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Transbay Transit Center Project Phasing Plan Gets Nod

Posted on: Friday, 2 June 2006, 18:00 CDT

Today, the Transbay Joint Powers Authority (TJPA) Board unanimously approved a phased approach to build the $3.358 billion Transbay Transit Center project that will replace the current Transbay Terminal at First and Mission Streets and bring Caltrain into the new Transit Center. The Board approved TJPA Staff's recommendation to proceed and build the project in two phases: Phase One will complete construction of the above ground portion of the new intermodal Transit Center building; Phase Two will complete the extension of the Caltrain rail line 1.3 miles from Fourth and King Streets underground into the new downtown Transit Center.

Phase One of the project implementation plan is fully funded at $983 million and will include design and construction of the above ground portion of the Transit Center building, the rail foundation, bus ramps and bus storage, and design of the full below ground rail level component of the Transit Center building. It also includes design and construction of the temporary bus terminal to serve passengers while the new Transit Center is under construction.

"This is a great day for a visionary transportation project which will alleviate congestion, improve air quality and build 3,400 much needed new homes," said Nathaniel Ford, Chair of the TJPA Board. "We are in the process of putting together a new transportation center that generations will utilize and hold as a monument to our ideals and values. This has truly been an exemplary collaborative process that I am proud to be a part of. We extend our thanks and gratitude to the strong leadership of the Mayor, the TJPA and all of our stakeholders."

"This project is all about connecting trains with buses, and transportation with jobs and housing," said Maria Ayerdi, Executive Director of the TJPA. "We've worked hard for almost a decade to engage the public, obtain environmental approval, and secure more than $1 billion in funding to make this project a reality. We look forward to delivering a landmark project to the Bay Area and the State -- one which will eventually serve more than 100,000 passengers a day and be a new hub of economic life in San Francisco."

Planning and design of Phase One will continue with construction commencing on the temporary terminal in 2008. Construction of the new Transit Center and complementary Transit Tower is scheduled to begin in April 2010 and be completed in early 2014. Construction of the Caltrain extension, Phase Two, is estimated to begin in 2012, or sooner as funding becomes available, and is scheduled to be completed in 2021.

The TJPA will be launching an international design and development competition this Fall to choose the best architectural team to design the world-class Transbay Transit Center and the Transit Tower.

The Transbay project will build a new Transit Center serving eight transportation systems under one roof including Caltrain, MUNI (including paratransit), AC Transit, SamTrans, Golden Gate Transit, Greyhound, and future California High Speed Rail from Los Angeles, in addition to walking connections to BART. The new Transit Center will also feature retail, conference and cultural space and will be adjacent to a landmark Transit Tower. The Caltrain line will be extended 1.3 miles in order to bring the rail line into the new Transit Center.

Additionally, the project will create a new transit-friendly neighborhood surrounding the Transit Center South of Market Street with 3,400 new homes with 35% affordable, new parks and a retail main street.

About the TJPA:

The TJPA consists of a historic collaboration of Bay Area government and transportation agencies committed to replacing the current Transbay Terminal in San Francisco with the new Transbay Transit Center to improve the transportation needs for the entire Bay Area region and the State. The TJPA is managed by TJPA Staff and is overseen by its five-member Board of Directors.

The TJPA Board of Directors is comprised of representatives from the City and County of San Francisco, including the SF Municipal Railway (MUNI), the Office of the Mayor and the Board of Supervisors; the Alameda-Contra Costa Transit District (AC Transit); and the Peninsula Corridor Joint Powers Board-Caltrain, composed of the City and County of San Francisco, the San Mateo County Transit District, and the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority.

For more information about the TJPA, please visit www.transbaycenter.org

Source: Business Wire

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