Infrastructure Weak

@infrastructureweak.bsky.social

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Renter; bike and transit rider Construction project manager Posts about safe street design and transit projects Berkeley, CA

Satellite view of the Outer Richmond, with the Geary metro drawn east-west along Geary Blvd to 42nd Ave. A yard is drawn on the southwest half of the Lincoln Park Golf Course, 81,000 square meters or 20 acres.
Heavily marked-up map of a concept downtown alignment for the Geary metro, featuring a shallow crossing of the Market Street subway at Leavenworth/7th St. The speculative line runs east along Post, turns south along Leavenworth, crosses Market at mezzanine level (-1) for a convenient transfer to BART and Muni Metro, turns northeast at Howard, crosses above the Central Subway for a convenient transfer to it at Moscone Center, and terminates adjacent to Transbay station as depicted in the watercolor above.
Watercolor rendering of a Geary metro terminal at Transbay station, where an island platform in a covered trench lets out directly onto the mezzanine for regional and high speed rail trains. The Geary station is built off-street, adjacent to the existing fancy white-clad park that is the Transbay Terminal and the small cable-stayed bus ramp that brings the terminal bus service. The art is by Alfred Twu.
Board Briefings: Institute monthly, half-hour Board Briefings with the GM, board chair and vice chair prior to each meeting to discuss the set agenda - and not to add new topics. While the full board will be briefed the week before the meeting, the board should not have authority to add or remove items to the current agenda.
Digital graphic of two options for providing passenger capacity on a metro line, one on the top and one on the bottom of the graphic. The top option has longer trains running every five minutes. The bottom train has shorter trains running every two minutes, but still carrying the same number of passengers. This results in shorter platforms and smaller stations, so more stations can be built. The graphic is by Fern K Hahn.
Cover of the San Francisco County Transportation Authority's "Geary/19th Ave Subway and Regional Connections Study" "Strategic Case" "Final Report: June 2026," which features a cool digital art piece of a subway tunnel going through a tight s-curve.
Red ink old concept line drawing on a yellowed background map of San Francisco, showing a Geary BART line from 25th Ave to Market Street, with a possible future branch to Marin. The planners of the original BART system recognized Geary as an important corridor to serve, and continued to plan for it even after the BART Marin County line was dropped. Sources: Flikr user Erika Fischer scan from “October 1961 Supplement to the June 1961 Engineering Report to the San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District — Four County System”
Diagram of safe braking distance in a CBTC moving-block model. A train approaching another from behind is permitted to move forward according to a calculation that accounts for several possible errors, including positional error in tracking its location and the location of the train ahead, and velocity error in measuring how fast it is traveling. In regular service, the train control system slows it down well before it approaches the rear of the train ahead. This is so that, in case it began runaway acceleration, it would be able to come to an emergency stop with enough room to account for the time to detect the runaway and intervene, for the braking force to build up, and for deceleration according to the guaranteed emergency braking performance profile. Source: https://www.railengineer.co.uk/demystifying-the-safe-braking-model/
FROM TIME HORIZONS TO NETWORK STATES The Rail Plan will shift away from traditional time-horizon planning (near-term, mid-term, long-term) and instead adopt a Network State framework. In this approach, each Network State corresponds to a clearly defined service goal, key service outcomes, and progress toward that goal is driven by the completion of the projects and activities required to operate that level of service, including, but not limited to, delivering capital projects, securing operating and maintenance funding, and finalizing relevant agreements. Network States link service expansion directly to actual project delivery. This approach creates a flexible structure that ties project delivery to service outcomes instead of a specific planning horizon. This is not meant as a retreat from accountability, rather a realistic approach to advancing projects and focusing on outcomes. As each project advances through project development and delivery, there will still be specific timelines for completion for effective project management. Once the required projects and activities for a given service goal are completed, that Network State is considered achieved, unlocking the ability to implement the associated service and advance to the next state. This transition provides an implementation-oriented approach that drives service outcomes resulting in a network that will evolve to reflect what is needed to enable each step of growth. RAIL INVESTMENT STRATEGY California’s rail capital program is funded through multiple sources managed by multiple stakeholders. The Rail Plan provides a framework for determining priorities within corridors and across the state to better align with funding sources. Caltrans worked with local and regional partners to align funding strategies to support service-led strategic planning in the 2018 and 2024 State Rail Plans, but there are opportunities to refi…
Footnote from the report linked in the second post of this thread. "Shinn Junction was initially identified as a logical location for an East Bay Hub since both BART and ACE cross at this point; therefore, this site was a high priority for the study based on discussions with regional stakeholders. However, during initial analysis of the Shinn Junction site, significant issues were identified, most notably in relation to cost and operational impacts to the BART system. Based on this, it was concluded by the Study partners that additional concepts for an East Bay Hub were needed. The total number of East Bay Hub concepts were finalized at seven, including Shinn, which are evaluated in Phase 1 of the SoCo Rail Study."
Travel Time Analysis Summary table from the report linked above, showing travel times in minutes from Pleasanton ACE and destinations in the inner Bay via the seven candidate hub locations. I've circled the travel time from Shinn Junction to San Jose, to indicate that the travel time appears to be based on an assumption all passengers get off of ACE and take BART to San Jose, instead of staying on ACE for a faster trip.
Paragraph from the study linked above, discussing development opportunity at this site. I have highlighted this line: "Also, the City of Fremont currently is not planning to change the land uses around the Shinn Junction site." Full excerpt: "SHINN JUNCTION • Rating: Low to Medium • PDA: Not applicable Opportunities for transit-supportive development within a 0.5-mile radius of the proposed Shinn Junction hub are limited, as much of the land is dedicated to recreation/open space uses (e.g., Alameda Creek, Quarry Lakes Regional Recreation Area), with much of the remaining land occupied by light industrial and low-density suburban residential uses. Also, the City of Fremont currently is not planning to change the land uses around the Shinn Junction site. Farther out, however, the Shinn Junction hub would be within biking distance or extended walking distance of the Civic Center area of Fremont, which is home to a cluster of commercial/retail and institutional uses, including government offices and major medical centers. The station is also located less than 1 mile from the historic Niles District, but access is difficult due to the lack of options to get through the Quarry Lakes and Alameda Creek."
Map of candidate ACE rail transfer hub sites and rail lines in Fremont, California. Capitol Corridor runs northwest to southeast nearest the Bay, with candidate hub sites at Ardenwood, Newark Junction, and South of Newark Junction. BART runs parallel, but further to the northeast, and has candidate hub sites at Union City (marked as the highest-performing hub concept), Shinn (the one I'm complaining got passed over), and Warm Springs. ACE runs northeast to southwest, intersecting BART at the location of the Shinn hub, then turns southeast to join Capitol Corridor. One additional hub location was considered at Fremont-Centerville, along ACE but between BART and Caltrain, which would have served highway 84 buses. According to the map, those buses could also serve the Ardenwood, Shinn, or Union City hub.
Pencil rendering from 1930 of the present-day J and Z platforms at Fulton St station on the Nassau-Broadway subway. To accommodate platforms despite the narrow street width, the tracks and platforms are split vertically. The southbound track, just below street level, serves a side platform. The northbound track is on the level below, under the platform above and offset from the track above. The northbound platform is below the southbound track. A series of stairs and mezzanines provides street access on both sides, and allows passengers to change between platforms under the northbound tracks, on a third level down from the street. The rendering depicts a busy, dense street life with supply stores and wall-to-wall buildings. Sources: https://www.nytimes.com/1930/05/25/archives/station-of-3-levels-for-nassau-st-tube-transit-board-reveals-plans.html https://www.reddit.com/r/nycrail/comments/1iqdmin/i_decided_to_walk_around_fulton_st_to_see_if_it/
Snazzy cover of a report called "The Hidden Cost of Trash - Building-Level Costs of Handling NYC's Waste," by the Center for Building in North America and the Center for Zero Waste Design. It features an isometric drawing of a 4-story walk-up apartment building, where a resident has descended the stairs and is carrying out trash to a set of large recycling, compost, and trash containers kept in the parking lane.
"Why is Trainside Checked bicycle service only available to and from staffed stations with checked baggage service? Many unstaffed stations without baggage service have short and/or very low platforms where providing access to the baggage car would require the train to make a double stop or for the passenger to lift their bicycle to a crew member an unreasonably high distance. As we expand bicycle service to more routes and stations, we are continuously auditing unstaffed stations where we can safely and efficiently offer trainside checked bike service. To date, we have expanded this offering the following unstaffed stations: Prince, WV, on the Cardinal Fraser-Winter Park, CO, on the California Zephyr Stanwood, WA, Tukwila, WA, and Oregon City, OR on the Amtrak Cascades Winona, MN, and West Glacier, MT, on the Empire Builder High Point, NC, on the Crescent All stations between Charlotte and Raleigh on the Carolinian All stations on the Pere Marquette" Source: https://www.amtrak.com/bike-faqs
Image of South Granville Station entrance from the linked article. It is built into the base of a large tower, with a coffee shop next to it.
Two slides from the 2009 Oakland Airport Connector bid presentation to the BART board, in which the cable car design was selected. "Part One Proposal Review - Four proposals received September 22nd - All four proposers signed the Contract Proposal forms indicating acceptance of all Contract terms and conditions. However the Kiewit Proposal: 1. Included a letter, with twenty (20) significant “clarifications” (deviations) from the District's terms 2. Omitted or modified required elements of the Price Proposal Selection Committee determined Kiewit proposal was non-responsive: - Failed to provide a required element of the Price Proposal - Clarifications had significant and material adverse impact on cost & operability of the project - Proposal was incomplete and indeterminate - Procurement process did not allow for BAFO process Part One Summary of Responsive Proposals Proposer Estimated Design-Build Price $416,000,000 Annual O&M Pymt $4,900,000 Annual CARP Pymt $900,000 Total Price $480,000,000 (TARGET) Shimmick Skanska Herzog JV Vehicle Provider Leitner-Poma Technology Cable Design-Build Price $421,200,000 Annual O&M Pymt $6,450,306 Annual CARP Pymt $400,000 Total Price $517,104,284 Best Value Rating Acceptable- Proposal Ranking 3 Walsh Construction Co. Vehicle Provider Mitsubishi Technology Self Propelled Design-Build Price $404,315,174 Annual O&M Pymt $7,173,848 Annual CARP Pymt $1,056,929 Total Price $519,546,052 Best Value Rating Acceptable+ Proposal Ranking 2 Flatiron/Parsons JV Vehicle Provider Doppelmayr Technology Cable Design-Build Price $361,0221,150 Annual O&M Pymt $4,906,865 Annual CARP Pymt $768,397 Total Price $440,475,810 Best Value Rating Good Proposal Ranking 1 Best Value Proposal = Flatiron/Parsons JV" Source: https://www.bart.gov/sites/default/files/docs/Microsoft_PowerPoint_-_OAC_December_10_Award_-_Final.pdf
Sunny photo of Fruitvale BART station across a cafe patio that fronts it. The station is "modern"-style: angled concrete; tinted glassy walls; standing seam siding around a freestanding elevator; visible angles surrounding the escalators. The patio has engineered wood ring benches around shrubbery planters, wireform tables and chairs, and some medium street trees.
Nighttime photo down a main street, where a laser installation is casting a rainbow-colored set of horizontal beams up and over the street. People are stopped in the middle of the street looking up and taking photos, just as the photographer is. The street has embedded streetcar tracks and overhead bus & streetcar wires. There are tall office buildings down at the other end of the street in the background of the photo, some behind the laser beams. The location is 5th and Market, with the BART station entrance canopies visible.
All nine of these images are screenshots of text excerpts from the executive order linked in the quoted post. "d. Take the necessary steps to ensure that future iterations of the State Transit Plan shall adopt a service-led planning approach that aligns with the California State Rail Plan. e. Begin the process of developing design guidance for transit infrastructure on the state highway system, as well as standard plans and standard specifications, policy, and procedures to permit transit infrastructure on the state highway system. These materials shall be completed and included in relevant program guidance, permitting manuals, and other department documentation within one year."
Paragraph from the linked article. "Another activist, Scott Feeney, added that the bill would "destroy" a DSA-backed measure to dedicate transfer tax revenue to affordable housing, though it remains unclear exactly how the two laws would interact if both pass. (The DSA-backed measure, it's worth noting, exempts new multifamily construction.)"
Text transcript of slide 32, "Comparison: Main Differences" "Vehicle / Project Comparison: Main Differences Vehicle: Current US Rail standards may exclude state-of-the-art design (and thus needs to be waived, e.g. torsional resistance for couplers) Operation: Conductor focused, no automated processes (doors, wheelchair lift) Usage of the horn (25% = severe air consumption) General: Strong involvement of public, bike lobby, ADA Very demanding and formal customer All expertise is outsourced No simultaneous manufacturing / engineering Unknown Quality Assurance expectations Strong supervising, no delegation of tasks to manufacturer Journalistenreise| Martin Ritter| October 2017"
Photo of a stainless steel wall-mounted sink, with Xlerator jet hand dryer on the right and wall-mounted soap dispenser on the left. They are all mounted in a shallow niche, with walls patterned in white hexagonal tiles. A round metal garbage can with open top is off to the right.
Page 101 out of 223 from Berkeley's bike plan update by consultant Alta, showing a map of "RECOMMENDED LOW-STRESS BIKEWAY INTERSECTION CONTROL IMPROVEMENTS." The base map is the City of Berkeley, with a grid of bike routes on about every fifth or sixth east-west and north-south street. Most of these are to be bike boulevards on small streets; a few are to be major "complete streets corridor studies" on arterials. This map is focused on changes at major intersections, including installing protected intersections, connecting bikeways along streets that meet roads at an offset, installing rapid rectangular flashing beacons (the yellow blinking lights), installing medians, raised intersections, and pedestrian hybrid beacons (PHBs/HAWKs). There are two existing locations with HAWKs: Hillegass at Ashby and Virginia at San Pablo. The thirteen planned new HAWK locations, from north to south, are: - Carmelia at San Pablo - Virginia at MLK and at Shattuck - Addison at Sacramento - Channing at San Pablo and at Sacramento - Derby at Sacramento and at Shattuck - Russell at Sacramento and at Shattuck - California at Ashby - Woolsey at MLK - Harmon at Sacramento Source: https://berkeleyca.gov/sites/default/files/2026-06/2026-06-16%20Item%2029%202026%20Bicycle%20Plan%20Update.pdf
Photo of a shrink-wrapped scaffold hanging over a European canal or wharf. It's about 20 feet tall. You can see the scaffolding members pressing through from the inside of the wrapping. There are small 3- and 4-story masonry wall-to-wall buildings behind it. Source: https://shop.leachs.com/products/industrial-flame-retardant-shrink-wrap-7m-x-15m
Poorly-framed photo from the street of the grade-level concrete mat foundation for a square-shaped infill building preparing to be placed. Yellow vapor barrier and partially-completed reinforcing bar are visible. A red tower crane mast sticks up from a concrete footing near the center of the site. A well-used fiberglass ladder spray painted "OWO" leans against an old fashion-styled city streetlight pole. A new high-rise (also mass timber by OWO) with flat, multicolored yellow, white, and orange facade paneling stands behind this site. The neighboring buildings to either side come up to the property line, and their walls are tagged with spray paint.
Slide from a February 2024 TJPA board presentation. "IDEAS CONSIDERED IN THIS EXERCISE: 1. Eliminating both HSR platforms • Doesn't eliminate encroachment into yard due to need for egress and ventilation • Operational impacts need to be confirmed by operational analysis 2. Eliminating north (outbound) HSR platform • Consistent with 2018 direction (single platform face) • Similar platforms to Phasing Study Station Concept A, but reduced # tracks; therefore operational analysis needed" There are graphics of the station cross section: an underground cut and cover station with two electrified tracks. A mezzanine is over top of the platform level. A low island platform serves Caltrain. High side platforms would serve HSR, except that one or both is marked up in red to be eliminated. Source: https://transbaycenter.app.box.com/s/lc3yir7vzuxrkjup2nh7lheqh3n6tite/file/2109883890316
Excerpt from the linked article. "Power changeover Ensuring that the pantograph is lowered before the end of a catenary section is generally automated, but if all else fails, the final control is in the hands of the driver. Therefore, power changeover must not occur at locations where the driver already has a high workload, for example, when approaching signals. As an example, ideally the train would change from OLE to battery before leaving the main line onto a branch line, whereas the detailed study might conclude that it is better to change over after the train has passed over the junction."
Excerpt of results from the East Bay Times article linked above. "They are compiled by the Associated Press from election results reported to the California secretary of state’s office. This article will be updated as results come in. Links to local results will be added after the polls close, at 8 p.m. California Statewide Governor CANDIDATE VOTES Matt Mahan (Dem) 735,420 23.1% Katie Porter (Dem) 580,134 18.2% Alicia Lapp (GOP) 484,906 15.2% Tony Thurmond (Dem) 308,686 9.7% Antonio Villaraigosa (Dem) 244,001 7.7% Steve Hilton (GOP) 216,880 6.8% Xavier Becerra (Dem) 189,761 6% Chad Bianco (GOP) 162,665 5.1% Tom Steyer (Dem) 135,550 4.3% Betty Yee (Dem) 10,225 0.32% Brent Maupin (NPP) 10,222 0.32% Margaret Trowe (NPP) 10,220 0.32%"
Aerial-perspective rendering of a bike and pedestrian trail bridge, crossing two arterial roads and a freight railroad among low-rise housing. The bridge is an odd shape: - The tower is placed asymmetrically. About twenty cables support the trail deck on the east side, while just two cables provide counterbalancing anchorage on the west side. - The bridge deck makes a gentle "S" curve. - The upper tower is split into two arms, which lean east and curve farther east as they rise, and which are canted out in a "V" to the north and south. - The tower base is four sloping columns, spanning half of a road. Two meet at a point on each side, and then both sets are joined by a beam. - The base of the upper tower's "V" is offset west of the meeting point of the lower tower's legs, so that there is an avante-garde "jog" where the top and the bottom meet.
Photo from the opposite side of the construction site, with the same mobile crane erecting the red tower crane. In the background of this photo, behind a telescoping forklift, you can see the white steel truss base of a future tower crane.
Daylight photo of a red tower cranes being assembled by a navy-and-white mobile crane, at a fenced construction site near a 5-story contemporary-style apartment building. The photo is taken from between parked cars across a one-way street from the construction site - a bus with a bike on the front of it is coming up a red bus lane, and three pedestrians are using a temporary construction sidewalk alongside the site. The tops of mature street trees can be seen either side of the photo. The tower crane being erected is branded Bigge and is of the luffing-boom type - its main arm pivots up and down at the point where it meets the tower. The mobile crane - also owned by Bigge - has a nearly-fully-extended hydraulic boom and a long added lattice luffing jib, in order to reach the necessary height.
Photo of a 4ft square map mounted in a plexiglass case on a rust brick wall in the center of the Downtown Berkeley BART station platform. The map is entitled "Regional Transit Connections," with icons for bus, rail, and ferry in navy blue on a baby blue background. From this overall distance you can't see what's on it, but you can see that it has a large legend on the left side, and that it extends from well north of San Francisco Bay to well south.
Transit App screenshot showing stop predictions for the Muni 5R bus. The arrival countdowns (7 minutes, 15 minutes, 23 minutes) are marked as "SCHEDULED," indicating that real-time predictions are not available.
Two slides with line diagrams of overhead wire electrification being interrupted for overhead structures. First: "Discontinuity at a bridge • This arrangement must be supported by Automatic Power Control to disconnect the train from taking electrical current as it crosses the inline insulation • The OLE is electrically dead under the bridge, but mechanically remains in contact with the pantograph guiding it through the structure" Second: "Discontinuity at a tunnel • This arrangement must be supported by Automatic Power Change Over to lower the pantograph • The wire is anchored at a fixed termination on the tunnel headwall • A 25kV cable connects the OLE and runs through the tunnel • At the far end of the tunnel, the same arrangement reconnects to the OLE and thus electrical continuity is maintained through the cable" Source: https://www.thepwi.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/2026-01-15_Discontinuous-Electrification-the-case-for-and-against_P-Dearman.pdf
Stadler website screenshot with an image of a single-level FLIRT battery electric train. Unlike the MBTA double decker trains in the original post, these Stadler trains have passenger space throughout each car. "FLIRT Akku: continues where the overhead line ends Modern trains do not have to run on diesel on routes without overhead lines. Powerful batteries can reliably supply trains with electricity over sections free of CO₂ emissions. Stadler's battery-electric multiple units (BEMU) are designed for non-electrified or only partially electrified lines and are therefore versatile." Source: https://www.stadlerrail.com/en/solutions/rolling-stock/mainline-flirt-akku
Line map diagram of the route of California High Speed Rail, entitled "Figure 5: San Francisco to Los Angeles/Anaheim Track and Passing Loops." From north to south, the map depicts a dotted "extension to SF," then picks up properly in Gilroy, where a double-track passing loop turns back into single track as it crosses the Diablo Range via the Pacheco Pass into the Central Valley. There is another, 15 mile passing loop east of the range. Then there is a single-track junction, where a single track from Merced joins the line. There are passing loops at each of the Central Valley stations: Madera, Fresno, and Kings-Tulare, with single track segments in between. There is an additional passing track in the open land, and then a passing track at Bakersfield station. The railway then goes single-track through the Tehachapi Mountains, has a passing track around Palmdale station, and then goes single track through the San Gabriel range to Burbank. A dotted extension goes into Los Angeles and Anaheim. Source: https://hsr.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Capital-Cost-Basis-of-Estimate-Draft-2026-Business-Plan-A11Y.pdf
Old black and white photo of a Georgist billboard. Billboard text reads: "'EVERYBODY WORKS BUT THE VACANT LOT' I paid $3600 for this lot and will hold 'till I get paid $6000. The profit is unearned increment made possible by the presence of this community and enterprise of its people. I take the profit without earning it. For the remedy read 'HENRY GEORGE.'"
Excerpt from the article linked in the quoted post: "While Mahmood’s proposed changes would save developers from having to fight a lengthy appeal, which can take six months or more, the review process will still include a shadow analysis required under Proposition K, a 1984 ballot measure that passed in response to a growing concern about shadow impacts of buildings on the city’s open spaces. Prop K requires the planning commission, before the issuance of a permit for a project that exceeds 40 feet in height, to make a finding that any shadow on property under the jurisdiction of Recreation and Park Department cast by the project is insignificant. Since 2017, 11 appeals of housing projects cited shadows analysis, impacting about 2,000 proposed units. Eventually all the projects were approved, including 3333 California St., now slated for 744 units, and India Basin, which is a 1,575-unit project. Most of the 11 projects remain stalled because of high construction costs and lack of available financing."
Still image from the linked video, showing a square concrete column in animated cross section. There are 20 pairs of large vertical reinforcing bars shown near the outer perimeter of the column. Each pair of bars is shown within a larger-diameter white duct, but it is unclear to me if those ducts really exist or are simply the animation's non-technical manifestation of a circle that indicates the pairings.
Excerpt from the article linked in the parent post. "Officials say those changes are needed to address a deficit in the city fund for parking meters and off-street lots that is expected to reach $2 million in the next fiscal year, driven in part by debt payments on the $40 million downtown parking garage that opened in 2018. The City Council signed off on the parking rate hikes Tuesday night."
Excerpt from the article linked in the parent post. "And the annual permits residents can buy to be exempt from two-hour time limits in many neighborhoods would also get more expensive. Public works staff have proposed restructuring the flat $85 per vehicle fee to a graduated system where a household’s first permit would cost $100, the second would be $125 and a third would be $150."
Crummy snapshot of a construction site, with a group of about 40 people in business clothing in the back right. They are standing at the edge of an excavation that goes about ten feet down, where there is a thin concrete slab contoured to fit the bottoms of the building's future footings. There are two excavators working on dirt ramps in more shallow portions of the site. About ten construction workers in orange vests are within the excavation, although they are very small at this distance. The excavation is perhaps 200ft wide and 300ft from front to back. On the street behind there are large two and three story residential buildings with sloped roofs, a Shell gas station, and mature street trees. It is a sunny day with cumulus clouds in the sky.
Text excerpt from the staff report, with the following highlighted by me: "...business development opportunities to grow the EasyPass program..." Full text: To enhance revenues the Funded budget also includes two new positions to help create business development opportunities to grow the EasyPass program and to better maintain the Student Transit Pass Program (STPP). Attachment 4 details the fully realized costs of the two positions. The pro-rated costs are included in the Funded budget for both positions. Note that the position associated with the STPP is partially funded through an agreement with the Alameda County Transportation Commission (ACTC). ACTC created and runs the STPP. The new STPP position is also included in the Unfunded budget as it based on an agreement with AFSCME. Source: https://actransit.legistar.com/View.ashx?M=F&ID=15451324&GUID=A5A1BCFF-0DBD-4D84-8469-74DAD29BFE60
Wikipedia article, with two images. They show a very long, low, sleek black vehicle with three axles; it looks a bit like a Batmobile. Captions read "Superbus-II" and "The 23 seater 250 km/h Superbus." "The Superbus was a project lasting from 2006 to 2020 to create a prototype high speed electric coach-like limo car capable of carrying 23 passengers at speeds of up to 250 kilometres per hour (160 mph) on specially designed segregated highway lanes. The Superbus project, which had been led by Dutch astronaut professor Wubbo Ockels of the Delft University of Technology until his death in 2014 envisaged a comfortable, demand-dependent door-to-door transportation rivaling the car and the train. The project, which encompassed infrastructure, logistics, safety, reliability and economic viability, in addition to the design of the vehicle itself, received funding of €10 million, largely provided by the Dutch State."
Title page of the linked paper. Preliminary Investigation (PI-0399) Caltrans Division of Research, Innovation and System Information High-Speed Buses on Freeways: Feasibility, Dynamics, and Safety Requested by Ryan Snyder, Feasibility Studies Manager, Caltrans District 7 Author Mehdi Moeinaddini, Senior Transportation Planner, Office of Planning, Policy, and Program Development, Division of Research, Innovation, and System Information July 11, 2025
Google Maps screenshot of navigation from Oakland's Dimond District to its Mosswood neighborhood. A 26-minute bus ride (plus 12 minutes walking) on local streets paralleling Interstate 580 is just an 11-minute drive on the interstate.
In truth, even setting aside a Penn-Grand Central tunnel (which is doable at MTA construction costs at a lower cost than Penn expansion), the destination in New Jersey is likely to be not just on the North Jersey Coast Line as depicted, but on any of the Northeast Corridor, North Jersey Coast, and Raritan Valley Lines. At present, the first two carry 14 trains per hour at the peak, and are decently likely to be one’s pair east of the Hudson. Similarly, one’s destination east of Penn Station is unlikely to be Long Island as commonly defined to exclude Brooklyn and Queens but rather to be on the trunk in Long Island City or on multiple branches within the city or perhaps on the New Haven Line. The upshot is a hefty share of the total through-Manhattan market would in fact be served by a through-running system, usually with one-seat rides, or if not then with transfers at Sunnyside or Secaucus rather than New York.
Excerpt from the linked article. "The cost estimate is $1.1 billion for the Altamont tunnel and 5.1 miles of new track that ACE and Valley Link would share along the pass."
Another excerpt from the same source; no highlights. "SolanoExpress Network Revisions Updates to the Solano Express network will better align service with ridership demand while improving reliability. Route naming will also be updated to align to numerical with the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) Regional Wayfinding and Mapping Project. Route 40 (formerly Blue Line)- Provides hourly all-day service between Concord and Vacaville and will connect with the Yellow Line at North Concord and Concord BART. ‍Route 60 (formerly Red Line)- Midday service between the Vallejo Transit Center and El Cerrito del Norte BART increases to every 30 minutes. Peak service between Fairfield and Vallejo will also operate every 30 minutes, while midday Fairfield service will remain hourly. Route 90 (formerly Green Line)- Express service from Suisun to El Cerrito del Norte BART with one stop in Fairfield. Reduced to two peak round-trips; midday service covered by Routes 60 and 40. Route 70 (formerly Yellow Line)- Will serve North Concord and Concord BART, retain all Benicia stops, and maintain consistent 60-minute service throughout the day. Connects with Route 60 in Vallejo and Route 40 in Concord."
Text screenshot, with the following highlighted: "with service leaving on the top of the hour at the Vallejo Transit Center to make seamless transfers across the whole system." Full text: "Systemwide Comprehensive Operational Analysis (COA): Systemwide Redesign Systemwide Redesign Imporvements Effective Sunday, August 2, 2026 Local Service Improvements Weekday Service - All local routes will run from 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., with service leaving on the top of the hour at the Vallejo Transit Center to make seamless transfers across the whole system. Routes 1B, 7A, and 7B will depart on the half hour. Routes will layover between 5 and 10 minutes to allow passengers to make their connections. Weekend Service- Saturdays: Service hours will be extended on Routes 1A/B, 3, 4, 6, and 7A/B. Sundays: Overall service hours will increase by 51%, with Routes 1A/B, 3, 6, and 7A/B operating for the first time on Sundays." Source: https://www.soltrans.org/planning/systemwide-comprehensive-operational-analysis-coa-system-redesign
Excerpt from the same Golden Gate Transit staff report. "The MASCOTS agencies explored a variety of possible options and subsequently agreed that Sonoma County Transit will provide late-night service from Novato to Santa Rosa for a three- month transitional period beginning with the institution of the MASCOTS service changes from April through June 2026. Sonoma County Transit will meet the Route 101 trip leaving Novato at approximately 11:45 p.m., arriving in Santa Rosa roughly 45 minutes later. Additionally, late-night riders travelling from Marin to Sonoma will be surveyed before MASCOTS implementation and during the three-month period about their travel patterns. Prior to the conclusion of the three-months, MASCOTS agencies will convene to review late-night service performance and rider surveys to see if the continued provision of transitional service is warranted and whether any alternative, less costly solutions may be provided on an on-going basis. The Sonoma County Transit late-night service will be funded by the MASCOTS agencies, and Bridge tolls will not be used to subsidize this service." Source: https://www.goldengate.org/assets/1/25/2025-1120-transcomm-no4-continuedoctitemggbhtdmascots.pdf?13401=
Excerpt from a Golden Gate Transit staff report "The expanded SMART service, coupled with the discontinuation of Route 101 north of Novato, would still impact a small number of late-night riders from San Francisco to Sonoma County on two trips that depart San Francisco at 10:30 p.m. and 11:30 p.m. and arrive in Santa Rosa approximately two hours later. It is important to note that the vast majority of the passengers on these trips exit in Marin County, and the adjusted routes would continue to operate between San Francisco and Novato. However, the two trips combined average six riders per night traveling from San Francisco to Sonoma County, and these passengers would not have alternate fixed-route bus service from Novato to Santa Rosa. Staff reviewed ridership across the two evening trips proposed for discontinuation for a sample period in August 2025 and found that there were approximately four passengers who rode the late-night trips twice or more during the week. All other passengers were riders who used the late-night service only once. Infrequent riders, and perhaps some of the regular riders, may be able to shift their travel to the Route 101 trip departing San Francisco at 9:00 p.m. and connecting in San Rafael to the last northbound SMART train at approximately 10:10 p.m. It is not an efficient nor cost-effective use of Bridge toll funds to offer service for a very small number of riders travelling north from Novato to Santa Rosa. Nonetheless, for those late-night riders who could not use the expanded SMART service, District staff has requested its MASCOTS partners, especially TAM and SCTCA, to consider offering a program that would be an alternative to fixed-route bus service. Any such program would not be administered nor financed by Bridge tolls." Source: https://www.goldengate.org/assets/1/25/2025-1120-transcomm-no4-continuedoctitemggbhtdmascots.pdf?13401=
Excerpt from the linked letter. "1. Options should be considered to preserve late-night service in Sonoma County. The extension of nighttime SMART service under MASCOTS will not fully replace current late-night Golden Gate Transit 101 service in Sonoma County. Northbound, the last SMART train is proposed to leave San Rafael at around 10pm, much earlier than the current last 101 bus, which leaves at 12:25am. The MASCOTS website notes that, for passengers going north after this last SMART train departs, “There are no public transportation options. Passengers would need to use a ride-share service or a private taxi service.” Although late-night ridership is low, preserving late-night service is essential for Sonoma County residents who work late shifts, are returning from entertainment in SF or the East Bay, or experience unexpected delays, and a rideshare, costing $50 or more, would not be an accessible replacement. Before implementing the pilot, planners should consider adding two runs of late night “owl” bus service to major & highway-accessible SMART stations to preserve this safety net."
Table from the CAHSR 2026 draft business plan basis of estimate, where I have stitched together excerpted relevant lines. The table discusses the level of infrastructure for various segments of the route at various stages of completion. The two areas that I have included are the Tehachapi Mountain Crossing, which upon completion of the interim SF to Palmdale stage will get "PEPD (Preliminary Engineering for Project Definition) with optimized vertical alignment; one tunnel + escape tunnel," and the short Antelope Valley Line cutoff tunnel called "PEPD Soledad to CP Sheldon/VP McGinley," which upon extension to Los Angeles/Anaheim will get "Optimized track in single long tunnel escape tunnel parallel to it. New connection to Metrolink Valley Line."
Text excerpt from the CA High Speed Rail "2026 DRAFT BUSINESS PLAN: BASIS OF ESTIMATE," page 63. "The existing Metrolink station at Burbank Airport would be expanded into an interim HSR station at the along San Fernando Road. It would have two tracks with one center high platform for HSR, two side platforms for Metrolink, pedestrian bridges with vertical circulation, and site improvements. The Burbank junction would be reconfigured for increased volume and speeds."
Excerpt from a table describing infrastructure in various buildout scenarios for CAHSR. This line is for Bakersfield Downtown Station. In early scenarios the station is deferred. Once HSR goes further south, the proposal is to have two platforms and no express tracks. "Consider platform screen doors."
Photo of three persons behind a stack of supplies and signs around the base of a flag pole in a brick plaza in Downtown Oakland. Three handmade marker signs are on PVC stands, and read "SAVE BART - SIGN HERE." Supplies include clipboards, water bottles, and backpacks. In the background there are a Bay Wheels bike share station, a Walgreens in the base of a glass office tower, and parked cars.
Photo of a vigil spread centered on a framed family photo overlaid with cursive text reading "We love you Lolomanaia Soakai." The photo is surrounded by matching tall red and white lit glass candles and a dozen flower bouquets in a variety of styles. The display is on a blanket laid on the sidewalk, which has an intricate black and white pattern, and is in front of a fence covered in ivy.