Projects

⇒ New to rail in the Bay Area?



See types of trains to learn characteristics between different rail modes.

See our Rail 101 section to learn about lines and services that exist today.  You'll need to understand this before you can understand what's being proposed.

 


Projects that BayRail Alliance would like to see built:

# on map
Project
   What it does
 Why we support it
1  Caltrain Electrification
   Convert Caltrain from diesel to electric-power
Improve overall train speed and performance, reduce noise and air pollution
2 Caltrain Metro East Create dedicated passenger line between San Jose, Fremont, and the Peninsula via Mineta San Jose airport  Close large gaps in rail service in congested commute corridors using the fastest, most modern equipment possible
3
 Certain BART extensions
  • Pittsburg-BayPoint line to a new terminal in Pittsburg
  • Dublin-Pleasanton line into central Livermore to connect with the regional and intercity high speed rail line to the Central Valley.
  • Fremont line to a new terminal on the east side of Fremont Central Park to meet Caltrain Metro East and the new high speed rail line.
  To close gaps in our proposed rail network
4
 Downtown Extension/Transbay Terminal Project
 Extend Caltrain line in downtown San Francisco from 4th & King to a rebuilt rail and bus terminal near 1st and Mission; redevelop the surrounding area to increase public transit ridership and support the financing and operations of the Terminal.
 Make it faster and more convenient to use Caltrain to get to the Financial District and connect to many Transbay transit services; eases capacity issues on light rail connection 
5    Dumbarton Rail   Run rail from east bay to Peninsula across rebuilt Dumbarton Rail bridge
  Faster, more direct connection between the Peninsula and east bay/San Joaquin Valley
6    High-Speed Rail   Speedy travel between
  downtown Los Angeles and
  San Jose or San Francisco in under 3 hours.
 Travel between downtowns faster, at less cost to passengers and to the environment than with flying, with more comfortable seats and amenities 
7
 		  Salinas/Monterey Rail
   New rail service from Salinas and Monterey to San Jose
 Leverages Caltrain's existing trackage rights to help more commuters
8    SMART   Sonoma Marin rail service stretching 75 miles from 
  Cloverdale to San Rafael		 The right-of-way is already publicly owned; the service will provide an alternative in an increasingly congested corridor 



Projects that BayRail Alliance supports generally meet the following criteria. They

  • fill a critical transportation need or gap in service between systems.
  • are the most appropriate
    • type of transit to provide that service.
  • increase the efficiency, appeal, and capacity of existing services.
  • are expected to perform well and will thereby increase future public support for investments in public transit.
  • are affordable and can be sustained, 25 years from start of service when large investments are required to replace worn-out equipment.


These projects will

  • speed up public transit
  • make transit more convenient, pleasant to use and considerate of riders’ needs
  • provide riders with more options, new routes, and more service on existing routes

Implementation of our rail vision will make the Bay Area less dependent on fossil fuels and will improve our quality of life by

  • stimulating the economy,
  • increasing access to jobs and services,
  • preserving agricultural lands and open space, and
  • improving public health.

     Read More ⇒ Why trains? 		       
    

The Challenge

Getting around the San Francisco Bay Area via public transit can be challenging because

  • our systems don't connect well
  •  transit lacks sufficient funding to provide convenient service, and
  • funding that exists is sometimes not used efficiently to address mobility problems.

There are many different types of public transit. Each type of transit serves a specific function or need that is important to understand.

We love transit, and generally believe that providing public transit is usually better for the environment than not providing it. However, we also believe that some transit projects are of questionable value and usefulness.  Not every transit project is automatically "good" just because it is transit.

» Why We Need Public Transit and What's Needed to Make It Work

 

[map showing these projects]

 

Other critical elements for improving rail transit:

VTA Reform — to improve governance and quality of regional decision-making in Santa Clara County
Level Boarding — obtaining equipment that permits people to board and de-board quickly
More money for transit operations — the perpetual struggle of transit operators
Pedestrian- and bike-friendly neighborhood design — with housing and jobs located near transit

��Get Involved to help make it a reality