SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA: Transit/Transportation News

[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/projectsplans/CaltrainModernization.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.

[Qubert]

/\ Makes sense. I still don't know why BART wants to reach San Jose via Fremont versus Millbrae, thus hitting Redwood City, San Mateo, Stanford, Mountain View and Sunnyvale. Not to mention, from purely a logistical standpoint, the current plan for the extention forces more ridership through the tube which is already very taxed. Anyone have more insight on this?

[fflint]

Originally Posted by Qubert

/\ Makes sense. I still don't know why BART wants to reach San Jose via Fremont versus Millbrae, thus hitting Redwood City, San Mateo, Stanford, Mountain View and Sunnyvale. Not to mention, from purely a logistical standpoint, the current plan for the extention forces more ridership through the tube which is already very taxed. Anyone have more insight on this?

Nothing could possibly justify the astronomical cost of assembling a new right of way and building BART down the Peninsula.

Assembling a right of way would be nearly impossible and insanely expensive in the best case scenario. The flat parts of the Peninsula are entirely developed, and constitute some of the most expensive land in the world. Any potentially affected owners absolutely have the resources to put up a decades-long fight to keep it, or to extract a vast sum in consideration. Meanwhile, BART itself is expensive to build relative to off-the-shelf technology, because it is a custom gauge with custom equipment.

Caltrain, on the other hand, runs on a standard gauge with off-the-shelf technology in a right of way first established in 1863. Freight trains access the Port of San Francisco on the same tracks overnight, after Caltrain service ends, and BART cannot share tracks with freight trains in a similar fashion due to gauge and regulatory issues.

[ardecila]

BART to San Jose is not a commuter route to SF. It's a commuter route to San Jose and the rest of Silicon Valley. Also a convenient way for HSR riders to reach the East Bay, when that rail line eventually opens.

[rawocd]

Originally Posted by Qubert

/\ Makes sense. I still don't know why BART wants to reach San Jose via Fremont versus Millbrae, thus hitting Redwood City, San Mateo, Stanford, Mountain View and Sunnyvale. Not to mention, from purely a logistical standpoint, the current plan for the extention forces more ridership through the tube which is already very taxed. Anyone have more insight on this?

I think fflint hit this on the nail, but I wanted to add that post electrification(and subsequent service increase), I do see a strong argument for Caltrain to merge into the BART fare structure and brand. Not that even that would happen - it would require Santa Clara and San Mateo counties to join the BART board, and the joint powers board to cede all ownership to BART. While it might be nice in creating a unified regional system for the Bay Area, it would be politically impossible for many of the same reasons that San Mateo and Santa Clara counties opted out of the BART board in the first place. I live with my kitchen window 30' from the caltrain tracks on the peninsula, and with the amount of trouble my neighbors raise about the slightest construction project, I can't even fathom what they would say to building a new rail line.

[CharlesCO]

One of the few things that fflint left out that's also important to note: BART technology would provide slower service than Caltrain down the peninsula unless if it was also built using skip-stop service or express trains. Travel times on Caltrain Baby Bullet trains and pretty much every non-local train are shorter than the same theoretical distance traveled on a local train even on BART technology.

It's also one of the reasons why the BART extension to SFO has had far lower ridership than what was initially projected. BART's original ridership estimates for the Millbrae line accounted for a high number of Caltrain riders transferring to BART at Millbrae, which, in practice after Baby Bullet service was introduced, is actually a very small number.

[fflint]

Originally Posted by CharlesCO

One of the few things that fflint left out that's also important to note: BART technology would provide slower service than Caltrain down the peninsula unless if it was also built using skip-stop service or express trains. Travel times on Caltrain Baby Bullet trains and pretty much every non-local train are shorter than the same theoretical distance traveled on a local train even on BART technology.

Correct. BART and Caltrain have the same allowable top speed--79 mph--which the Baby Bullets sometimes approach when skipping several stations in a row. When electrification is complete, Caltrain's non-local service will technically be faster than BART.

It's also one of the reasons why the BART extension to SFO has had far lower ridership than what was initially projected. BART's original ridership estimates for the Millbrae line accounted for a high number of Caltrain riders transferring to BART at Millbrae, which, in practice after Baby Bullet service was introduced, is actually a very small number.

BART to SFO opened in 2003, well into the dot-bomb recession that devastated SFO's annual passenger counts (down 15.6% in 2001, down another 9.2% in 2002, and down yet another 6.8% in 2003). The demand for trips to SFO dropped across the board, but it made the new airport line look really bad. It doesn't look so bad anymore.

In 2005, SFO was BART's 32nd busiest station (out of 43), with 3,628 exits. So far this year, SFO is BART's 20th busiest station (out of 44)--one rung above Pleasant Hill and two rungs above Walnut Creek--with 6,724 average daily exits. No other station moved higher in the ranking in that timeframe.

[peanut gallery]

^Thanks for the info, fflint. I didn't realize SFO traffic had increased so much. I'm glad to hear that.

[Folks3000]

Originally Posted by ardecila

BART to San Jose is not a commuter route to SF. It's a commuter route to San Jose and the rest of Silicon Valley. Also a convenient way for HSR riders to reach the East Bay, when that rail line eventually opens.

It certainly allows those who live in Milpitas and East San Jose away from Caltrain an easy option to commute up into the City now. HSR riders may use the line for southern parts of East Bay, but for those going to places like Oakland or anywhere in the northern East Bay it will likely still be faster to stay on the high speed train until it gets downtown.

Though I get what you mean, there is a size-able amount of people reverse commuting to the South Bay these days given the tech boom. The line will probably be one of those oddballs that sees heavy usage in both directions.

[Qubert]

@ FFlint

Good Points, thanks for the info. Out of curiosity, is the Caltrain ROW grade separated? If it isn't, that should be the next major project, which then could allow for almost metro-like frequencies if demand exists.