From: adrian@ntmtv.UUCP (Adrian Brandt)
Newsgroups: ba.transportation
Subject: SF Rail
Date: 8 Apr 92 20:37:35 GMT


I just came across a posting I wrote some time ago, but I
don't think ever got posted.  (I think our news software was
messed up at the time.)  So here it is:


In article <kp5i4oINN2i1@agate.berkeley.edu>, lazzaro@boom.CS.Berkeley.EDU (John Lazzaro) writes:
|> >Mike Lipsie writes:>
|> >The train has never gone into downtown SF.  (Well, not since
|> >they lost the deck of the Bay Bridge in the 40's? 50's?)
|> 
|> So the peninsula trains used to go all of the way to the terminal? What
|> was the path of the tracks through SOMA? 

It is my understanding that the furthest the San Francisco - San Jose
railroad (more recently known as "SP" or CalTrain) ever ran regularly
scheduled passenger service into San Francisco is 3rd & Townsend.

I do know that freight and special trains commonly ran to/by (and
some went onto) most of the piers.  Some ran along the piers and
waterfront on Embarcadero, through the Fisherman's Wharf area,
through the (still existing) tunnel under Fort Mason, along the
Marina, and into the Presido.  These were most likely military or
freight trains.  I'm not sure if the trackage I am describing was
ever SP territory; it was all part of the San Francisco Belt Railroad.
As I understand it, some of the SFBR trackage still exists and is in
operating condition (south of the Bay Bridge)--though only a tiny
shadow of its former self.

There were several false starts at trying to extend CalTrain to the
Ferry Building area of Embarcadero by using (and improving) old SF
Belt Railroad trackage.  Each attempt was shot down for one reason or
another.  The City and County of San Francisco has never been much
help in extending CalTrain in this way.  In fact, I'm told it was
explicitly opposed by SF City and/or County for various esthetic,
and political reasons.  Certain influential development interests
(what other kind are there?) have also served to block at-grade
CalTrain extension attempts (with objections based on the usual
stuff like noise, smell, road/auto traffic blockage, visual clutter,
and property values).

The current front-running SF CalTrain extension proposals don't have
a great chance of happening anytime soon because of their relatively
high cost.  They all involve tunnelling--even more than one might
expect.  The gargantuan planned Mission Bay development is essentially
requiring that CalTrain go underground somewhere well south of its
current 4th & Townsend terminal.  This means that a portion of
existing surface CalTrain line would be forced underground in addition
to the extension to "downtown" (up to Market Street).  The underground
downtown extension will be costly as it is, but the figures being
quoted are "artificially" high because they include this extra
tunneling cost and electrification (diesels and subways don't mix too
well).  The cost?  Somewhere in the neighborhood of $600-$800 million.
As is well established practice, the Mission Bay project should really
be made to pay mitigation costs to cover the additional cost their
proposed development is imposing on the proposed extension.

I like a proposal that I got my hands on about a year ago that would
bring CalTrain into the Transbay Terminal (a train station with buses
in it).  That coupled with the proposed return of Bay Bridge trains
would really offer excellent connections/possibilities.  A pedestrian
tunnel (perhaps featuring airport-style moving sidewalks) could
connect the Transbay terminal with BART its Montgomery Street station.
This proposal seemed quite interesting and much cheaper, but hasn't
yet been studied seriously, as the other more current (and expensive)
proposals seem to be favored by SF City & County and MTC.

As far as I know, all of the trackage running in and out of the
Transbay Terminal either led to (or from) the Bay Bridge on approach
ramps, many (all?) of which still exist--but carry autos or buses
today.

--

Adrian Brandt (415) 940-2379
UUCP: {amdahl|ames|hplabs}!ntmtv!adrian
ARPA: ntmtv!adrian@ames.arc.nasa.gov