BART is Again, Emeryville Ped/Bike Bridge… – Streetsblog San Francisco
Here is some streetsblog news to start your weekend off.
BART will be back on Monday:
Starting next week, BART will essentially return to pre-pandemic levels. This corresponds to an increase in service hours of 76 percent compared to this month. From a BART version:
BART is returning to a pre-pandemic service level on Monday, August 2, 2021, with a highlight being the return of our midnight closing time Monday through Saturday.
The new timetable is very similar to the one before the pandemic, but with some targeted service enhancements, but also some areas that will not return to pre-pandemic levels, such as the additional commuter trains on the Antioch-SFO (yellow) line during peak hours. Sunday service will continue to operate at 30 minute frequencies and close at 9 p.m. to allow for BART’s critical cable replacement project and other infrastructure remodeling work.
There was also a slight change to the service map, especially the SFO connection (see map in main picture). While this may be a little misleading, the new map and service schedule should be less confusing for those traveling to and from the airport, as trains reverse from Millbrae to follow the Ye in SFO.
Streetsblog readers will remember that since the pandemic began in 2020, BART has been operating on a restricted timetable, with the last trains leaving at 9 p.m.
The South Bayfront Bike-Ped Bridge in Emeryville is nearing completion.
It’s OK. No, really, it’s okay to spend $ 21.4 million on infrastructure just for cyclists and pedestrians – especially since they don’t add to traffic and global warming. So it’s nice to see that one of these rare projects is nearing completion. The South Bayfront Bridge over the railroad tracks in Emeryville will connect Ohlone Way and Bay Street to Horton Street. The expected opening date of the bike-and-pedal-only bridge is mid to late 2021.
For years, cyclists and pedestrians have been waiting for this train connection to get from most of Emeryville to the Bayfront Mall and the water. The link is due to open this fall, and it looks like construction is on the right track, with workers installing irrigation for landscaping and other finishing touches.
Streetsblog can only dream of one day when the bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure is first completed – and motorists can be classified as “alternative modes of transport” and wait a decade or more for a safe route to get from A to B.
Streetsblog last reviewed this project in October 2020 when the crews delivered the red archway to support the bridge.
Caltrain is getting the freezer and the summer heat
Sometimes a train cannot take a break.
As part of acceptance tests, railways put trains through their paces – speed tests, endurance tests, door tests, safety tests, etc. But who would have thought that trains would have to get stuck in a huge refrigerator and oven?
Testing of the electric train continues in Elmira, NY, in a special climatic chamber room. A car is exposed to different climatic conditions, from lower winters to higher extreme temperatures and humidity in summer. The tests will also take into account different levels of passengers to ensure that the journey is comfortable for both passengers and operators in different climatic conditions.
Sounds like trains can talk if this one would curse. But if the interior of the train stays cozy in a simulated New York summer and winter, the Bay Area should do just fine. It’s a shame the windows won’t open.
