Central Subway
The Central Subway is an extension of the Muni Metro light rail system in San Francisco, California, from the Caltrain commuter rail depot at 4th and King streets to Chinatown. The subway is the second phase of the Third Street Light Rail Project. Ground was broken for the new route on February 9, 2010, and is currently scheduled for completion by 2019.
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[edit] Alignment
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In February 2008, the Municipal Transportation Agency board voted to select Alternative Alignment 3B for the subway.[1] In this alignment, trains will travel north on Fourth Street, stop at an above-ground station at Fourth and Brannan, and enter the subway through a portal on Fourth between Bryant and Harrison Streets, under Interstate 80. The route will then continue under Fourth Street through South of Market, and have an underground station at the Moscone Center. At Market Street, the subway will dip below the Market Street Subway and there will be another underground station serving Market Street and Union Square underneath Stockton Street. This combined Market Street/Union Square station will have entrances at the Market, Ellis and Stockton intersection, and at Stockton and Geary, and will have a pedestrian passage connecting it to the Muni Metro and BART Powell Street Station. North of there, the subway will continue under Stockton with a station located in Chinatown at Stockton and Washington Streets.[2] The tunnel will then continue north on Stockton, but there are no station plans as of March 2011. The tunnel boring machine is scheduled to come above ground nearby on Columbus Avenue around 2014.[3]
In the future, the line may terminate in North Beach or extend to Fisherman's Wharf.[2][3]
[edit] Status
October 2011: In San Francisco the local sponsor of the project is proceeding with the design, utility relocation and property acquisition needed to build the Central Subway. However the federal government has not as yet approved the Municipal Transportation Agency's request that $942million in federal New Starts funds be allocated to the project. The matter is currently under consideration by the United States Congress.
[edit] Cost
Due to the capital cost ($1.578 billion for the 1.7 mile light rail line), the Central Subway project has come under criticism from transit activists for what they consider to be poor cost-effectiveness.[4] In particular, they note that Muni's own estimates[5] show that the project would increase Muni ridership by less than 1% and yet by 2030 be adding $15.2 million a year to Muni's annual operating deficit.
[edit] References
- ^ "MTA Board Selects Central Subway Alignment". Transbay Blog. http://transbayblog.com/2008/02/19/mta-board-selects-central-subway-alignment/. Retrieved 21 February 2008.
- ^ a b S.F. Chinatown subway plan gets agency's nod. SF Chronicle. February 20, 2008.
- ^ a b Central Subway may travel farther north than planned. SF Examiner.
- ^ "Central Subway: Visionary Project or Colossal Boondoggle?". Transbay Blog. http://transbay.wordpress.com/2007/11/16/central-subway-visionary-project-or-colossal-boondoggle/. Retrieved 16 December 2007.
- ^ "Third Street Light Rail Project Environmental Impact Statement / Environmental Impact Report". ICF Kaiser Engineers, Inc., et al.. http://www.sonic.net/~mly/Muni/Third-Street-EIR-Executive-Summary.html. Retrieved 16 December 2007.
[edit] External links
- Central Subway Overview. SFMTA.com
- SFCTA Central Subway
- Alternatives. SFMTA.com.
- Purpose. SFMTA.com.
- Affected Environment. SFMTA.com.
- Chinatown Report. SF Chronicle. June 22, 2007.
- Central Subway. Fog City Journal.
- Push For Chinatown Central Subway. Amy Hollyfield, ABC (KGO-TV). March 20, 2007.
- Central Subway an Alternate Proposal. RescueMuni.org.
- "S.F. must stop Central Subway from being built", August 18, 2011, San Francisco Chronicle
- http://www.savemuni.com
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