“Like a tree that’s planted by the water ....”

GETTING TO GOOD FRIDAY / HIROSHIMA–NAGASAKI OBSERVANCE AT LIVERMORE

1.  General caution — for EVERYONE

2.  Driving and parking

3.  Transit info

4.  Toilets

5.  Info for those with limited mobility

6.  Picking up folks at the Gate

7.  Getting to the community gathering afterwards



1.  GENERAL CAUTION — FOR EVERYONE

Traffic tickets are likely for anyone not strictly following no-parking signs, pedestrian signals, and other traffic laws.

Exception: We have permission to park along a specific part of Patterson Pass Road, as described below.

2.  FOR THOSE DRIVING

Same as last year.

Take I-580 to Livermore. Take Vasco Road exit (Exit 55) and go SOUTH. Go south a bit over a mile along Vasco Road to Patterson Pass Road. Turn LEFT there. We have permission to park on the south (lab) side of Patterson Pass Road, EXCEPT near the corner; watch for signs, cones, etc. There will be an unloading zone near the site of the service. Also, we will save a few close-in spaces for a speaker, those needing wheelchair access, etc. If you arrive late-ish, you may have a long walk.

Don’t park or pull over anywhere on Vasco Road, not even to pick people up, not even in bus zones. If you do, expect to get ticketed.

No parking along Patterson Pass Road on the north side of the street, nor anywhere west of Vasco Road.

Additional legal parking can be found, not too far from the service.

You can park in William Payne Sports Park, which is at the northwest corner of Vasco and Patterson Pass Roads (entrance off Patterson Pass). Also, there is some legal parking in residential areas not too far away, for instance along Arlene Way, Alison Circle, and Melanie Way.

3.  TRANSIT

For those able to walk a ways, public transit has reasonable service.  Take BART to Dublin/Pleasanton (end of the line).  From there, take "Wheels" bus 30R:
https://www.wheelsbus.com/route/route-30r-february-2018/
Take this bus to the end of its line, near East and Vasco. Walk back a short distance to Vasco Road, then turn right.  Go north along Vasco, with suburban houses on your left and LLNL on your right. It's a mile or a little more to the corner of Patterson Pass Road.  If heading directly for the lab's west gate, the walk is shorter.

When: Take the BART train that arrives at Dublin/Pleasanton at 5:57 am. The 30R bus leaves at 6:03 am and gets to East and Vasco about 6:45. If you walk quickly, you'll get to our event just about 7, on time. Next connection is 30 minutes later; then every 15 minutes.

More about BART:   For riders coming from Oakland downtown or points north, you will need  2 BART trains. The best connection is sometimes at West Oakland station, sometimes at Bayfair.  The easiest way to suss this out is to use the Trip Planner at: http://511.org/

If you are quite late, you may  get a faster trip and shorter walk by using a different Wheels bus, 20X.  However, that route has only 2 buses a day each way.
https://www.wheelsbus.com/route/route-20x-february-2018/

For the trip back, it’s easiest to ask someone for a ride to BART.

4.  TOILETS

We rent a porta-potty, and we order it “wheelchair capable.” It will be near the service on Patterson Pass Road. There are no toilets available to us near the West Gate. There are porta-potties in William Payne Park, but we don’t know if they will be unlocked.

5.  FOR THOSE WITH LIMITED MOBILITY — additional information

Use extra care; read #1 above. If coming in a car, the driver needs to study #2 above.

In prior years, people have asked for car rides between the main service site (Vasco Road and Patterson Pass Road) and West Gate, where there will be more ceremony (about 0.4 miles south). This is not advised. Afterwards, make your way back along the sidewalk. If that’s too far, side streets such as Alison Circle would be the closest pickup sites. (Don’t expect to be picked up along Vasco Road. Use paper maps, Google Maps, etc.)

Sidewalks: Next to our main parking area, the land is unpaved and weedy. Along Vasco Road, and within the residential neighborhoods, there are excellent sidewalks. Along Patterson Pass Road west of Vasco, ditto. Curb ramps: Haven’t checked ’em all, but generally excellent.

If standing for a long time is hard for you, we will have some folding chairs at our event on Patterson Pass at Vasco.

6.  PICKING UP FOLKS AT THE GATE

In the past there has been no stopping on Vasco Rd.

However, now the lab has given us permission for two cars at a time to pull well into the driveway area in front of the Mesquite Gate to pick up cited out arrestees who will be leaving the Lab property through that gate.  Make sure you are well within the line which I believe is painted on the pavement.  Said line I think indicated a crosswalk before they locked up the Mesquite entrance most of the time.

7.  COMMUNITY GATHERING

After the main event, which will end mid-morning, you’re invited to a community gathering. It will be at Asbury Methodist Church, 4743 East Avenue. To drive there, go south along Vasco Road to East Avenue (about a mile south of Patterson Pass Road). At East Avenue, turn RIGHT and go west about a mile. The church is on the left.