SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA: Transit/Transportation News - Page 100

jmecklenborg · #**1981** Posted **Jun 6, 2022, 5:58 PM**

I like the green tile.

homebucket · #**1982** Posted **Jun 6, 2022, 6:34 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by jmecklenborg

I like the green tile.

Agreed. The jade-like color choices of the glass fiber reinforced concrete tiles have a nice, calming, earthy appearance. A nice nod to the Chinatown heritage.

http://www.meridianprecast.com/centr...atown-station/

homebucket · #**1983** Posted **Jun 6, 2022, 6:41 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nouvellecosse

The station with all the white gives a Crossrail vibe which is nice.

Yup, that came to my mind as well. Definitely a nice design touch that gives it a bright, airy, modern feel.

According to the company that supplied the materials, they used white perforated Swisspearl fiber reinforced cementitious panels. Apparently the perforations help with absorbing sound in the tunnel, so it's nice that it has both an aesthetic and functional purpose.

homebucket · #**1984** Posted **Jun 6, 2022, 9:10 PM**

Haven't seen many shots of the Yerba Buena/Moscone station, but I did some Googling and found some older pics that I don't think anyone has posted here before.

The concourse

Granite etchings of photographs by artist Catherine Wagner

Lots of natural light and exposed concrete from the skylights for the entrance underground

https://www.sfmta.com/blog/central-s...aking-progress
https://twitter.com/SFMTA_Muni/statu...s0xckacMxPrqYw

homebucket · #**1985** Posted **Jul 8, 2022, 4:34 PM**

Nice overhead shot of the Van Ness BRT line where it intersects with Market Street, which runs on top of 4 BART lines and 5 Muni Metro lines, along with 1 surface streetcar line:

https://sfyimby.com/2022/07/crane-se...francisco.html

TowerDude · #**1986** Posted **Jul 8, 2022, 10:27 PM**

Any news about connecting the Transbay/Salesforce Terminal into the California High Speed Rail system?

MAC123 · #**1987** Posted **Jul 8, 2022, 10:43 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by TowerDude

Any news about connecting the Transbay/Salesforce Terminal into the California High Speed Rail system?

What do you mean any news?
The Terminal is designed to connect with Caltrain and by extension CHSR. What else is there to talk about?
CHSR just got the money to finish the central valley portion, plus a little bit more. The San Jose connection is probably next but nothing is started.

TWAK · #**1988** Posted **Jul 8, 2022, 11:09 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by homebucket

Nice overhead shot of the Van Ness BRT line where it intersects with Market Street, which runs on top of 4 BART lines and 5 Muni Metro lines, along with 1 surface streetcar line:

https://sfyimby.com/2022/07/crane-se...francisco.html

Lookin' like a photo from Cities: Skylines (with some touch-up).

TowerDude · #**1989** Posted **Jul 9, 2022, 1:30 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by MAC123

What do you mean any news?
The Terminal is designed to connect with Caltrain and by extension CHSR. What else is there to talk about?
CHSR just got the money to finish the central valley portion, plus a little bit more. The San Jose connection is probably next but nothing is started.

I heard that the last part between Caltrain Terminal and Transbay Terminal wasn't finalized yet. (Blue on this map)

homebucket · #**1990** Posted **Jul 9, 2022, 2:55 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by TowerDude

Any news about connecting the Transbay/Salesforce Terminal into the California High Speed Rail system?

It was always the plan to have CAHSR and Caltrains terminate at the Transbay (Salesforce) Transit Center. I believe it's just the final alignment that hasn't been determined yet.

The shell for the station has already been constructed as part of Phase I. Phase II will include actually building out the two-level underground station. Three island platforms and six tracks. There will also be an underground pedestrian tunnel to connect it to the Embarcadero BART/Muni station. And it's likely it will become a stop on the future second Transbay Tube line.

redblock · #**1991** Posted **Jul 19, 2022, 8:24 PM**

A Caltrain press release about diesel pulled clearance test moves with the Stadler trains. Test runs under electric power will begin later this year.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/vrfl...flite=scwspnss

homebucket · #**1992** Posted **Jul 19, 2022, 8:27 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by redblock

A Caltrain press release about diesel pulled clearance test moves with the Stadler trains. Test runs under electric power will begin later this year.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/vrfl...flite=scwspnss

Very nice! There was an article in the SF Gate about it today as well.

homebucket · #**1993** Posted **Jul 19, 2022, 8:29 PM**

Quote:

Caltrain's electrified trainsets just cleared a big hurdle. Here’s when to expect them.
Silas Valentino, SFGATE
July 19, 2022

The first set of electric trains for Caltrain landed in the Bay Area this year and are beginning to pass the first of many tests needed before they appear on the tracks.

Enthusiasts spotted electric trains rolling up and down the Peninsula over the weekend — but don’t expect to catch a ride on these modernized train sets just yet, because passenger service won’t start until at least 2024.

In the meantime, trainspotters caught a glimpse of these electrified rides during their clearing testing, which recently took place along the corridor between Santa Clara and Tamien stations.

These tests are used to ensure that the trains meet their clearance requirements to safely run along the corridor. Trains were fitted with foam rubber padding to extend their clearance areas to ensure they wouldn’t collide with anything along the path. The electric trains were pulled by a diesel locomotive at 5 mph.

“No major problems arose over the course of testing, and further clearance testing will be conducted throughout the rest of the corridor in the near future,” Caltrain wrote in a statement.

The next electric train test is expected to occur by the end of the year, when the trains will operate under their own power through the overhead catenary system.

The electrification of Caltrain is the focal point of the Caltrain Modernization Program, which will replace approximately 75% of its current diesel locomotives with electric trains. These trains will run between San Francisco and San Jose. The project is expected to improve Caltrain’s system performance and minimize long-term environmental impact by decreasing greenhouse gas emissions.

https://www.sfgate.com/travel/articl...P-CP-Spotlight

homebucket · #**1994** Posted **Jul 19, 2022, 8:29 PM**

Here's a video someone posted on Twitter of the testing.

https://twitter.com/ryanglobus/statu...QH8dfAVZeJKh9Q

homebucket · #**1995** Posted **Aug 8, 2022, 10:00 PM**

Good looking trains.

https://twitter.com/Caltrain/status/...ql69urfBU6QxZQ

homebucket · #**1996** Posted **Aug 9, 2022, 7:58 PM**

Decided to take a trip down to the Caltrain Centralized Equipment Maintenance and Operations Facility (CEMOF) to see the train for myself in person, and I can say with 100% certainty, it's straight fire.

Busy Bee · #**1997** Posted **Aug 9, 2022, 8:03 PM**

just a dummy · #**1998** Posted **Aug 29, 2022, 8:23 PM**

VTA backs new, massive San Jose BART tunnel as advocates push for more entrances
VTA says bigger tunnel will ease access and save money

Quote:

Originally Posted by San Jose Mercury News

One of the world’s largest planned subway tunnels — bringing BART trains through downtown San Jose — could get 20% bigger.

On Friday, Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority officials unveiled a plan to expand the controversial tunnel’s diameter from 43 to 48 feet, about the width of a four-lane freeway, in an effort to meet concerns over passenger access and station safety. The new tunnel proposal, still being finalized, will require building an even larger boring machine to excavate mammoth sums of earth as it crawls nearly five miles under San Jose.

For critics already concerned about ballooning construction costs on the largest construction project in Santa Clara County history, the VTA now says a wider tunnel could actually make the project cheaper. And a presentation on Friday won rare approval from downtown San Jose’s major business interests, who would bear the brunt of construction, transit advocates and some BART board members.

The main change for Bay Area riders — who are expected to finally see a downtown San Jose BART extension in the early or mid 2030s — is that trains would run side-by-side with one platform separating east and westbound BART cars.

The prior smaller tunnel plan had the trains stacked on top of one another, requiring passengers to navigate between platforms.

“Side-by-side tracks is a real game changer for the single bore project,” said Scott Knies, San Jose Downtown Association executive director. Knies acknowledged that a larger tunnel bringing cheaper costs was a “bit counterintuitive.”

https://www.mercurynews.com/2022/08/...ore-entrances/

homebucket · #**1999** Posted **Aug 29, 2022, 9:09 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by just a dummy

VTA backs new, massive San Jose BART tunnel as advocates push for more entrances
VTA says bigger tunnel will ease access and save money

https://www.mercurynews.com/2022/08/...ore-entrances/

I like the side by side platform more from a rider perspective, but if the costs for the bigger bore are significantly more expensive and will lead to more construction delays, then I'd be okay with the stacked platforms.

Nouvellecosse · #**2000** Posted **Aug 29, 2022, 9:36 PM**

Strange that a bigger tunnel would save money. Sometimes it costs less to have a single bore rather than twin tunnels despite the extra excavated volume but if they're both single bores I'm not sure where the savings would come in. Although the side-by-side set up would look grander with the higher ceiling.