BayRail Alliance

Time/date: August 15 - 27, 2007

Source: MTC

Track the Bay Area’s rail future at a public meeting on the Draft Regional Rail Plan

After 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.

Come to one of a series public meetings (listed below) where you can:

* See and comment on what’s proposed to move people and freight throughout the region in the coming 50 years

* Learn how the regional rail network would be enhanced with proposed California high-speed rail investments (and view alternatives for bringing high-speed rail into the Bay Area)

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

Time/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

June 15, 2004 — In an exhausting hearing that ended past 3 a.m. the next day, BayRail Alliance and other groups succeed in getting the SF Board of Supervisors to unanimously uphold the Transbay EIR against appeals filed by some neighborhood interests and a private developer.

June 7, 2005 — BayRail Alliance, working with TRANSDEF, files a “friend of the court” (amicus) brief along with the Sierra Club, TRAC, San Francisco Tomorrow, and TALC, requesting speedy appeal of a ruling on the Transbay Terminal project’s Environmental Impact Report (EIR). A ruling by a judge in favor of private developer Jack Myers has halted preliminary planning and engineering for the project. The groups ask the appeals court to stay (halt) the judge’s order pending appeal. This succeeds in producing a speedy stay of the order, allowing planning and engineering for the Transbay Project to proceed. Myers later drops the appeal after the City of San Francisco agrees to pay $34 million to acquire his property through eminent domain.

April 22, 2004 — BayRail Alliance, working with other groups in San Francisco, overcomes opposition from a greedy developer and some neighborhood interests and convinces the SF Board of Supervisors to approve environmental documents for the Transbay Terminal project, which includes extending Caltrain and future high-speed rail.

2001 — PR2000 changes its name to BayRail Alliance and launches a campaign for the passage of Assembly Bill 1419, which the state legislature approves by a 1-vote margin, to transfer Transbay Terminal land and development rights from Caltrans to San Francisco Redevelopment Agency to build new terminal and Caltrain extension. The Redevelopment Agency has pledged all of the proceeds (tax increment) from the development to the rebuilding of the Transbay Terminal and Caltrain Downtown extension. This amount is estimated at $1.2B of the $1.8B cost of the project.Governor Davis vetoes the bill, but directs Caltrans to support the land transfer administratively.

November 2, 1999 — After a campaign by SF-based groups and PR2000, SF voters pass Prop. H with 69% of the vote. It requires city officials to seek funding for, and build, Caltrain downtown extension to a new or rebuilt terminal on the present site of the Transbay Transit Terminal, to protect right-of-way for the extension, and also to "pursue electrification of the Caltrain line from San Francisco to San Jose prior to or concurrent with the extension of Caltrain downtown".