Corridor Study, Avon & Antioch Vote

County Studies Willow Pass Road as Antioch Tally Narrows to 109 Votes

Public survey opens through December 4 for Willow Pass Road and Port Chicago Highway while Mary Rocha claims Area 5 victory and 7,500 county ballots remain

By Concord Chronicle
Published November 11, 2026 at 3:53 PM PST · 3 min read

Candid 35mm documentary photograph of a paved multi-use bicycle and pedestrian trail running alongside a tree-lined highway corridor and rolling golden Contra Costa hills. — Transportation planning along Willow Pass Road and Port Chicago Highway, renewable fuels maintenance in Avon, and post-election ballot counts headline Contra Costa County civic updates this week. · Concord Chronicle Staff

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Roadway safety planning along central Contra Costa corridors, scheduled facility maintenance in unincorporated Avon, and razor-thin municipal ballot counts in Antioch headlined county civic activity this week.

Contra Costa County Seeks Input on Willow Pass Road and Port Chicago Highway

Contra Costa County officials invited residents to participate in an online transportation survey open through December 4, 2026, as part of a study examining safety improvements for motorists, pedestrians, and bicyclists along Willow Pass Road and Port Chicago Highway. Funded through a state transportation planning grant under a $442,650 contract approved by the county in July, the study evaluates Willow Pass Road between the Highway 4 off-ramp and the Pittsburg city limits alongside Port Chicago Highway between Willow Pass Road and McAvoy Harbor.

Both corridors have been designated as high-injury roadways, and county planners are evaluating protected bike lanes, upgraded pedestrian crossings, roadway modifications, and improved connections to existing multi-use paths including the Delta de Anza Trail. County officials noted that no construction plans have been finalized and any future capital projects will require additional funding.

Marathon Martinez Renewable Fuels Facility Conducts Planned Maintenance Flaring

In the unincorporated community of Avon northeast of Martinez, the Marathon Martinez Renewable Fuels Facility notified the City of Martinez that planned flaring activities may continue over the next several days. Facility representatives stated that the visible flaring is a planned component of scheduled maintenance operations at the Avon site.

Joy Motts Holds 109-Vote Lead Over Tamisha Torres-Walker in Antioch District 1

In eastern Contra Costa County, updated election returns released Tuesday, November 10, 2026, by the Contra Costa Elections Office showed former Councilwoman Joy Motts leading incumbent Councilwoman Tamisha Torres-Walker by 109 votes in the Antioch City Council District 1 contest. With 62,050 ballots counted countywide since Friday’s update—including 952 additional votes in District 1—Torres-Walker gained 536 votes (56%) to reach 2,682 (49%), while Motts added 416 votes (44%) to reach 2,791 (51%), narrowing the margin by 120 votes. Across Contra Costa County, 7,500 unprocessed ballots remain—comprising 500 provisional ballots, 4,000 conditional voter registration provisional ballots, and 3,000 ballots in review or damaged—with potentially 115 votes left in District 1, where Torres-Walker would need 113 votes (98%) to overtake Motts.

In the Antioch Unified School District Area 5 Trustee race, incumbent Mary Rocha declared victory over challenger Brandon Dawkins after adding 480 votes to reach 2,815 (56.91%), leading Dawkins’ 2,131 votes (43.09%, up 428) by 684 votes. In District 4, incumbent Monica Wilson remained ahead with 4,169 votes (46.09%), followed by Sandra White with 2,488 (27.48%), Matty Mathews Alappat with 1,457 (16.09%), and Andrew Becker with 941 (10.39%). The next county election update is scheduled for Friday, November 13, 2026, at 4:00 p.m., ahead of a December 3 target certification date, a December 4 state reporting deadline, and official certification by the California Secretary of State on December 11, 2026.

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