New Bay Crossing? Bridge or Transit Tunnel? (San Francisco, Ontario: construction, price)

[18Montclair]

Interesting.

[LEFT]The 2002 study found that a new bridge spanning the bay or a second transbay tube would be multibillion-dollar propositions the Bay Area could not likely afford. It also found little public support on the Peninsula or the East Bay for a new midbay toll bridge, traditionally referred to as a "Southern Crossing."

According to the study, the cost of a new toll bridge between Interstate 238 in San Lorenzo and Interstate 380 in San Bruno, just north of San Francisco International Airport, would have been about $8.2 billion. A second transbay tube for BART would have cost an estimated $10.3 billion, and a tunnel to handle commuter trains and high-speed rail as well as BART would have carried an $11.8 billion price-tag.

Read more: Fresh study possible on transbay crossing[/LEFT]

[sonarrat]

To run from 238 to 380, they'd have to split San Lorenzo in two, permanently destroying its character; and on the SFO side, they'd have to tear down or relocate the Safe Harbor homeless shelter. Neither is likely to happen. And the interchanges on either side are absolutely nightmarish.. can you imagine the average commuter trying to figure them out?

[WesternGulf]

not needed.

[sav858]

Given how overbudget and behind schedule the new half of the Bay Bridge is, I have no faith that they could get it done for anywhere near those estimates. If they do end up building get ready for $10-15 bridge tolls.

[jade408]

I vote for additional transit options. More transit could encourage additional density on the main corridors. Infill BART stations at the future Transbay Terminal and Jack London Square would be good for the region and encourage additional well placed development.

[The Land]

It would take 100 years to build any of that. The BB project is a joke.

[mtkomori]

I just found out on youtube that the future Transbay Terminal is being built at the site of an existing bus terminal and while the construction of the terminal is going on, the buses will move to a temporary terminal nearby. The Transbay Terminal is to open in 2017. They're planning on having the Cal trains, BART, the buses, as well as the California High Speed Rail all in one terminal. Does anyone know why the current stations of BART and Cal trains will NOT be used by the HSR?

[mayorhaggar]

Because it all wouldn't fit there, the Caltrain station at 4th and King is really small plus it's annoyingly far from downtown. The new station will be multilevel. I bet it still takes like 20 years to complete, but at least they are getting started on demolishing the old Transbay station.

[jade408]

The new transbay terminal feels so far. But a lot safer.

[mtkomori]

So the location of Transbay Terminal is central and convenient to get to, is it? What is the present transit system serving that area like? I suppose the Cal train and the BART will come into the terminal when it is built? Interestingly enough, something similar is happening here in Waterloo, Ontario. The regional council has purchased in the last three years or so, the area in downtown Kitchener (adjacent to Waterloo) to build a major transit hub. There already is a bus terminal nearby and a VIA Rail station not too far away (though not within walking distance) so pehaps these two will be integrated into one major transit terminal. It's more efficient and convenient to have both the buses and the train in one terminal. The VIA rail (train) will start two round trips to Toronto in late 2011 but it takes TWO hours to get to Toronto's Union Station because it shares the tracks with the freight train! Some of the people I spoke to say, and I agree, two hours is more time than if you drove to Toronto which is about 1 hour and 20 min without traffic. If they're going to start a decent transit system, it better be convenient than driving, otherwise no one will use transit.