{"id":37361,"date":"2024-10-31T13:37:10","date_gmt":"2024-10-31T20:37:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/?p=37361"},"modified":"2024-10-31T13:37:10","modified_gmt":"2024-10-31T20:37:10","slug":"downtown-sf-rail-extension-gets-25m-boost-from-the-federal-government","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/2024\/10\/31\/downtown-sf-rail-extension-gets-25m-boost-from-the-federal-government\/","title":{"rendered":"Downtown SF rail extension gets $25M boost from the federal government"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sfexaminer.com\/users\/profile\/James%20Salazar\">By James Salazar | Examiner staff writer<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Oct 29, 2024\u00a0Updated\u00a0Oct 30, 2024 (SFExaminer.com)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com\/sfexaminer.com\/content\/tncms\/assets\/v3\/editorial\/6\/46\/646ede48-9642-11ef-abfe-9338a3a450c6\/67215dbcc0adc.image.jpg?resize=400%2C240\" alt=\"Train platform rendering\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A 1.3-mile rail extension would link Caltrain commuter rail service to downtown San Francisco from Fourth and King streets, while also accommodating California&#8217;s future high-speed rail service.Courtesy Transbay Joint Powers Authority<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Local transportation officials\u2019 quest to bring high-speed rail and Caltrain commuter service into downtown San Francisco\u2019s Salesforce Transit Center has gotten another financial boost from the federal government.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Transbay Joint Powers Authority received a $24.6 million grant from the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/railroads.dot.gov\/sites\/fra.dot.gov\/files\/2024-10\/FY23-24%20CRISI%20Selections.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">United States Department of Transportation<\/a>, which will allow local transportation officials to complete the final design of the Downtown Rail Extension.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The project, known as The Portal, is estimated to cost $8.25 billion and will extend Caltrain service downtown by constructing a new underground station at Fourth and Townsend streets. It will also bring rail service to an underground train platform that was built when\u00a0<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sfexaminer.com\/news\/the-city\/sf-might-hire-park-turnaround-guru-to-activate-union-square\/article_6b5a281a-5124-11ef-8cdc-7f4ab2c57fd7.html\" target=\"_blank\">the Salesforce Transit Center<\/a>\u00a0was first constructed in 2010.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Transit operators from the Bay Area and Southern California would also one day connect to the downtown San Francisco stop, allowing riders to make transfers to other destinations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Officials say about 30% of the design is complete. The&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.tjpa.org\/portaldtx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Transbay Joint Powers Authority<\/a>&nbsp;estimates the project will be finished in time for transit operators to charge fares in 2032.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Funding came from the Federal Railroad Administration\u2019s&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/railroads.dot.gov\/grants-loans\/consolidated-rail-infrastructure-and-safety-improvements-crisi-program\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements program<\/a>, for which 2021 federal infrastructure legislation earmarked money. The program funds projects that improve safety, efficiency and reliability for intercity passenger and freight rail systems. In their approval, DOT officials lauded San Francisco\u2019s rail extension for \u201creducing trip time and increasing connectivity to other modes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In connecting high-speed rail and&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sfexaminer.com\/news\/transit\/caltrain-electric-fleet-slowly-rolls-out-before-full-launch\/article_3b5ab430-58ff-11ef-adc1-9f50532891e4.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Caltrain\u2019s recently debuted electrified commuter service<\/a>&nbsp;to the Salesforce Transit Center, transit officials said they hope to turn the stop into the West Coast\u2019s largest hub serving multiple forms of transit. The center, which was built under the first phase of the TJPA\u2019s Transbay Program, currently acts as&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.tjpa.org\/salesforce-transit-center\/transportation\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">a bus stop serving eight operators<\/a>. It also includes retail businesses and a 5.4-acre rooftop park.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">EX \/\/ TOP STORIES<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sfexaminer.com\/news\/politics\/sf-supervisor-candidates-spar-over-police-spending-support\/article_a5e2f492-97ad-11ef-b55f-e78d6bbc7289.html#tncms-source=top-stories-article\">SF candidates spar over police-spending support<\/a><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>On the campaign trail, multiple candidates are pointing to their rivals\u2019 police-funding statements made in the wake of the murder of George Floyd&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sfexaminer.com\/news\/education\/sf-school-board-race-centers-special-education-in-town-hall\/article_244aee80-9325-11ef-81fb-8725d6dfa1d5.html#tncms-source=top-stories-article\">Special education a focus as school board race nears finish<\/a><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>The San Francisco Unified School District opened the academic year with more than 250 special-education vacancies that officials are now scrambling to fill<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sfexaminer.com\/news\/housing\/how-sf-housing-scrutiny-turned-to-praise-in-just-one-year\/article_3b9abe20-9326-11ef-9cff-332fde7de16d.html#tncms-source=top-stories-article\">State agency: A year makes all the difference for SF housing development<\/a><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>The City received a Prohousing Designation a year to the date after California housing officials slagged San Francisco\u2019s sluggish pace of construction<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sfexaminer.com\/news\/politics\/nancy-pelosi-funnels-funds-to-sf-measure-with-no-opposition\/article_3d620c7a-92e2-11ef-bceb-1b570c407833.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">House Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi<\/a>&nbsp;said in a release that \u201csafe, affordable and accessible public transit is key to San Francisco\u2019s economic recovery and to saving the planet from the climate crisis.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Completion of The Portal\u2019s final design, she said, would be essential for officials\u2019 goal of making \u201cit easier for commuters to get to work, for shoppers to support our local businesses and for communities to stay connected, while reducing our City\u2019s carbon footprint.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Michelle Bouchard, executive director of Caltrain, told The Examiner in a statement that the extension would \u201chelp even more people take advantage of Caltrain\u2019s new world class system, while also \u201cstimulating economic growth and protecting our environment.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>She said continued support from the Biden administration for this \u201cvital project\u201d was crucial in \u201claying the groundwork for California\u2019s future.\u201d Adam Van de Water, the Transbay Joint Powers Authority\u2019s executive director, said Pelosi\u2019s \u201ccritical role\u201d in funding the project couldn\u2019t be understated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sfexaminer.com\/news\/transit\/muni-floppy-disk-system-days-numbered-after-california-grant\/article_11afdbde-930a-11ef-b884-3f8ab269d210.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency&#8217;s Muni<\/a>&nbsp;and SF Paratransit services currently operate at Salesforce Transit Center, as do AC Transit, WestCAT&#8217;S Lynx line, Greyhound, SamTrans, Capitol Corridor and Golden Gate Transit. Those agencies, as well as Caltrain, BART and the California High-Speed Rail, will ultimately service The Portal once construction is completed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Transbay Joint Powers Authority officials said the funding will allow the agency to develop track and rail systems catering to high-speed and commuter rail services, while also ensuring the systems are reviewed for constructability. In August, the authority chose the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/aecom.com\/press-releases\/aecom-to-serve-as-program-manager-for-the-portal-rail-extension-in-san-francisco\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">infrastructure-consulting firm AECOM<\/a>&nbsp;to provide program management and construction management services. The firm will be responsible for matters such as obtaining Federal Transportation Administration funding, designing and building tunnel stations, and integrating The Portal with existing rail operations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The 1.3-mile rail extension, which will be built primarily through&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.tjpa.org\/dtxthe-portal\/construction\/utility-slot-trenching-townsend-street-between-3rd-7th-streets-and-along\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">tunnel boring underneath Townsend and Second streets<\/a>, is expected to serve an average of 90,000 daily riders when fully operational.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Local transportation officials\u2019 quest to bring high-speed rail and Caltrain commuter service into downtown San Francisco\u2019s Salesforce Transit Center has gotten another financial boost from the federal government. The Transbay Joint Powers Authority received a $24.6 million grant from the&nbsp;United States Department of Transportation, which will allow local transportation officials&#8230; <a class=\"continue-reading-link\" href=\"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/2024\/10\/31\/downtown-sf-rail-extension-gets-25m-boost-from-the-federal-government\/\"> Continue reading <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr; <\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37361"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=37361"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37361\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":37365,"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37361\/revisions\/37365"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=37361"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=37361"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=37361"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}