The federal government recently approved a federal loan of $171 million to the city of San Francisco for the construction of a new transit center in the heart of the city. The goal is to connect Bay Area residents to the rest of California and reduce congestion during daily commutes as well as long distance trips.
A major supporter of the project is U.S. Rep. and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi. “The Transbay Transit Center will increase public transport options, reduce congestion, lower carbon emissions, and create jobs,” stated Rep. Pelosi in a Federal Transportation Administration (FTA) press release.
The new state of the art facility will connect eight counties, nine transit systems, and communities throughout the entire state of California. Long distance bus, rail, and high-speed rail are also included transit connections. The facility will ultimately be completed in 2014 and will replace the original facility constructed in 1939.
Currently dubbed the Transbay Transit Center, the facility will serve more than 45 million passengers per year. The facility will house approximately nine different transportation systems which include the San Francisco Municipal Railway (MUNI), the California high-speed rail, and the Greyhound bus service. The facility is actually part of a larger downtown area renovation project.
Apparently, the state of California currently has what has been dubbed a “fractured” network of public transport lines, according to FTA Administrator Peter Rogoff. This new project will then centralize and connect the missing points in the Bay Area and make transportation for its residents faster and more convenient.
The hope is that the new facility and infrastructure will be so easy and convenient that people will have an option to travel about the area without the need of a car and thus decrease road congestion and pollution.
The transit facility will be completed in multiple phases. Phase one includes financing to build and upgrade ramps to the Bay Bridge, a bus storage facility, and the design of the underground transit system facility. Some of the funds for the first phase come from the Department’s Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act loan in the amount of $171 million, which should cover about 14 percent of the cost of the first phase. The total construction cost for phase one is $1.19 billion.
The second phase has not been approved yet for funding but includes the extension of the California Train Service (Caltrain Service) commuter rail for 1.3 miles to the new facility. The total construction cost of the project is estimated at approximately $4.2 billion. The remaining funds are to be supplied by local, state, and federal supporters and investors.
The Transbay Joint Powers Authority is already in the process of applying for federal stimulus moneys. An announcement regarding approval for these moneys is expected this winter.
“The Bay Area has provided significant investment toward this effort and I hope that the Department of Transportation continues to recognize the need and capacity for such innovative transportation in California,” stated Sen. Pelosi on her Web site. “San Francisco is ready to be a national leader in transit-oriented development and today the Transbay Transit Center is one step closer to becoming the ‘Grand Central of the West.’”
A major supporter of the project is U.S. Rep. and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi. “The Transbay Transit Center will increase public transport options, reduce congestion, lower carbon emissions, and create jobs,” stated Rep. Pelosi in a Federal Transportation Administration (FTA) press release.
The new state of the art facility will connect eight counties, nine transit systems, and communities throughout the entire state of California. Long distance bus, rail, and high-speed rail are also included transit connections. The facility will ultimately be completed in 2014 and will replace the original facility constructed in 1939.
Currently dubbed the Transbay Transit Center, the facility will serve more than 45 million passengers per year. The facility will house approximately nine different transportation systems which include the San Francisco Municipal Railway (MUNI), the California high-speed rail, and the Greyhound bus service. The facility is actually part of a larger downtown area renovation project.
Apparently, the state of California currently has what has been dubbed a “fractured” network of public transport lines, according to FTA Administrator Peter Rogoff. This new project will then centralize and connect the missing points in the Bay Area and make transportation for its residents faster and more convenient.
The hope is that the new facility and infrastructure will be so easy and convenient that people will have an option to travel about the area without the need of a car and thus decrease road congestion and pollution.
The transit facility will be completed in multiple phases. Phase one includes financing to build and upgrade ramps to the Bay Bridge, a bus storage facility, and the design of the underground transit system facility. Some of the funds for the first phase come from the Department’s Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act loan in the amount of $171 million, which should cover about 14 percent of the cost of the first phase. The total construction cost for phase one is $1.19 billion.
The second phase has not been approved yet for funding but includes the extension of the California Train Service (Caltrain Service) commuter rail for 1.3 miles to the new facility. The total construction cost of the project is estimated at approximately $4.2 billion. The remaining funds are to be supplied by local, state, and federal supporters and investors.
The Transbay Joint Powers Authority is already in the process of applying for federal stimulus moneys. An announcement regarding approval for these moneys is expected this winter.
“The Bay Area has provided significant investment toward this effort and I hope that the Department of Transportation continues to recognize the need and capacity for such innovative transportation in California,” stated Sen. Pelosi on her Web site. “San Francisco is ready to be a national leader in transit-oriented development and today the Transbay Transit Center is one step closer to becoming the ‘Grand Central of the West.’”
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