morales, Director, California Department of Transportation. "Governor Gray Davis has made congestion-relief one of his highest transportation priorities," said Morales. "One important tool in the Governor's initiative is to increase the State's intercity passenger rail program. New and convenient facilities such as the Martinez Amtrak station will help encourage riders to climb aboard the trains." The Martinez Amtrak Station is truly an inter-modal facility. The station is served by 8 daily Amtrak San Joaquin trains, 18 Amtrak Capitol Corridor trains, two daily Amtrak Coast Starlight and two California Zephyr long distance trains; Amtrak Thruway Motorcoaches, which connect passengers to and from Vallejo, Napa and as far north as Humboldt County; bus connections to the North Concord/Martinez BART Station, and three County Connection routes. The new Martinez Amtrak Station includes an 800-foot long passenger platform, lighting and passenger canopies. The station building includes an Amtrak ticket office, a waiting area and meets all ADA requirements. There is parking for 160 automobiles in a new, lighted lot, bicycle lockers, a carpool/vanpool lot, which enhances multi-modal transfers, and 10 bus bays. The Martinez Amtrak Station served more than 280,000 passengers in FY 2000 and is the 7th busiest station in California. Since 1999, ridership through Martinez has increased 23 percent. Funding for the $31 million station project was provided by the California Department of Transportation and California Transportation Commission, through Proposition 116 Rail Bonds, Transit Capital Improvement and State Transportation Improvement Programs; Union Pacific Railroad; Federal Highway Administration; California Public Utilities Commission; Contra Costa Transportation Authority; Bay Area Rapid Transit District; and Bay Area Air Quality Management District. Caltrans is a department withing the Business, Transportation and Housing Agency that operates and maintains California's transportation system. For more information about the department, please visit its Web site at www.dot.ca.gov Information about the Business, Transportation and Housing Agency is available on the Internet at www.bth.ca.gov. For more information about Amtrak, including schedules, fares and reservations, visit Amtrak's Web site at amtrak.com or call 1-800-USA-RAIL. |
