SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA: Transit/Transportation News

[tech12]

Originally Posted by fflint

That Marseilles tram is hideous!

I chose Skyline 1, as did the three other guys watching the Giants game with me tonight.

Almost the same here. I chose skyline 2 first, followed by #1, and then presidio and gate. And I agree that the Marseilles train is ugly as hell. Maybe I'm just used to the kind of utilitarian-looking high-floor cars in SF, but I find that many low floor trains look goofy to me, with huge windows and weird bulbous ends and such.

[peanut gallery]

For me, it's Skyline 1, S2, Gate, Presidio. I think the red outline of the front window is a nice touch to S1 and those two just look more sleek than the other two, IMO.

Any thoughts on the interior? I didn't expect to like the longitudinal version better, but I do. I also lean toward the red interior.

[Perklol]

Originally Posted by simms3_redux

Like the stuff that comes out of an aroused man.

really?

Thank you for the answer

[fflint]

Originally Posted by ardecila

I dunno, I think having something distinctive/ugly is better than something nice but generic. Having a unique tram design is a great way to brand the city - SF should understand this better than most, with cable cars and the heritage F Market.

These designs look like Minneapolis, Charlotte, or Houston. Part of the problem is that everyone buys Siemens because nobody else can meet buy America requirements.

I can't comment on the functional requirements of the tram, possibly a low floor design would not work- the Marseille design was just an example.

There's no accounting for taste but I am certain, after living here for over 20 years, that a train like Marseille's and an acid-trip livery like Montpelier's would be overwhelmingly rejected by city residents.

As for branding, San Francisco doesn't have a branding problem--but even if we did, new trains running underground and out of sight in the busiest and most touristy parts of town wouldn't solve it. As you noted, we already have the famous and unique cable cars, which are a very visible and well-known part of our brand. We also have brightly-colored PCCs and Peter Witts in various liveries, which are less well known but still very attractive to tourists. Even BART is somewhat iconic, at least in this part of the country. But a workhorse like Muni Metro? I think locals want these trains to be as modern--and as inobtrusive--as possible.

As for Siemens, they'll fabricate the new trains just 90 miles away, in Sacramento. It was a rational choice in that respect.

Originally Posted by peanut gallery

For me, it's Skyline 1, S2, Gate, Presidio. I think the red outline of the front window is a nice touch to S1 and those two just look more sleek than the other two, IMO.

Any thoughts on the interior? I didn't expect to like the longitudinal version better, but I do. I also lean toward the red interior.

I'm agnostic on the color schemes, but enthusiastically voted for the longitudinal option. The current fleet's forward/backward facing seat pairs are a horrible waste of space (the single ones are not so bad). Standing passengers at peak rush need all the space we can get. Muni Metro is now the nation's busiest light rail system, and requires bench seating to handle the crowds.

[dunbrine47]

Originally Posted by CharlesCO

.

Nickelodeon called, they want their theme park attraction back.

[northbay]

Easy: Skyline 1, 2, Gate, Presidio.

And longitudinal! Vastly more efficient use of limited space.

I think the designs overall are great. I'll take them over the Marseilles tram.

[Folks3000]

http://www.sta.ca.gov/docManager/100...nal_Report.pdf

Found an old proposal for commuter rail service on the current Capitol Corridor line. Would be pretty sweet. If there could just be an intermodal station with BART next to the transbay tube travel time into the City would be just 8 minutes, that would surely boost ridership on all the systems (maybe that is why they don't haha). Transferring at Richmond or Coliseum adds too much extra time, and the buses from Emeryville just never work as smoothly as a rail connection. Perhaps the second transbay tube will have standard gauge rail to bring some of these regional trains into SF, now that would be amazing!

[fflint]

Business, Caltrain group looks to improve rail commute system

Michael Cabanatuan
sfgate.com
Sunday, October 26, 2014



In a move that could eventually take tech workers off the controversial corporate shuttle buses and put them on fast electric commuter trains, big Peninsula employers — including tech giant Google — and business groups will announce a joint effort to speed modernization of Caltrain.

The Caltrain Commuter Coalition also includes the 49ers, Oracle, LinkedIn, Stanford University, HP and other firms yet to be named. The effort is being coordinated by the Bay Area Council, Silicon Valley Leadership Group and San Mateo County Economic Development Association.

The group will work with Caltrain — a partnership of San Francisco, San Mateo and Santa Clara county transportation agencies — to press for funding to expand the commuter railroad’s capacity, replace its trains pulled by diesel locomotives with electric trains, extend the tracks to the Transbay Terminal and make other improvements.

“This is the result of conversations we’ve have had for years with these companies,” Seamus Murphy, Caltrain’s director of government and community affairs, said Sunday. “They realize that they can’t continue to rely on shuttles or expand shuttles, and they’ve been frustrated, frankly, that they can’t rely on Caltrain or public transportation.”

Caltrain and coalition members plan to announce their push at an event Monday commemorating the 10-year anniversary of the popular Baby Bullet express train service, which added tracks that allow trains to bypass stations, make fewer stops and cut as much as 30 minutes from a trip between San Francisco and San Jose.

Since the advent of the Baby Bullet, Caltrain’s average weekday ridership has jumped from about 24,000 to more than 61,000, and projections put the 2020 ridership at 70,000 or more. Caltrain trains run at capacity in both directions during the morning and evening commutes.

Caltrain is unable to add full new trains but is looking at short-term solutions, such as buying used commuter rail cars to extend its existing trains. Meanwhile, the agency is working to install electric power and advanced train controls and replace 75 percent of its diesel trains with electric ones. That $1.5 billion project is expected to be completed in 2019.

Caltrain hopes the coalition can help lobby in Sacramento and Washington for funding to replace the rest of the diesel trains, to build the downtown extension to the Transbay Terminal and to expand stations and build more separated rail crossings.

“We have no doubt this coalition will be able to deliver funding,” Murphy said.

[fflint]

BART ridership continues to explode: of the 10 days with the most riders in BART's 40+ year history, 5 have been set this calendar year--4 of them just in the last couple of weeks! According to the Mercury News, on October 16th, BART carried 462,242 riders. That's the 4th most riders the agency has ever carried, helped by the Dreamforce conference and the Giants home game against the Cardinals.

[peanut gallery]

Quite literally, the money quote from the article fflint posted:

“We have no doubt this coalition will be able to deliver funding,” Murphy said.

That's exactly the topic that popped into my head when reading the names of the organizations behind this.

From this article in the San Mateo Daily Journal, it appears the first priority will be:

...electrifying 51 miles of track, purchasing new trains, a new control system and will assist in adapting to the prediction that its current 1.3 million monthly ridership will double in 30 years.

While additional funds would need to be organized for:

Additional projects such as improving stations, accommodating high-speed rail and the extension of service to the Transbay Transit Center being constructed in downtown San Francisco will require continued investment, according to Caltrain.

[simms3_redux]

All very good news. Transit developments in the Bay Area are pretty exciting!

[fflint]

BART’s Oakland Airport Connector on track for holiday debut

By Michael Cabanatuan
sfgate.com
Wednesday, October 29, 2014





It’s beginning to look like air travelers can count on using BART’s new Oakland Airport Connector for their holiday sojourns. Which holiday, however, remains to be seen.

BART officials hope to announce an opening date next week. Depending on the success of ongoing testing, it could come in time for Thanksgiving travelers to trek to and from Oakland International Airport, or they might have to wait until early December.

Safety and systems tests have been completed and await certification by the California Public Utilities Commission, and the contractor is in the midst of a 30-day reliability test to make sure the driverless, cable-powered trains can operate as scheduled for the 20-plus hours a day the BART system operates.

The connector, built and operated by Doppelmayr, an Austrian-Swiss company, is seven days into that testing, which requires the connector to operate 98 percent of the time on schedule. So far, said project manager Thomas Dunscombe, they’re performing at a 99 percent level.

“It’s going great,” he said. “We have a real good shot at opening before Thanksgiving.”

The days surrounding Thanksgiving are typically the busiest travel period of the year, and BART is eager to start operating in time to capture the holiday crowds. On a typical day, BART expects the 3.2-mile line to carry 2,000 to 3,000 passengers between the Coliseum Station and Oakland International Airport.

Riders can expect an 8½-minute ride on three-car trains that display the familiar logo and colors but don’t look much like a typical silver BART train. The connector trains are fully automated, controlled by computers and pulled by cables from a wheelhouse and maintenance facility near Doolittle Drive just outside the airport. Trains are expected to depart each station about every 4 to 5 minutes for most of the day.

Travelers heading to the airport on BART will get off their train at the Coliseum Station, walk to the south end of the platform and use escalators, stairs or elevators to get to a short ramp that leads to a bank of fare gates and a glass-walled waiting area. Doors on the north side of the station will open when trains arrive.

Trains will travel along Hegenberger Road, across Interstate 880, then down the Hegenberger median — all on elevated tracks — to the wheelhouse. The trains will automatically switch to a different cable that will pull them along a track that goes under Doolittle Drive, along the Metropolitan Golf Links then above the airport parking lots to an elevated station outside Terminal 1.
....
The Airport Connector will replace AirBART, a shuttle bus operated by the Port of Oakland, which charges a $3 fare for a ride that typically takes 15-20 minutes but can be unpredictable when traffic is congested.

“With the Airport Connector, your trip won’t depend on traffic,” said Molly McArthur, a BART spokeswoman. “It won’t matter at all what’s happening below on the streets. And there’s no parking to worry about.”

[OhioGuy]

BART stations in San Jose, Santa Clara could be cut from plans

In an effort to secure federal funds by cutting $1.3 billion from a BART extension through downtown San Jose, planners are considering eliminating two of four stations -- and neighborhoods that had been counting on those stations are up in arms.

On the chopping block are two planned stops, one at 28th Street behind Five Wounds Church near Highway 101 in San Jose, and one across from Santa Clara University. A proposed maintenance yard at Newhall Street would also be cut and that facility used just to turn trains around.

Stations would be built under Santa Clara Street near Market and at Diridon Station across from the Sharks arena, under the plan being considered by the Valley Transportation Authority. Another proposal would build a third station near 23rd Street instead of 28th.

[waltlantz]

So what do you guys think?

Is it a done deal that the two stations will be cut?

Apparently, the Alum Rock folks are PISSED OFF and kybosh any support for tax increases to fund Alum Rock and Santa Clara less Bart stations.

Or can BART cut costs some other way?

[northbay]

It's not just about cutting costs. It's about making the project more appealing to the FTA, and therefore more likely to get funding.

[waltlantz]

Fair point. But it sounds like if they don't get a BART station then there will be a big push to bycott any further tax increases to fund the line in the first place. What do you think?

[Qubert]

Since I'm not local to SF, please help me to understand a couple of things:

1) I don't see how electrifiying CalTrain does anything to significantly improve service. If we're going to pour money into capital investments into that corridor
I for one would love to see a BART line along CA 82 to at least as far as Stanford and eventually Downtown San Jose. The existing CalTrain tracks could then be given over to Amtrak to run trains directly into SF from SoCal (extend Pacific Surfliner service)

2) How come there's no BART to Marin/Napa?

[Eightball]

Electric motors provide much better acceleration, which is crucial given the size of the trains and the frequent stops. Also electricity is significantly cheaper than diesel fuel. Here is what Caltrain touts:

http://www.caltrain.com/projectsplan...rnization.html

[peanut gallery]

Originally Posted by Qubert

2) How come there's no BART to Marin/Napa?

Here's the backstory of why it didn't originally come to Marin. Adding it now would be problematic because of the tremendous cost compared to the number of people it would serve. There are only about 250,000 people in the entire county and many years ago there was an estimate that it would cost as much as $3B to construct (probably way more today). Although I'd love to be able to take it into the city, BART is far better off spending that kind of coin on another tube and/or a line down Geary.

[fflint]

Electrified Caltrain will not only accelerate faster, but also decelerate faster. Because the entire run is faster, the same number of conductors can make more runs during their shifts. Passengers will have more options and faster trips--that's how electrification will improve service.

Electrification will also benefit Caltrain's budget, as the cost of electricity is nowhere near as volatile as diesel fuel. When petroleum prices are relatively low like right now, it doesn't seem like such a big deal--but when petroleum prices spiked a couple years back, Caltrain had to scramble for additional funding to cover the unexpected spike. I think they actually went into debt briefly to cover fuel costs. Also, the agency can run more trains without having to hire more conductors.

Here's Caltrain's own words on the subject:

Originally Posted by Caltrain

The Caltrain Modernization Program will electrify and upgrade the performance, operating efficiency, capacity, safety and reliability of Caltrain's commuter rail service. The Caltrain Modernization Program is scheduled to be operational by 2019.

Electrification has been a part of Caltrain’s long-term vision for several years and is reflected in Caltrain’s strategic plans.

Service Enhancements
Modernization will allow Caltrain to operate quieter, cleaner, more frequent and/or faster train service to more riders. Increased capacity and improved service will help Caltrain meet increasing ridership demand and alleviate local and regional traffic congestion.

Financial Sustainability
Modernization will also help support the financial sustainability of the system by increasing ridership and fare revenue, and reducing operating costs associated with replacing diesel fuel with electricity.

Economic Benefits
Modernization also creates regional job opportunities and other valuable economic benefits that are critical to the economic welfare of our region and our state.