BayRail Alliance
BayRail general meeting
|
Downtown ExtensionDec 16, 2009 Transbay Transit Center meetingTime/date: Wednesday, December 16, 2009 Source:
December 9, 2009 Dear Resident of District 6: I am writing to invite you to an important community meeting to discuss a recent proposal by the California High Speed Rail Authority (CHSRA) that may have significant consequences to many properties in the area of Main and Beale Streets, as well as the South Beach areas of Second and Townsend Streets. This meeting will also be a good opportunity to review current plans to replace the Transbay Terminal with a new Transbay Transit Center. The meeting will be held on: Wednesday, December 16, 2009 CHSRA is preparing to consider an alternative site for the proposed Transbay Terminal, currently underway at First and Mission streets. When San Francisco voters overwhelmingly approved in 2008 a bond issue to fund a high speed rail system in California, they did so with the understanding that a Transbay Terminal would be built at First and Mission Streets to fully integrate public transit and locate it near the downtown core. Planning for the First and Mission site has been underway for many years with the appropriate entitlements and planning programs in process. The project broke ground on the temporary terminal site last December. By contrast, CHSRA is preparing to consider an alternative site for a northern terminus at Beale and Main Streets that is simply infeasible and has been rejected in environmental reviews already conducted by the TWA and the City and County of San Francisco. Studying this proposal further would result in costly delays and further expense to the development of a viable high speed rail system in California. Moreover, on its face, the Main and Beale Streets alternative would require hundreds of home-owners to lose their homes through eminent domain, none of whom have even heard from CHSRA about their pending action. I am holding this informational meeting to present the facts of what is being considered to you and to collect your concerns to forward to the CHSRA. I have invited representatives of the California High Speed Rail Authority to attend this district meeting and explain why they would consider the Beale and Main site to the detriment of District 6 residents, the City of San Francisco and their own program. I hope you can attend this important meeting and make your views known. If you would like more information or have additional questions, please contact my staff April Veneracion at (415) 554-7972. Save Caltrain/HSR Downtown Extension, Stop the Beale Street Terminal Trojan HorseAfter years of planning, the Transbay Transit Center/Downtown Extension is nearing shovel-ready status. However, California High Speed Rail Authority (CHSRA) is attempting to kill this project with a bogus idea of a having a downtown station on Main and Beale Street. Transbay Transit Center opponents are claiming that the Transbay Joint Powers Authority (TJPA) needs to restudy their alternative as a part of the environmental clearance process. If their claim holds true, it would make the Transbay Transit Center project no longer eligible for the $400 million in Stimulus funds. If the project receives that fund as planned, construction would start within months. BayRail Alliance endorses MTC's San Francisco/Silicon Valley Corridor strategyInformation about the MTC's High Speed Rail strategy. June 24, 2009 Will Kempton, Director California Department of Transportation 1120 N St, PO Box 942873 Sacramento, CA 94273-0001 Dear Mr. Kempton: For more than 25 years, BayRail Alliance has been a strong supporter of Caltrain service improvements on the Peninsula. We are also proud for our advocacy efforts on high speed rail especially during the early part of the decade. We are writing to express our full support of the San Francisco/Silicon Valley Corridor Investment Strategy recommended by the Metropolitan Transportation Commission. We support MTC's strategy because it is the best approach to fulfill the promise made to voters through last year's Proposition 1A and the intent set forth in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. BayRail applauds decision by TJPA to move Transbay train box project forwardOn June 11, The Transbay Joint Powers Authority voted unanimously to direct the architects to prepare plans for the train box as part of Phase 1 of the Transbay Transit Center project. The Phase 1 of the project includes the removal of the current terminal and the construction of a new terminal on the current site. Prior to this proposal, TJPA planned to build the train box after the above-ground bus terminal is completed, largely due to funding constraints. However, the recent passage of the Prop 1A High Speed Rail bond and the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act provided new funding opportunities to move this critical project forward. Transbay Transit Center Program groundbreaking eventTime/date: December 10, 2008 11:00am Source: Groundbreaking of the Transbay Transit Center program A groundbreaking moment for CaliforniaPlease join honored guest Mayor Gavin Newson and the Transbay Joint Powers Authority for a very special groundbreaking event to celebrate the commencement of the Transbay Transit Center Program. December 10, 2008 11:00am Beale and Howard streets San Francisco, CA 94105 Construction of a temporary Transbay Terminal will commence soon. Once the temporary terminal is built, existing terminal will be torn down and be replaced by a new multimodal terminal. The new terminal will eventually become a new home for Caltrain and the California High Speed Rail. Getting the Caltrain downtown extension built was one of BayRail Alliance's primary goals in the early 1980's. This project has survived near-death on several occasions, pulling through because of the hard work and personal sacrifices of advocates to keep it alive against severe obstacles. We owe a previous and current generation of activists a debt of gratitude for the progress that this project is made. Regional Rail Plan WorkshopsTime/date: August 15 - 27, 2007 Source: MTC Track the Bay Area’s rail future at a public meeting on the Draft Regional Rail PlanAfter 18 months of analysis and stakeholder involvement, a draft regional rail plan for expanding the region’s network of rail lines has been completed.
The Draft Regional Rail Plan was made to identify potential rail passenger and rail freight improvements for the near-, intermediate-, and long-term and the economics of different scenarios. Wednesday, August 15, 2007 in Oakland MTC Joseph P Bort MetroCenter Lawrence D. Dahms Auditorium 101 Eighth Street, Oakland Session 1: 3 - 5 PM Session 2: 6 - 8 PM each session is identical, just held at different times. The format is an open house the first 1/2 hour followed by presentation/discussion. Thursday, August 16 in San Jose Santa Clara County Bldg Senter Auditorium Session 1: 3 - 5 PM Session 2: 6 - 8 PM Monday, August 20 in Suisun City Suisun City Hall Council Chambers 701 Civic Center Blvd., Suisun City Session 1: 3 - 5 PM Session 2: 6 - 8 PM Wednesday, August 22, 2007 in Livermore Livermore Public Library Community Rooms A & B 1188 S. Livermore Ave., Livermore Session 1: 3 - 5 PM Session 2: 6 - 8 PM Monday, August 27, 2007 in San Carlos CCAG offices San Mateo County 1250 San Carlos Ave, 2nd floor Auditorium San Carlos 3:30 PM - 5 PM one session only at this location SF Transit Center District PlanTime/date: July 25, 2007 6:30-8:30 pm Source: San Francisco Planning Department 1st public workshop of many to come on the Transit Center District Plan. This is focused on the southern portion of downtown San Francisco, with a particular focus on the vicinity of the Transbay Transit Center. Building on the recently adopted Transbay Redevelopment Plan as well as the 1985 Downtown Plan, this effort will examine the future of Downtown's new core. This workshop will introduce the planning effort and initial objectives and seek public input on the scope of analysis and issues the planning department should consider. location: Yerba Buena Center for the Arts 701 Mission St. between 3rd and 4th Streets San Francisco More information at transitcenter.sfplanning.org or contact Joshua Switzky at joshua.switzky@sfgov.org or call 415.575.6815
|