Warm Springs station stretches BART southward

The weather did not live up to the name of BART’s newest station in Fremont, though transit, state and city officials welcomed the 46th BART station — Warm Springs/South Fremont Station — on a windy, cold and rainy Friday morning.

The new Warm Springs station is part of the initial phase of a project that will eventually connect BART to downtown San Jose as part of a project with the Santa Clara County Transportation Authority.

A 10-mile extension to Milpitas and the Berryessa area is currently under construction that is also part of the first phase of project to connect to San Jose. Officials anticipate to open the Milpitas and Berryessa stations later this year.

For now, officials are celebrating the transit system’s newest station including BART District 6 Director Tom Blalock, who’s district includes the Fremont Station:

“Today we open a beautiful, landmark station in south Fremont, the result of sheered effort, determination and vision.”

Blalock shared a piece of history with the crowd of officials and the public who attended Friday’s celebration, a day before the new station opens for service on Saturday.

He said that Native Americans that lived in the Warm Springs area believed the water had medicinal value:

“I’d like to think that this station carries medicinal value for today’s modern ills just like the bubbling springs that once flowed here.”

Blalock referring to the ills of traffic gridlock that drivers face each commute day on I-680 and I-880, adding that the new station will help ease some of that traffic congestion by providing them with a new option to commute to work.

Transit officials expect 6,000 daily riders at the new station and expect grow that number to 8,200 daily riders by 2025.

Blalock went through a number of key features of the Warm Springs station including 2,082 parking spots, 42 electric vehicle chargers, bike parking and lockers:

“Indeed the Warm Springs Station is an engineering marvel.”

BART passengers entering the station under the rotunda will see artwork by Catherine Widgery called “Sky Cycles.” The glass pieces depict the different times of the day in the city of Fremont.

The new station also features solar panels on the canopies in the parking lot, which help power the new station, BART officials said.

Around the station is greenery and dirt, but Fremont is expecting major developing including at least 4,000 new housing units, a new elementary school and a new park, said Fremont Mayor Lily Mei.

Surrounding the new BART station is also what’s called the “Innovation District” where new commercial spaces are being built. Officials said the area will bring in at least 20,000 jobs to the district.

Tesla Motors headquarters is near the Warm Springs station and is part of the Innovation District.

Mayor Mei said:

“It’s a field of dreams where we talk about different technologies and innovations that are going to be the things we look for in the future.”

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BART officials said the Warm Springs station was $100 million under budget with the project totaling $790 million.

San Francisco BART riders who want to check out the new station better load their Clipper cards. A one-way trip will cost $6.60 from the Embarcadero Station.