BART is about to begin replacing its rail cars with 775 new ones – a necessary step for reliable service and a state of good repair. Matier and Ross report today that none of the five vendors who responded to the bid are based in the US – so despite “Buy American” rules, it’s likely that the cars will be assembled overseas. (Here’s BART’s summary of the “fleet of the Future” project.)
Additional Muni and Golden Gate Transit service, including the long-delayed E historic streetcar line, are planned for the America’s Cup. Will fans leave their cars at home and take mass transit (or bikes) to the event? This plan is designed to make it easy.
Waste of money or critical connection for travelers? Whichever it is, the columns are now rising in the median of Hegenberger Road for the Oakland Airport Connector linking the Coliseum BART station to Oakland Airport. It’s projected to be completed in 2014.
The American Public Transportation Association (APTA) recently did a study of the cost savings from commuting by mass transit versus driving a car. The savings are major – San Franciscans can save thousands of dollars per year by riding Muni and BART. APTA estimates that a SF two-person household can save over $12,000 per year just by making the switch to mass transit.
At a hearing on Thursday, SFMTA officials appeared before the Supervisors to discuss upcoming budget issues. Supervisor David Campos and others expressed concern about work orders to other City departments (notably SFPD) and overtime far exceeding budgeted amounts. This will be a serious concern over the next budget cycle as fares and fees are once again likely to rise to cover increased costs.