SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA: Transit/Transportation News

[sopas ej]

For a place that's become synonymous with the tech industry, this surprised me...

From ars Technica:

San Francisco to pay $212 million to end reliance on 5.25-inch floppy disks

Muni Metro also plans to ditch super-slow loop cable communication system.


Credit: Getty

Scharon Harding – Oct 23, 2024
10:36 AM

The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) board has agreed to spend $212 million to get its Muni Metro light rail off floppy disks.

The Muni Metro’s Automatic Train Control System (ATCS) has required 5¼-inch floppy disks since 1998, when it was installed at San Francisco’s Market Street subway station. The system uses three floppy disks for loading DOS software that controls the system’s central servers. Michael Roccaforte, an SFMTA spokesperson, gave further details on how the light rail operates to Ars Technica in April, saying: “When a train enters the subway, its onboard computer connects to the train control system to run the train in automatic mode, where the trains drive themselves while the operators supervise. When they exit the subway, they disconnect from the ATCS and return to manual operation on the street." After starting initial planning in 2018, the SFMTA originally expected to move to a floppy-disk-free train control system by 2028. But with COVID-19 preventing work for 18 months, the estimated completion date was delayed.

On October 15, the SFMTA moved closer to ditching floppies when its board approved a contract with Hitachi Rail for implementing a new train control system that doesn't use floppy disks, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.

[...]

[JManc]

SFMTA probably got a hot deal on a lot of Zip Drives.

[Busy Bee]

I'm actually not surprised by the tech, I'm surprised by the otherworldly price to update the tech. Seriously what exactly costs 200+ million dollars? Total insanity.

[ardecila]

Originally Posted by JManc

I actually like the bells, they're a connection back to the old days of rail. My grandfather worked maintaining RR signals for NY Central.

It's one of the things that makes sense for an train that comes a few times a day, or every hour.

When the train runs more than that, the bell just becomes incessant noise pollution. Regional rail service often targets a service level of a train every 15 minutes in each direction. If the bell rings for 1 minute for every train that passes, that means you're hearing the bell 15% of the time, all day long. Metro-North runs without bells and it just feels so much more slick and modern.

Of course there is a separate requirement for grade crossings and pedestrian crossings to have bells installed on the gate, and that is certainly a needed safety device - I'm just talking about the bells on the train itself.

[TowerDude]

Originally Posted by Busy Bee

Most new light rail vehicles that are required to ring a bell like ye olde railroading do so using a simulated electronic bell tone. I'm not sure if these 21st century EMUs are using a real bell or a fake one. Either way it's ridiculous and embarrassing.

Nothing wrong with the bells.

[TWAK]

We’re tracking some BIG WHOPPING NEWS!The SMART Train is heading north & will be soon be pulling into Healdsburg!The State of CA is proud to support this new project with an $81 million dollar investment to expand rail service & pedestrian paths from Windsor to Healdsburg.

On to Willits and Ukiah!
Source

[Busy Bee]

Originally Posted by TowerDude

Nothing wrong with the bells.

That's the definition of a subjective opinion.

[38 Geary]

First Month of Electrified Caltrain Service Sees 750,000 Riders
11/14/2024
Caltrain’s newly electrified service has attracted new riders, as the agency reports its best ridership numbers since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Caltrain had over 753,000 passengers last month, marking a 54% increase from October 2023. Average Weekday Ridership stood at nearly 27,000, a 38% increase from last October. Additionally, current weekend ridership has overtaken pre-COVID levels, with Saturdays seeing a 169% increase and Sundays a 142% increase from last October.

Comparing August to October—the last month of primarily diesel service vs. the first month of all-electric—total ridership increased by 17%, with average weekend ridership growing by 38%. In a typical year, monthly ridership begins to decline after August; this year, it’s increased by more than 100,000 riders.

https://www.caltrain.com/news/first-month-electrified-caltrain-service-sees-750000-riders

[38 Geary]

Caltrain’s Electric Fleet More Efficient than Expected
01/23/2025

Caltrain announced at its monthly Board of Directors meeting that regenerative braking on the new trains is generating and sending back to the electric grid approximately 23% of the energy consumed by the system. The new electric trains are outperforming Caltrain’s original projections, which is welcome news for a public agency that holds sustainability as a core value.

Originally estimated to cost approximately $19.5 million annually, Caltrain’s electricity use since the launch of electric service averages 207 MWh on weekdays and 175 MWh on weekends, revising cost estimates to $16.5 million. With the agency expecting approximately $6 million annually in energy credits from the California Air Resources Board’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard Program, the first year of electric service will have lower fuel costs than the previous diesel service. Currently, Caltrain is providing that power to the grid free of charge as there is no legal requirement for the agency to be reimbursed for the energy generated.

Regenerative braking is a technology first introduced to electric trains in 1886. They work by driving an electric motor in reverse to recapture energy rather than losing it as heat during braking. Caltrain’s fleet is designed to return that power to the Overhead Contact System (OCS), which feeds it to the nearest traction power facility. From there, it can be used to power other trains on the system or returned to the grid.

https://www.caltrain.com/news/caltrains-electric-fleet-more-efficient-expected

[Busy Bee]

Awesome

[38 Geary]

Went down to the Newhall Yard and West Portal to check out the progress.







An overview:



https://www.vta.org/bart/programs/vtas-newhall-yard-and-west-portal

[38 Geary]

Bay Area train is red-hot with riders, but trouble lies ahead
By Silas Valentino, Travel Editor
May 15, 2025

A couple of words starting with the letter D define Caltrain at the moment. The Bay Area transit agency is still in the first calendar year since electrifying its fleet, offering smoother, faster rides while modernizing the entire system by replacing its diesel trains.

Diesel is the first D word because the transition to electrification is starting to look like a huge win for Caltrain, with ridership numbers soaring since the trains started rolling last fall. According to new numbers provided to SFGATE, in April 2025, ridership jumped 60% compared with the same month a year prior. That follows a similar spike in ridership in October, when Caltrain reported its weekday ridership grew 54% compared with the same month in 2023.

...

According to Caltrain’s data, average weekend ridership in April 2019 was about 15,000 people on Saturday and 11,000 on Sunday. During the same month in 2024, that fell to roughly 9,000 and 8,000, respectively. One year later, it’s a new story. Caltrain said that last month, the average number of Saturday riders jumped to about 21,000 while Sunday doubled to 16,000.

https://www.sfgate.com/travel/article/caltrain-red-hot-bay-area-riders-trouble-ahead-20329905.php

[38 Geary]

Some recent shots:

[38 Geary]

Silicon Valley BART tunnel launches construction
by B. Sakura Cannestra
June 25, 2025



The whir and thunks of heavy equipment hauling clay and soil from underground could be heard throughout the Newhall Maintenance Yard on Monday, as VTA begins construction on the BART expansion through Silicon Valley. Contractors have been working in the yard 22 hours a day since June 9 pulling bentonite — a clay-like material — from more than 80 feet below ground and installing reinforced concrete to create a launch structure for the tunnel boring machine. The agency plans to use a single-bore tunnel for the 5-mile stretch beneath downtown San Jose. VTA began preparations April 2024 on the 6-mile expansion, which includes a 5-mile underground tunnel and four new stations across San Jose and Santa Clara. The cost is tagged at $12.75 billion.

...

The initial work, including the launch station, is being done by Kiewit Shea Traylor. But the BART Silicon Valley Phase II Oversight Committee has approved recommendations to find another contractor for the tunnel boring, after the agency and Kiewit Shea Traylor couldn’t agree on a price. The VTA board of directors will consider the recommendation at its meeting Friday. Tom Maguire, VTA chief megaprojects delivery officer, said they don’t have a specific dollar amount on how much the agency could save, but VTA has spoken with 10 other potential contractors and heard multiple cost estimates well below Kiewit Shea Traylor’s offer.

...

Wilson said it could take about two years to finish building the launch structure. Construction goes from 6 a.m. to 4 a.m., and she said the agency is looking for approval from San Jose and Santa Clara to extend work hours to a full 24-hour cycle. The agency installed noise barriers and used water to keep dust down around the construction site. If neighboring residents or businesses have concerns with noise or other impacts from the construction, she encouraged them to reach out to VTA’s hotline. So far, Wilson said they’ve heard no complaints.

https://sanjosespotlight.com/silicon-valley-bart-tunnel-launches-construction/

[38 Geary]

Bay Area transit agencies rode a wave of increasing ridership in the first three months of the year that was felt across the region. Many agencies posted double digit gains in ridership compared with the same period last year. Caltrain led the charge with a 50% ridership increase over the first three months of 2025 fueled largely by the agency’s switch to an all-electric service. The nine agencies reporting gains handled a combined total of 3.24 million more trips from January through March compared with the same period in 2024.

Caltrain was not alone in seeing a major ridership increase during the first three months of the year:

*Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit (SMART) saw a ridership bump of 38%. That increase means SMART’s ridership averaged 134% of pre-pandemic levels.
*San Francisco Bay Ferry had a 21% increase from a year ago. That number is 47% higher than ridership in 2023.
*Golden Gate Ferry ridership increased nearly 16% from last year and 40% from 2023.
*Ridership for Marin Transit jumped 10%, Petaluma Transit was up 7%, and Golden Gate Transit increased 5%.

Larger systems also saw significant ridership growth in the first three months of the year. BART ridership was up almost 6.5% from 2024 while Muni increased by 4%.

https://www.bart.gov/news/articles/2025/news20250421

[38 Geary]

Looks like the new fare gates are working.

New data shows big improvements for BART riders

...

In the latest QPR, overall robberies decreased from 42 in the previous quarter to 21 while electronic theft decreased from 43 in the previous quarter to 21. Crimes against persons decreased from 9.56 last quarter to 6.22 crimes per one million trips in the third quarter of this year.​ These gains come as police-related customer service complaints dropped by 63% year over year, showing an improved perception of safety from riders.

...

BART's efforts to harden the system, led by the installation of its Next Generation Fare Gates, are being recognized as the number of riders who say they’ve witnessed fare evasion has reached a new low for the past five quarters, going from 24% in the third quarter of Fiscal Year 2024 to 15% in the third quarter of Fiscal Year 2025. The stronger gates feature a state-of-the-art locking mechanism as well as sensors that improve access for riders in wheelchairs as well as those using strollers or carrying luggage. The new gates have been installed in 40 stations so far and will be in place in all 50 BART stations by the end of this year.

...

Riders are reporting fewer safety concerns and issues related to Code of Conduct violations and people needing welfare checks through the BART Watch App. The number of Code of Conduct related reports sent by riders decreased this latest quarter to 2,398 reports, compared to 3166 during the same quarter last year. Requests for welfare checks also decreased to 680 requests, compared to 763 for the same quarter last year- meaning there are fewer people who look like they can't care for themselves.

https://www.bart.gov/news/articles/2025/news20250626

[38 Geary]

BART ridership continues to grow, with June up 13.4% and Saturdays up by 24.6% over a year ago
07.18.25

BART’s efforts to enhance safety, cleanliness, and the customer experience are paying off as June 2025 saw a 13.4% increase in ridership over a year ago, bolstered by steadily growing weekend ridership.

Saturdays have seen some of the highest rates of ridership growth as people increasingly use the system to travel to events and activities on the weekends, including families and those who are now choosing to take transit over driving. Saturday ridership increased by 15.2% from May to June and was up 24.6% compared to a year ago. These increases were boosted thanks to local events, such as the June 14 “No Kings Day” protests, which marked the second highest day for Saturday ridership since the pandemic. June 29, the day of the San Francisco Pride Parade, saw the second highest Sunday for ridership since 2020.

...

While ridership continues to recover from post-pandemic declines due to remote work, these numbers demonstrate the effectiveness of BART’s Safe and Clean Plan, a series of strategic initiatives and investments that have doubled the rate of deep cleaning and resulted in a surge in BART PD’s visible safety presence on trains and in stations. These improvements are happening in concurrence with customer experience improvements, including running only new Fleet of the Future trains and system hardening efforts, led by the ongoing installation of its Next Generation Fare Gates.

https://www.bart.gov/news/articles/2025/news20250717-0

[38 Geary]

An Electric Caltrain Has Jolted SF Ridership. Can Downtown Fun Keep Them Coming?
Riders love the faster service, especially on weekends. But weak return-to-office rates keep the agency’s future off-track.
by Kristi Coale
June 13, 2025



Back in 2016, Caltrain made a modern bet on an old-school technology: electricity. The rail line that runs between Gilroy, via San Jose, and San Francisco was a major conduit for peninsula commuters into the city. For 70 years its trains had run on diesel. Switching to an electric system was supposed to replace those polluting, noisy trains with modern zero-emission cars — at a cost of $2.72 billion. Then the pandemic hit, and commuting, especially to tech-heavy SF, became an afterthought. But now Caltrain hopes its faster, more reliable electrified system will be an engine of recovery. The new trains — clean, sleek, and WiFi-connected — debuted in August 2024 at a flashy press event. Since then, Caltrain’s most important promise, faster service, seems to be holding up. Local trains, which stop at all stations, take 75 minutes instead of 100 from San Jose to SF. An express train takes about an hour.

With the faster, shinier trains have come more riders, says Caltrain. While it has miles to go to get back to pre-COVID levels, ridership is up 60 percent from the pre-electric months of 2024. From April 2024 through April 2025, average weekday ridership increased 53 percent, while weekend numbers climbed 112 percent. Weekend service has doubled, with trains every half hour instead of every hour. “Electric trains can stop and start faster, so we can run more,” said Caltrain director of government and community affairs Jason Baker at a March 26 public meeting.

...



...

Short-term help may be on the way. The state legislature this week overruled Gov. Gavin Newsom’s proposed $1.1 billion cut to public transit, and extended an interest-free $750 million loan to Bay Area transit agencies to help bridge them to 2027, when a potential regional transit measure (if passed) would kick in.

https://thefrisc.com/an-electric-caltrai...rship-can-downtown-fun-keep-them-coming/

[38 Geary]

07.28.25
The 1,000th Fleet of the Future car was just delivered. Here's what happens next.

... BART accepted its 1,000th Fleet of the Future car from Alstom – Car No. 4690 – which pulled onto the Hayward Test Track around 4:30am. The car is pictured above just before departing Alstom's Plattsburgh, New York, facilities.

The car delivery is a major milestone for the Fleet of the Future project, to be completed in 2026 when BART accepts the final 1,129th car.

Last year, the project entered its second (and current) phase when the final car of the original contract was delivered and certified. The project is expected to come in $394 million under budget thanks to a fast-paced production and delivery schedule as well as BART’s decision to have its own highly experienced staff do more of the engineering work in house.

https://www.bart.gov/news/articles/2025/news20250728

[JManc]

This reminds me. I still have 50 bucks on my Clipper card. Wasn't crazy about BART but wish I rode Caltrain up from Palo Alto to Soma at least once. Trains remind me of those in the Netherlands.