New survey finds 75 percent of homeowners know someone who has had a house fire, and the majority (57 percent) occurred during the holidays

SAN FRANCISCO, December 01, 2022–(BUSINESS WIRE)–The holidays are all about celebrating traditions with family and friends. Between choosing the right gifts and preparing delicious meals, you have plenty on your plate. Ensuring that you and your loved ones are safe can be an additional stress. Today, Thumbtack, the app used by millions of homeowners across the country to care for their homes, unveiled a new “Holiday Fire Prevention Checklist” that allows homeowners to check their home’s fire risk, and seamlessly book a home service professional to help prevent fires before they happen.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20221201005163/en/

Thumbtack unveils new “Holiday Fire Prevention Checklist” (Graphic: Business Wire)

“We recently found that 75 percent of people know someone who has had a house fire, and the majority occurred over the holiday season. Yet, homeowners are reluctant to admit they themselves are at risk of a home fire — with only 1 in 5 stating they believe their own personal risk of a fire is high,” said David Steckel, Thumbtack’s Home Expert. “In order to ensure this holiday season is full of joy and celebration with friends and family, we want to help homeowners understand the causes of house fires — and take action to prevent them. Our goal is to give homeowners peace of mind so they can enjoy their holiday festivities.”

The “Holiday Fire Prevention Checklist” highlights the top projects homeowners should tackle before the holidays, which have the highest risk of starting a fire if left unaddressed, including:

• Hang holiday lights (hire a pro): A professional installer can take this festive (but time-consuming) task off your hands — and ensure you’re not overloading your circuits.

• Sweep chimney (hire a pro): Annual inspections and cleanings are a must to minimize fire hazards, manage creosote buildup, and prevent gas leaks.

• Test smoke and carbon monoxide alarms (DIY): Working alarms are crucial. Testing yearly and replacing every 7 years is the best way to make sure you’re protected.

• Clean dryer vents (hire a pro): Lint buildup causes about 3,000 house fires yearly. Cleaning your dryer’s exhaust pipe can help prevent a fire and improve efficiency.

• Inspect fire extinguishers (DIY): Always keep a working dry chemical fire extinguisher (the dial should be in the “green region”) easily accessible and near the kitchen.

• Trim trees (hire a pro): Keeping your trees trimmed prolongs the life of your roof, cuts down on potential fire hazards, and can prevent wildlife from moving in.

• Deep clean gas range (DIY or hire a pro): Built-up grease can be a big fire hazard — especially with a gas range. Be sure to clean it out every 3-6 months.

• Ensure space heaters are not a hazard (DIY): Only run space heaters in a clear, hazard-free space — and never overnight.

• Do an electrical check (hire a pro): Prevent fire hazards by having a pro check your property (inside and out) for faulty electrical wiring and overloaded circuits.

• Maintain Christmas tree (DIY): Make sure to water your tree, unplug it at night, or set a timer to avoid fires — artificial trees are also a great alternative.

Story continues

In addition to creating a resource hub for homeowners, from December 1 – December 9, 2022, Thumbtack will also be offering consumers $50 off* their next home project so they can prevent fires this holiday season — from hiring a chimney pro to booking a home inspection, and more (terms and conditions apply).

Visit www.thumbtack.com/content/fire-prevention to learn more about potential fire hazards this holiday season, to see how your home ranks on the safety scale, and to book a pro to ensure you’re ready to tackle the holiday season — worry-free.

About Thumbtack

Thumbtack is a technology leader building the modern home management platform. Through the Thumbtack app, homeowners can effortlessly manage their homes — confidently knowing what to do, when to do it, and who to hire. Bringing the $600 billion home services industry online, Thumbtack empowers millions of homeowners to fix, maintain, and improve their most valuable asset. Hundreds of thousands of local service professionals, from painters and plumbers to photographers and more, use the Thumbtack platform to grow their businesses each year. The company is backed by Sequoia Capital, Tiger Global Management, Javelin Venture Partners, Baillie Gifford, and CapitalG, among others.

*Terms and conditions: Thumbtack users may receive $50 off one project, from December 1, 2022 through December 9, 2022. This offer is limited to the first 2,000 users to redeem the discount. Discounts only apply to projects that cost $50 or more (before tax and tip), booked and paid for through Thumbtack. Not all Service Professionals accept payment through Thumbtack. Make sure you check with your Service Professional to confirm they accept payment through Thumbtack before hiring them. The discount will be automatically applied at checkout.

Discounts cannot be stacked (in other words, only one discount can be used per booking), and discounts are for one-time use only. On-Demand bookings (sometimes referred to as “Pro matched by Thumbtack”) are not eligible for discounts. Learn more about On-Demand bookings. Discounts are subject to the terms outlined in our Terms of Use.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20221201005163/en/

Contacts

Laura Arrubla Toro
press@thumbtack.com

The post ADDING MULTIMEDIA Thumbtack Creates New “Vacation Fireplace Prevention Guidelines” to Assist Owners Get Forward of Peak Residential Fireplace Season appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

New survey finds 75 percent of homeowners know someone who has had a house fire, and the majority (57 percent) occurred during the holidays

SAN FRANCISCO, December 01, 2022–(BUSINESS WIRE)–The holidays are all about celebrating traditions with family and friends. Between choosing the right gifts and preparing delicious meals, you have plenty on your plate. Ensuring that you and your loved ones are safe can be an additional stress. Today, Thumbtack, the app used by millions of homeowners across the country to care for their homes, unveiled a new “Holiday Fire Prevention Checklist” that allows homeowners to check their home’s fire risk, and seamlessly book a home service professional to help prevent fires before they happen.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20221201005163/en/

Thumbtack unveils new “Holiday Fire Prevention Checklist” (Graphic: Business Wire)

“We recently found that 75 percent of people know someone who has had a house fire, and the majority occurred over the holiday season. Yet, homeowners are reluctant to admit they themselves are at risk of a home fire — with only 1 in 5 stating they believe their own personal risk of a fire is high,” said David Steckel, Thumbtack’s Home Expert. “In order to ensure this holiday season is full of joy and celebration with friends and family, we want to help homeowners understand the causes of house fires — and take action to prevent them. Our goal is to give homeowners peace of mind so they can enjoy their holiday festivities.”

The “Holiday Fire Prevention Checklist” highlights the top projects homeowners should tackle before the holidays, which have the highest risk of starting a fire if left unaddressed, including:

• Hang holiday lights (hire a pro): A professional installer can take this festive (but time-consuming) task off your hands — and ensure you’re not overloading your circuits.

• Sweep chimney (hire a pro): Annual inspections and cleanings are a must to minimize fire hazards, manage creosote buildup, and prevent gas leaks.

• Test smoke and carbon monoxide alarms (DIY): Working alarms are crucial. Testing yearly and replacing every 7 years is the best way to make sure you’re protected.

• Clean dryer vents (hire a pro): Lint buildup causes about 3,000 house fires yearly. Cleaning your dryer’s exhaust pipe can help prevent a fire and improve efficiency.

• Inspect fire extinguishers (DIY): Always keep a working dry chemical fire extinguisher (the dial should be in the “green region”) easily accessible and near the kitchen.

• Trim trees (hire a pro): Keeping your trees trimmed prolongs the life of your roof, cuts down on potential fire hazards, and can prevent wildlife from moving in.

• Deep clean gas range (DIY or hire a pro): Built-up grease can be a big fire hazard — especially with a gas range. Be sure to clean it out every 3-6 months.

• Ensure space heaters are not a hazard (DIY): Only run space heaters in a clear, hazard-free space — and never overnight.

• Do an electrical check (hire a pro): Prevent fire hazards by having a pro check your property (inside and out) for faulty electrical wiring and overloaded circuits.

• Maintain Christmas tree (DIY): Make sure to water your tree, unplug it at night, or set a timer to avoid fires — artificial trees are also a great alternative.

Story continues

In addition to creating a resource hub for homeowners, from December 1 – December 9, 2022, Thumbtack will also be offering consumers $50 off* their next home project so they can prevent fires this holiday season — from hiring a chimney pro to booking a home inspection, and more (terms and conditions apply).

Visit www.thumbtack.com/content/fire-prevention to learn more about potential fire hazards this holiday season, to see how your home ranks on the safety scale, and to book a pro to ensure you’re ready to tackle the holiday season — worry free.

About Thumbtack

Thumbtack is a technology leader building the modern home management platform. Through the Thumbtack app, homeowners can effortlessly manage their homes — confidently knowing what to do, when to do it, and who to hire. Bringing the $600 billion home services industry online, Thumbtack empowers millions of homeowners to fix, maintain, and improve their most valuable asset. Hundreds of thousands of local service professionals, from painters and plumbers to photographers and more, use the Thumbtack platform to grow their businesses each year. The company is backed by Sequoia Capital, Tiger Global Management, Javelin Venture Partners, Baillie Gifford, and CapitalG, among others.

*Terms and conditions: Thumbtack users may receive $50 off one project, from December 1, 2022 through December 9, 2022. This offer is limited to the first 2,000 users to redeem the discount. Discounts only apply to projects that cost $50 or more (before tax and tip), booked and paid for through Thumbtack. Not all Service Professionals accept payment through Thumbtack. Make sure you check with your Service Professional to confirm they accept payment through Thumbtack before hiring them. The discount will be automatically applied at checkout.

Discounts cannot be stacked (in other words, only one discount can be used per booking), and discounts are for one-time use only. On-Demand bookings (sometimes referred to as “Pro matched by Thumbtack”) are not eligible for discounts. Learn more about On Demand bookings. Discounts are subject to the terms outlined in our Terms of Use.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20221201005163/en/

Contacts

Laura Arrubla Toro
press@thumbtack.com

The post ADDING MULTIMEDIA Thumbtack Creates New “Vacation Hearth Prevention Guidelines” to Assist Householders Get Forward of Peak Residential Hearth Season appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

357 days since announcement

October 4, 2021

By Nuno Christovao

Elon has said various times that Tesla is not a car company, but rather an AI company. Tesla is using AI to solve problems such as auto high beams, auto wipers and of course FSD. Tesla’s tango with AI explains its recent move into robotics.

Solving FSD is just the beginning. We’re likely to see Tesla enter additional fields that rely heavily on AI. Tesla will be able to take everything they’ve learned in the world of artificial intelligence and apply it to a completely new product or even a new field, similar to what they’re doing with NeuraLink.

Elon has previously talked about how he would love for Tesla to develop air conditioning systems. Elon believes Tesla can make them much more efficient than they are today, but Tesla just doesn’t have the resources to enter another field right now. The use of air conditioning around the world currently accounts for 10% of global electricity usage, according to IEA.

Tesla may now be looking to introduce AI to Tesla HVAC systems. Twitter user @coffeetabletsla asked Elon if Tesla could develop a neural network similar to Deep Rain that’s used for windshield wipers, but instead use it to improve air conditioning. It could monitor when to turn the AC on/off, when to circulate air versus bringing in fresh outside air and take into account various factors such as current air quality, traffic and dirt roads.

In response, Elon gave his typical “Ok” answer, which has usually meant that Tesla is already working on a similar feature or that Elon is genuinely intrigued by the idea and will have Tesla engineers evaluate its feasibility.

Given Elon’s fascination with air conditioning and wanting to reduce the world’s energy footprint, this could be Tesla’s first entry into the HVAC industry.

This conversation started on Twitter when the official Tesla account tweeted “can we all just agree that pumping out carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, particulate matter, nitrogen oxide and sulfur dioxide from cars on all the streets around the world is maybe a bad idea”.

OK

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) September 26, 2021

Elon replied to the Tesla account with “in close traffic, poisonous gas spewing from the car in front of you goes straight into your AC intake.” A fair point. We’re just hurting ourselves. He then snarkily added that “Good thing gas /diesel carmakers didn’t cheat on their emissions or we’d be in real trouble.”

Air quality is also something Elon has shown interest in before. In fact, Teslas in China show the Air Quality Index right next to the temperature near the top portion of the car’s screen.

In close traffic, poisonous gas spewing from the car in front of you goes straight into your AC intake. Good thing gas/diesel carmakers didn’t cheat on their emissions or we’d be in real trouble ?

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) September 4, 2019

Teslas currently have an Auto AC button that determines when to activate the air conditioning system, although it’s likely to be similar to other manufacturers where it compares the indoor and outdoor temperatures along with the relative humidity of each environment.

By adding AI to air conditioning not only Tesla can reduce its energy usage, resulting in longer range for your Tesla, but it could also give you cleaner air to breathe. Your Tesla can give you fresh air when you’re driving alone on the road, and automatically switch to recirculated air when you’re close to other cars.

This is just another example of how Tesla is redefining cars and improving the world we live in.

September 26, 2022

By Kevin Armstrong

In addition to a new energy app, Tesla’s newest update 2022.36 includes a redesigned Supercharger map popup.

As Tesla continues to expand its Supercharger network, which stands at 35,000 and counting, more people are relying on this technology as part of their road trips, commutes, and daily lives.

In addition to the Supercharger map showing the distance to the sites and how many stalls are available, Tesla has added historical site occupancy and the charging fees. Similar to the feature when searching businesses on Google, Tesla now shows how busy the chargers are at any given time in the day.

Since Tesla is switching to charging rates that vary depending on the time of day in many areas, this change also makes it easier to see the price per kW.

This update provides a significant piece of information for those planning road trips. Now, you can determine the best times to arrive at a Supercharger station.

Users can still see the maximum power at Supercharger stations, another valuable piece of information for those wanting to hit the higher output stations and have less time off the road. Also, additional information is displayed for services in the area by simply tapping on the location of the Supercharger station. For example, users can find restaurants, rest stops, Wi-Fi and other amenities. This type of extra information is helpful for users and provides some increased customer traffic for surrounding businesses.

Tap the amenity icons in any Supercharger pop-up to find nearby restaurants, stores, and coffee shops. pic.twitter.com/4usUn8gGqG

— Tesla Charging (@TeslaCharging) August 29, 2022

Tesla’s long-term vision for Superchargers is to leverage Powerwalls and solar energy to make charging efficient, while also making it comfortable and convenient through the use of Starlink-equipped Superchargers and providing nearby amenities.

Tesla’s first v4 Supercharger is expected to open in Arizona soon with improved charging rates and a newly redesigned Supercharger cabinet.

The new Supercharger popup is one of several new features. You can view additional features in the 2022.36 release notes.

September 24, 2022

By Kevin Armstrong

Tesla will soon send an over-the-air update to address the Automatic Window Reversal System. During product testing in mid-August, the company’s technicians detected the system varied in response to obstructions in the window path. After more testing, Tesla concluded that it would notify the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) of a voluntary recall to address the issue.

The majority of Tesla’s recalls are much different than traditional automotive recalls. Tesla owners don’t have to schedule an appointment and bring the vehicle to a service department. Instead, the company will update nearly 1.1 million Teslas using an over-the-air update. However, several news organizations picked up the recall, some linking it to the lower stock price when the market closed. Elon Musk tweeted: The terminology is outdated & inaccurate. This is a tiny over-the-air software update. To the best of our knowledge, there have been no injuries.

The recall and Musk’s tweet generated a lot of discussions on social media and in comments below articles on news websites. What Tesla is doing is not a recall in traditional terms. However, it is the only course of action available to the company in the current system to notify the government and owners of required changes.

With more of the automotive industry following Tesla’s lead, the recall term will be misleading as most fixes to electric vehicles should be conducted through updates, not physically bringing the car to a service center to change parts. A more fitting term that should replace recall in this new EV world should be: update. The headlines would read, Tesla is Updating its Automatic Window Reversal System. That is much more accurate to what is happening. It should surprise no one that Tesla does not fit the archaic terminology used by the industry.

In a report filed with the NHTSA, Tesla states that it “is not aware of any warranty claims, field reports, crashed, injuries or deaths related to this condition.” However, starting September 13, the company started updating vehicles’ firmware in pre-delivery and one production line. This change came one day after notifying the federal authorities about the voluntary recall. The over-the-air update will go to Model Xs, and Model Ss built between 2021 and 2022; Model Ys produced from 2020 to 2022 and Model 3s dating back to when the car first hit the market in 2017.

The post Tesla to look into including AI-based HVAC system appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

Take a stroll down Montgomery Street in San Francisco’s Financial District during a weeknight and you’re not likely to see sights common in other more suburban neighborhoods: people walking their dogs or ushering their broods of children into buildings while weighted down with grocery bags filled with dinner fixings.

That’s partially because, despite the downtown area seeing a notable increase in housing units in recent years, there is seemingly low demand when units hit the market.

Data from the real estate listing database MLS shows that, since 2018, for the three ZIP codes that cover the Financial District and the areas north and south of it, units tended to spend more days on the market than in other parts of the city, and sell for a lower median list price.

Those ZIP codes are 94108, which covers a swath of California Street, Nob Hill and Chinatown down to Market Street; 94104, which is bounded by Market Street to the south and Kearney and Battery to the west and east; and 94105, which covers the area south of Market Street running to the Embarcadero and stretching south toward Oracle Park.

In 2018, properties in the Financial District area sold for a median price of $1.2 million, despite listing for a median of $1.3 million. They also spent more than twice the median days on the market, compared to units that sold throughout the city that year.

Units listed in 2019 and 2020 in that area also were more likely to sell for below their original list price, and spent a median of 62 and 70 days on the market, respectively. That was compared to a median 17 days on the market citywide in 2019, and 22 days in 2020.

In 2021, the median sale price of $1.15 million inch closer to the median list price of $1.24 million in the downtown area, although listings spent on the market about the same at 69 days compared to 16 citywide.

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Part of the reason why, industry experts suggest, is because single-family homes remain the most desirable and overbid properties in San Francisco.

“The majority of these (downtown) places, almost all of them are condos,” said Adam Brinklow of Front Steps San Francisco Real Estate, who provided the MLS data. “Over the last 10 years single family homes have been the huge driver” and in the highest demand, especially for people looking to raise a family in the city.

Which tends to be why many people who live in the downtown core are middle aged and older, established professionals who have already raised a family. People like John Dunlap, who has lived in a building at Third and Market for four-and-half years.

Dunlap said his building has been home to professional athletes, Trump and Biden administration appointees, banking executives and other established types, along with some families.

The proximity to museums and cultural institutions like the Mechanics Institute, bike rides along the Embarcadero and transit make it a more than comfortable location, Dunlap said.

While housing remains scarce in parts of the downtown core, compared to other areas of San Francisco, it has been increasing.

The area dubbed “Downtown” by The San Francisco Planning Department — roughly bounded by Van Ness Avenue, Market Street, and Sacramento Street running to the Embarcadero — saw a net increase of 8.7% in housing units between 2010 and 2021.

The area roughly bounded by Kearny and Market streets, Pacific Avenue and the Embarcadero that comprises the Downtown Community Benefit district has about 350 units spread across 11 locations, said the nonprofit group’s director Robbie Silver.

Despite the tight squeeze in one of the oldest areas of the city, the 8.7% increase was one of the highest rates in the city.

Of the city’s 15 planning districts plus the Presidio, Treasure Island and Golden Gate Park area, downtown came in fourth in net gains in housing units during the past decade, behind only the Richmond District, South of Market and the Northeast chunk of the city that includes North Beach, Chinatown and Fisherman’s Wharf.

The South of Market area came in second with a 9.4% net increase in units, much of that in the form of high rise towers like the 392 unit condo complex Mira SF on Folsom Street, and the nearby Lumina tower at 201 Folsom Street

Garrett Frakes of real estate sales and marketing firm Polaris Pacific said much of the condo and rental market near downtown is focused on that area south of Market Street that sweeps from near the Embarcadero and going south to the ballpark.

There are, “a series of very significant both rental and condo towers that enjoy the lifestyle of the waterfront and retail opportunities,” he said.

But after the recent completion of the Mira tower, there aren’t many more new units coming on the market in that area, Frakes said.

“Construction is just not moving forward,” he said, attributing that to rising construction costs among other issues.

Nearby, the area most San Franciscans think of as South of Market — what Frakes described as low-rise streets lined with Muffler shops and tech companies — has some housing stock, including lots of rental properties.

Units in that area lost around 30% of their value during the pandemic, said Paul Griffiths, CEO of Vesta Asset Management. That has climbed back by about half and units are mostly full again, Griffiths said, but rents are still below what they were compared to markets in more residential parts of the city.

Back in the downtown core, the 8.7% increase over the past decade equated to more than 35,000 units of housing.

More people living in downtown, or adjacent to it, would fit with Mayor London Breed’s plan to urge more people, including office workers, to spend more time in the area. But while other major metro areas have seen the number of people swiping into office settings increase, San Francisco has lagged behind.

Silver and his group have focused on putting on events and drawing people to the area after the offices shutter to give it more of a neighborhood feel and hurry the district’s revival. More people living there might help move the area in that direction, but for Dunlap, who already lives there, the neighborhood feel isn’t hard to find.

“After hours there’s a lot going on,” he said, noting the plentiful selection of restaurants and small shops tucked away in places like Maiden Lane along with their buildings’ architectural flourishes.

“I would welcome more residents and more housing down there,” to give the area more a neighborhood feel and voice in the city, Dunlap said. “If buildings are going to be no longer used for business or office reasons … there’s no reason that they should be languish.”

Chase DiFeliciantonio is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: chase.difeliciantonio@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @ChaseDiFelice

The post Downtown San Francisco is including housing models however stay barely populated appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

The new lease comes as Stripe looks to go on a Chicago hiring spree. The company did not respond to requests for comment on the move or plans for growth, but its website lists more than 240 open jobs based in Chicago, including more than 50 engineering roles.

Stripe adds to a long list of Bay Area-based tech companies looking to bulk up on headcount in Chicago, where tech-savvy talent is generally more affordable and easier to retain than on the coasts. Google, Facebook, Salesforce and ServiceNow are among the major West Coast firms that have added heavily to their Chicago workforces in recent years, a trend that lifted the fortunes of many downtown office landlords before the COVID-19 pandemic. Among the beneficiaries was New York-based private-equity giant Blackstone Group, which owns the Orleans Street building, formerly known as the Apparel Mart. The firm inked a big lease just before the pandemic with San Francisco-based online consumer-lending company Affirm.

Stripe’s deal comes against an uglier backdrop for office building owners, with the rise of remote work pushing companies to rethink their workspace needs and driving up the downtown office vacancy to a record high. Stripe’s recommitment to in-person work is a promising example for landlords with large blocks of space to fill.

With Affirm and other new tenants, Blackstone has had some success backfilling portions of its vacant space in the 1.3 million-square-foot building after advertising firm WPP left the building for a new office in the Fulton Market District. The property was 75% leased before the Stripe deal, according to real estate information company CoStar Group, lower than the 80% average among downtown office buildings as of the end of 2021.

Spokesmen for Blackstone did not respond to requests for comment.

The Orleans Street building has new development happening all around it, most visibly with Salesforce Tower rising next door at Wolf Point. Salesforce and law firm Kirkland & Ellis will be moving to the 60-story skyscraper, which is scheduled for completion next year.

The floors above Blackstone’s office building are also undergoing a major makeover. Chicago developer John Murphy is underway with a $40 million-plus renovation to the outdated, 522-room Holiday Inn Chicago Mart Plaza that is on pace to be completed in the next few months.

Stripe’s technology is used by companies to process payments for online purchases, and the company said in 2019 it was planning to tap into Chicago’s deep pool of engineering and other tech-smart talent that knows the industry. Chicago has been home to several tech companies with ties to mobile payments and e-commerce, including Braintree and Groupon.

Founded in 2009, Stripe saw wild growth in customer demand recently as the pandemic forced more people to shop online. The company’s revenue grew 70% in 2020 to $7.4 billion, according to The Wall Street Journal.

Brad Serot of CBRE negotiated the lease on behalf of Stripe. CBRE’s Mike Kazmierczak represented Blackstone.

The post San Francisco tech agency Stripe including Chicago jobs appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) – A power outage at Millbrae BART station early Monday morning halted train traffic to San Francisco International Airport amid the onslaught of travelers either returning home or leaving the Bay Area after the Christmas holiday weekend.

Traffic officials reported the outage around 5 a.m. and immediately erected a SamTrans bus bridge to take passengers to the airport and also to the San Bruno train station of the transit system.

CONTINUE READING: Firms in the SF Castro District are struggling to recover from the economic troubles of COVID

“There is a train station closure in Millbrae,” said traffic officials. “There is no train connection on the Millbrae Line between Millbrae and San Bruno or SFO due to a power outage at Millbrae station.”

The outage also caused a significant delay on the San Francisco line towards the East Bay. There was no ETA as to when service would be restored.

Other issues also contributed to the BART issues on Monday morning.

“Due to several decommissioned trains, power failure at Millbrae station and wet weather conditions, there is a limited service system,” said traffic officials in a warning.

CONTINUE READING: UPDATE: Blizzard Blasts High Country; Trans-Sierra roads closed indefinitely

The service outage was just the newest challenge for leisure travelers. On Sunday there were 46 flights from SFO and 230 flight delays. Then there was the new COVID test requirement for international travel.

“It’s stressful, absolutely stressful. We’re just trying to take it as it comes and that’s all you can do, ”said Sandra Brown, who was planning to travel to Vancouver, Canada with her family on Sunday. “We had to rebook once today because our flight was canceled.

There were long lines at check-in and security counters and even longer waiting times for those who need a rapid COVID test on flights to overseas destinations.

Jordan Simon showed up the day before his flight to Southeast Asia because he wasn’t sure he would get a test before his flight on Monday.

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“I think it’s a terrible line, I think it’s a terrible line,” he said as he stood on the test line. “From up there they say that if you are here you have to wait three hours. So it’s like a five-hour line. ”

The post Energy Outage Halts BART Service To San Francisco Worldwide Including To Journey Woes – CBS San Francisco appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.