TJPA spokesperson Adam Alberti, who has been sparring with Kopp in recent months over whether Transbay will be the terminus for a high-speed rail system extending from San Francisco to Los Angeles (see "Breaking ground," 12/10/08), told the Guardian, "I don't think it's as bad as it sounds."

He said the TJPA is currently working to resolve the engineering problems and handle the increased volume expected from high-speed rail and Caltrain and he hopes to have a solution in place by March 12, when he said the MTC will revisit the matter.

BART General Manager Dorothy Dugger also defended the Oakland Airport extension, telling the Guardian, "The challenge in transit is not one over the other. We need to address all those requirements if we're going to end up with an effective, functioning system that continues to attract people out of their cars and into the smart environmental choice — which is public transit."