BART commuters were undoubtedly delighted to board trains on Monday morning thanks to Gov. Jerry Brown's last minute action to return BART employees to work for one week while a panel investigates why negotiations have stalled.
John Coté and John Wildermuth write that the governor intervened at the request (PDF) of the Bay Area Rapid Transit district management. "The appeal to the governor 'was the only option to keep the trains rolling,' said Tom Radulovich, president of BART's board of directors."
Workers were set to strike at 12:01 AM on Monday, and expected to cause traffic gridlock for the morning commute. Negotiators for BART's unions had expressed deep dissatisfaction with the course the talks had taken after they had given their required 72-hour strike notice, so a shutdown of the region's transit workhorse seemed imminent.
In a letter to BART's general manager and three top union leaders, (Gov. Brown) said he is stepping in because a strike "will significantly disrupt public transportation services and will endanger the public's health, safety and welfare."
A three-member panel will "provide the governor with a written, public report on the contract talks within seven days" while BART continues to provide full service. "Brown then will decide whether to impose a 60-day cooling-off period on BART and its unions, which would delay any possible strike until mid-October at the earliest."
Dan Brekke, news editor at the Bay Area's NPR affiliate, KQED, writes that for the next week, rather than the unions negotiating with BART, each side will make their case to the governor's panel.
SEIU Local 1021 President Roxanne Sanchez thanked the governor for stepping in, but said that all sides must now focus on presenting a case to the investigating board. "Unfortunately, it takes our attention away from the bargaining table," Sanchez said.
Which may be just as well, since a full month of negotiations after the initial, four and one-half day strike temporarily ended on July 5th seems to have made no tangible progress.
Ironically, the Monday morning commute via the main alternative to BART - the Bay Bridge - was seriously impacted by a big-rig fire that closed down two lanes of I-80 into San Francisco from Oakland.
FULL STORY: BART strike averted - for now
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly
Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.
Restaurant Patios Were a Pandemic Win — Why Were They so Hard to Keep?
Social distancing requirements and changes in travel patterns prompted cities to pilot new uses for street and sidewalk space. Then it got complicated.
In California Battle of Housing vs. Environment, Housing Just Won
A new state law significantly limits the power of CEQA, an environmental review law that served as a powerful tool for blocking new development.
Boulder Eliminates Parking Minimums Citywide
Officials estimate the cost of building a single underground parking space at up to $100,000.
Orange County, Florida Adopts Largest US “Sprawl Repair” Code
The ‘Orange Code’ seeks to rectify decades of sprawl-inducing, car-oriented development.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
JM Goldson LLC
Custer County Colorado
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Jefferson Parish Government
Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Claremont