Passenger Trains > New BART Warm Springs service started today

2100 new parking spaces, including nearly 50 for charging electric vehicles.
 

---

Nice place to watch the limited action these days at the north end of Warm Springs Yard. I spent Friday morning there. 
Northbound local with two GP40s at 9AM, light engines north around 10AM, and northbound making a pick up around 11AM.

Regards, Jim Evans

How many billions for how many additional miles?

5.1 additional miles.  Less that ONE billion. 

Lark Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> How many billions for how many additional miles?

While BART bureaucracy's penchant for wasting money is known, I see this extension as having tangible benefits. Some commuters now have a choice to avoid the "Nasty Nimitz" (I-880 congestion). If public transit and employee shuttles can carry the torch, Tri-Valley commuters (the nasty congestion on Sunol Grade, along I-680) might be able to transfer at Bay Fair Station and commute to the Fremont area using BART, even if it's not a direct ride.

There are good number of tech company facilities nearby, and lots of office spaces - one of the startups I worked for had an office across the freeway, within striking distance now, if employee shuttles start service.

Solar panels and electric car charging stations... I wonder if Tesla (factory) being located next door had anything to do with it?

cchan006 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Lark Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > How many billions for how many additional
> miles?
>
> While BART bureaucracy's penchant for wasting
> money is known, I see this extension as having
> tangible benefits. Some commuters now have a
> choice to avoid the "Nasty Nimitz" (I-880
> congestion). If public transit and employee
> shuttles can carry the torch, Tri-Valley commuters
> (the nasty congestion on Sunol Grade, along I-680)
> might be able to transfer at Bay Fair Station and
> commute to the Fremont area using BART, even if
> it's not a direct ride.
>
> There are good number of tech company facilities
> nearby, and lots of office spaces - one of the
> startups I worked for had an office across the
> freeway, within striking distance now, if employee
> shuttles start service.
>
> Solar panels and electric car charging stations...
> I wonder if Tesla (factory) being located next
> door had anything to do with it?

No, but I bet the tax breaks did.

I am constantly puzzled about TO.com members who seem opposed to social spending on infrastructure. 

This should also commuters that find the Fremont parking lots full in the morning, as many people coming from the south will now park at Warm Springs.  The downside is that when the train arrives in Fremont, it will already have passengers loaded.

According to BART's information on the Warm Springs station, "Under a separate “power purchase agreement” between BART and SolarCity, Photovoltaic (PV) or Solar Panels at the Warm Springs / South Fremont Station have been installed..."  Solar City is owned by Tesla.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/25/17 23:06 by dante.

"social spending on infrastructure"  well, THAT's a new combination! 
Virtue signaling, are we?   
If I receive a PM, I will post it on this thread.
 

$1B for 5 miles is a helluva lotta money to spend for what that 1B could get in connecting NorCal with SoCal ...

Out_Of_Service Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> $1B for 5 miles is a helluva lotta money to spend
> for what that 1B could get in connecting NorCal
> with SoCal ...

But this will serve many, many more passengers each day then the HSR will ever serve.
Ever hear about "more bang for the buck"?

It isn't just this extension.  Further extension is under construction to reach all the way to downtown San Jose at Diridon Station.  This is just the first step.  While one could argue that this should have been the original plan for BART way back when it was built and would have been cheaper (in absolute dollars, not necessarily in today's dollars), at least it is being done now.

bobs Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> It isn't just this extension.  Further extension
> is under construction to reach all the way to
> downtown San Jose at Diridon Station.  This is
> just the first step.  While one could argue that
> this should have been the original plan for BART
> way back when it was built and would have been
> cheaper (in absolute dollars, not necessarily in
> today's dollars), at least it is being done now.

It wasn't done before because Santa Clara County refused to join BART and pay their share. They've joined now but the costs are much, much higher now!

Jack,

I don't think most people are opposed to spending on infrastructure, they're opposed and frustrated with the size of the bureacracy like BART that seems to "eat" money and produce less than expected results like sweetheart deals for unions, massive salaries for directors, etc.
But, more importantly, did the rips get switched last night????!!!!

Pete

 

And the line to SJ will open within 1-2 years, with direct connections to VTA's light rail system at the Milpitas station.  That light rail line serves many, many locations in the heart of Silicon Valley, as well as the 49ers football stadium.  Traffic on this line will grow considerably.

Design and planning is already underway for another extension into downtown San Jose, similar to downtown San Francisco--that extension is planned, and funding is being lined up.  Once that's done, it will provide a nearby connection to CALTRAIN, more VTA light rail, and the SHARKS hockey area, in addition to all the downtown SJ areas.  At that point, BART will be very busy, and the quesiton will be:  can we just extend up the peninsula to link up at the Millbrae station?"  And yes, it should.  BART should go all the way around the plan, as originally planned.  Faster, cheaper service than CALTRAIN or anything else (except UBER cars stuck in traffic).

Seems to me that the highest paid state employees are almost alway sports coaches.  I think the transit managment does more for society than a football coach does.

What is really stupid is the fact that BART wants to go to San Jose.  Almost 114-Years ago, the KEY SYSTEM had plans to go to San Jose also.  I(infact, they purchased quite a bit of r.o.w. for the line and surveyed the route out thru the hills of San Leandro.  The stupid part is that neither one has made it to San Jose YET !!   Crazy, huh ?

KRK

coach Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> And the line to SJ will open within 1-2 years,
> with direct connections to VTA's light rail system
> at the Milpitas station.  That light rail line
> serves many, many locations in the heart of
> Silicon Valley, as well as the 49ers football
> stadium.  Traffic on this line will grow
> considerably.

You've been a cheerleader for BART (and "jeerleader" for Caltrain) on TO for many years... so I'll counter your bias with my own opinion:

Amtrak's Capitol Corridor already provides service from San Jose to the East Bay, main locations being Oakland Coliseum (stadium and BART transfer), Jack London Square (downtown Oakland), Berkeley, and Richmond (another BART transfer point). Surprised you neglected to mention that. While there has been some noticeable increase in ridership on the Capitol Corridor in recent years, the capacity is nowhere near filling the BART  trains that run at headway of 15/20 minutes. With strategic locations of stations beyond Milpitas (where penny-pinching should take a backseat), your optimism about future ridership might be justified, but in my opinion, not a slam dunk. (Hint: Diridon is not a center of commerce like Oakland's downtown stations, or most of San Francisco's stations)

Milpitas extension will be near the Great Mall (along with a VTA light rail connection), so it'll be interesting when that extension is finished. Yup, I scouted the station location late last year. Berryessa extension will land in middle of "nowhere" (Flea Market) so we'll see how the real estate developer game will be played there.

As far as BART "around the horn" via the Peninsula to Millbrae is concerned, you can ditch that idea for good. Local state senator (and a Democrat) got elected promising no new tracks for Caltrain in San Mateo, so you think the constituents will tolerate BART's elevated trackage that generate even more noise than Caltrain?  



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/26/17 18:01 by cchan006.

PKB

"Less than expected results". When the Bay Bridge was out of service in 1989, BART load jumoed from about 250k/day to 389k. Now, with no bridge outage, avergae daily loading is over 400k. I shudder to think about Bay Area transportation without BART.

As for the Rips, Reinecke said he'd get them. He's got the name! And if not him, then Todd!

JGF

dante Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Seems to me that the highest paid state employees
> are almost alway sports coaches.  I think the
> transit managment does more for society than a
> football coach does.

This was an odd comment, although it's true in Oregon, where the UO football coach has the highest pension payout among all state employees.

As for my coaching, I coach rowing.  I have to drive a truck to pay my bills, though.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/27/17 00:12 by coach.