Walnut Creek station
| Company type | Rapid transit station |
|---|---|
| Industry | Public transportation |
| Founded | May 21, 1973 |
| Headquarters | Walnut Creek, California , United States |
| Products | Bay Area Rapid Transit service |
Walnut Creek station is an elevated Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) stop situated in Walnut Creek, California, served by the line. Positioned just north of Walnut Creek's downtown area, it lies adjacent to Interstate 680 and close to the intersection of Ygnacio Valley Road and California Boulevard.
Station layout
The station is traversed by elevated BART tracks aligned northeast to southwest. To the west of the station are two parking garages alongside a residential building, while former parking areas on the east side are earmarked for future development.[1] Walnut Creek features two side platforms flanking a pair of tracks.[2] The unpaid fare lobby is located beneath the center of the platforms, with a paid fare lobby positioned to the north that provides escalators and stairs leading up to the platforms. Elevators and bicycle storage facilities are found on the southern side.[1]
Acting as a major transfer hub, Walnut Creek connects with various County Connection local and express bus routes:
- Weekdays: 1, 4, 5, 9, 14, 21, 93X, 95X, 96X, 98X
- Weekends: 4, 301, 311, 321
In addition, regional transit options include SolTrans's Solano Express Yellow and Blue Lines and WHEELS route 70X. All bus services utilize the busway located within the south parking garage.[1]
History
The designation "Walnut Creek" was officially approved by the BART Board in December 1965. The station commenced operations on May 21, 1973, as part of the extension connecting MacArthur to Concord. On December 12, 1974, the city initiated a shuttle service linking the station to downtown Walnut Creek; this service was transferred to the Central Contra Costa Transit Authority (County Connection) on July 1, 1980.
To manage rising passenger volumes, BART proposed upgrades in 2004 that included constructing a new south paid lobby with escalators and stairs access to platforms, enlarging paid areas with additional elevators, and expanding platform widths. Between 2009 and 2010, seismic strengthening work was carried out on the parking garage. Updated conceptual plans reflecting these improvements were published in May 2019.
Originally, thirteen BART stations—including Walnut Creek—did not have faregates for elevator users. In response, BART began installing faregates at these elevators in 2020; Walnut Creek's faregate installations were completed in September 2022.
Development
When it first opened, Walnut Creek station primarily served suburban neighborhoods with low population density. Its presence stimulated commercial and office development nearby, exemplified by the construction of ten-story buildings in the "Golden Triangle" area adjacent to the station in 1985. That same year, local voters enacted a height restriction law to curb further vertical expansion.
In 2000, BART entered negotiations with a developer to create a transit-oriented residential project on existing station parking lots. The proposal submitted in 2004 included plans for 440 housing units, of office space, retail space totaling , and provision for 1,373 parking spots. Although plans were formally filed in 2005, progress stalled indefinitely by 2009 amid the effects of the Great Recession. The city granted approval for these plans in October 2012 but emphasized prioritizing construction of a new parking structure.
A parking lot on the west side was closed on February 3, 2018, to facilitate building a south garage with capacity for 900 vehicles and a three-lane bus plaza; this facility opened on March 29, 2019. At that time, parking lots to the north and east were also shuttered. Between 2019 and 2023, a residential building containing 358 units was erected on the northern lot; development plans for the eastern lots remain forthcoming. Additionally, the vehicle and pedestrian access point from North California Boulevard was shifted further north as of November 10, 2022.