SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA: Transit/Transportation News - Page 62

mousquet · #**1221** Posted **Jul 18, 2014, 3:47 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by fflint

We call them cable cars and streetcars. 'Trams' are a European term that no one uses here. From where are you?

I'm going to ruin you right away, friend. The guy is from Argentina, and no matter how German your Siemens trams may be, they look (and definitely are) outdated already. Check on Canadian Bombardier or French/American Alstom.

Hell, how can you talk to EMArg like that, huh?

tech12 · #**1222** Posted **Jul 18, 2014, 4:03 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by fflint

Siemens provided three different options. The public will get some input, but the agency is most likely going to keep the same livery colors.

Got it, that makes more sense. I guess I missed the part of the article that mentioned that.

Quote:

Originally Posted by mousquet

I'm going to ruin you right away, friend. The guy is from Argentina, and no matter how German your Siemens trams may be, they look (and definitely are) outdated already. Check on Canadian Bombardier or French/American Alstom.

Hell, how can you talk to EMArg like that, huh?

uhh

Yes, you sure ruined him, didn't you?

northbay · #**1223** Posted **Jul 18, 2014, 4:30 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by mousquet

I'm going to ruin you right away, friend. The guy is from Argentina, and no matter how German your Siemens trams may be, they look (and definitely are) outdated already. Check on Canadian Bombardier or French/American Alstom.

Hell, how can you talk to EMArg like that, huh?

Bombardier or Alstom? And you live in France? And you're not fond of a German company? Biased are we?

mousquet · #**1224** Posted **Jul 18, 2014, 4:31 AM**

^ Wait, you guys are in San Francisco, that's like one the super few luckiest place on earth. So watch your fucking mouths when you talk to strangers. Your place is great, no doubt. But that involves some serious duty in return.

ltsmotorsport · #**1225** Posted **Jul 19, 2014, 12:31 AM**

What the hell are you talking about mousquet? It fflint asked a simple question because of the vernacular used?

Pull your head out too. This forum is better than that post.

fflint · #**1226** Posted **Jul 19, 2014, 12:40 AM**

I'm glad the city is going with Siemens for one reason in particular: the cars will be built in Siemens' Sacramento manufacturing plant.

I'll be voting for the version found in the first rendering the MTA released (with the red/grey/silver livery), but none of them are horrible. The way they look is secondary to how well they work.

northbay · #**1227** Posted **Jul 19, 2014, 1:29 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by fflint

I'm glad the city is going with Siemens for one reason in particular: the cars will be built in Siemens' Sacramento manufacturing plant.

I'll be voting for the version found in the first rendering the MTA released (with the red/grey/silver livery), but none of them are horrible. The way they look is secondary to how well they work.

Well said. These two points make all the difference.

northbay · #**1228** Posted **Jul 19, 2014, 1:53 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by mousquet

^ Wait, you guys are in San Francisco, that's like one the super few luckiest place on earth. So watch your fucking mouths when you talk to strangers. Your place is great, no doubt. But that involves some serious duty in return.

You're right, we ARE lucky. So are you if you are indeed in Paris.

As for our "f-king mouths", I'm the "sarcastic jerk" archetype. So what I said was not to be 'personal', just an observation. Besides, San Francisco has a reputation of being snobby. Though here in Sonoma County, we are definitely known for being more laid back. (We're either drunk, or high, or both)

We are happy with Muni's decision. You are completely entitled to your opinion.

CharlesCO · #**1229** Posted **Jul 19, 2014, 3:30 AM**

Denver has Siemens cars. They're in very nice shape and work very well, especially considering that some of them were delivered 20 years ago now.

It looks like Muni might be getting the S200 cars that Calgary just ordered as well.

fflint · #**1230** Posted **Aug 4, 2014, 11:13 PM**

The Contra Costa Times reports on an additional $300,000 committed to study "ways to connect communities north of El Cerrito and Richmond to BART," which include:

*Extending BART northward, either with regular BART trains, or with diesel trains like the ones to be used on eBART in East Contra Costa.

*Beefing up express bus service, currently provided by the Western Contra Costa Transit Authority (WestCAT), between the El Cerrito del Norte BART station north to Richmond Hilltop, Pinole and Hercules.

*Increasing train service along the Capitol Corridor, with a connection to BART at the Richmond station and with a planned train station in Hercules.

DenseCityPlease · #**1231** Posted **Aug 5, 2014, 7:23 PM**

BART should really go all the way to Vallejo.

Not only would this serve a city of over 100k, but it's stations would become the de facto entry points for Napa, Fairfield, and Vacaville, which together contain a population of about 250k, many of whom already commute to Bay cities.

Just to preempt all the complaints: yes they would probably be Park and Ride style stations, and yes denser areas are much more deserving of transit, and yes it would be geared toward commuters, and yes we all know S.F. is underserved, etc. But guess what? It would take tens of thousands of cars off the road each day and create TOD opportunities in some of the few remaining affordable cities in the region.

electricron · #**1232** Posted **Aug 5, 2014, 8:01 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by DenseCityPlease

BART should really go all the way to Vallejo.

Not only would this serve a city of over 100k, but it's stations would become the de facto entry points for Napa, Fairfield, and Vacaville, which together contain a population of about 250k, many of whom already commute to Bay cities.

I wonder if Solana county provides any tax revenues to BART? I know Napa, Sonoma, and Marin Counties don't.

No tax revenues = No service; should be a cry heard everywhere, including BART.

Building another rail tunnel or bridge under or over the Bay will be very expensive.

Vallejo already has a direct ferry service to downtown San Francisco, just like Larkspur. What I envision instead is another SMART like commuter train service in Napa and Solana Counties using the ferry piers in Vallejo as a terminus. There's a valid reason why ferries exist. These ferries can reach 30 knots speeds (35mph), which by the way is what BART trains average stopping at every train station along the way. So the train wouldn't be any faster than the ferry in a direct point to point service.

I would also like to point out that much of eastern Solana County is already serviced by Amtrak California trains running between San Jose and Sacramento.

DenseCityPlease · #**1233** Posted **Aug 5, 2014, 8:28 PM**

Capitol Corridor is a great option for inter-metro transportation (like Sac-Oak), but it will never be a well-used, legitimate option for intra-metro transportation (like Fairfield-Richmond) until it can approximate the headways and operating hours of a service like Caltrain.

It would be wonderful if that happened, but given the state of Amtrak's finances it's probably not in the cards. Like most people here I'm a public transit enthusiast, but I'm also rational...if I'm dealing with one hour headways then I'm going to drive. No doubt about it.

fflint · #**1234** Posted **Aug 5, 2014, 11:23 PM**

No, Solano County doesn't pay into BART.

If you look at population densities by census tract, it's clear there is a big swathe of North Richmond and San Pablo that have the density (and built form) to support rail service. Whether third-rail electric like BART or DMU like eBart is the better choice is really about economics and whether a required transfer would depress ridership significantly.

I would totally oppose building a third-rail elecrified BART line all the way out into Vallejo, however. The suburban sprawl between Hilltop Mall and Vallejo is too autocentric and sparsely populated to support, or justify the costs of, heavy rail metro infrastructure and service.

northbay · #**1235** Posted **Aug 6, 2014, 5:50 PM**

^Agreed. Vallejo really isn't that big either. My Mother-in-law lives in Pinole. That area can definitely use some rail service.

I like the idea of another train into Napa, but I think it would be difficult to get the two counties (it's Solan"O") to work together. Heck, it's hard enough here with SMART!

TWAK · #**1236** Posted **Aug 23, 2014, 6:14 AM**

this is how i'm leaning for north richmond bart. I'll call it SN-BART (Solano/Napa) since BART is doing the trendy names. The black arrow in Martinez is for the 680 line I'm thinking up.

CharlesCO · #**1237** Posted **Aug 23, 2014, 9:47 AM**

Moraga BART anyone?

fflint · #**1238** Posted **Sep 6, 2014, 6:16 AM**

According to SFBay, on Thursday Caltrain announced plans to purchase 16 Bombardier Bi-Level Generation 2 rail cars from LA's Metrolink "that will be used to extend trains and provide more capacity for peak time service." Caltrain estimates the cars will be added after about a year's worth of "substantial rehabilitation."

Innsertnamehere · #**1239** Posted **Sep 6, 2014, 2:49 PM**

Bombardiers bi-levels must make them insane amounts of money, they can't be super expensive to develop and construct, and they sell tons of them.

mthd · #**1240** Posted **Sep 6, 2014, 8:24 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by fflint

According to SFBay, on Thursday Caltrain announced plans to purchase 16 Bombardier Bi-Level Generation 2 rail cars from LA's Metrolink "that will be used to extend trains and provide more capacity for peak time service." Caltrain estimates the cars will be added after about a year's worth of "substantial rehabilitation."

I rode metrolink last week from union station and was pleasantly surprised at the quality of the car. very clean and lots of AC outlets! other than livery I wonder what they need to do.

metrolink has a pretty extensive network and relatively good schedules. I don't understand why the ridership isn't higher.