HOW TO GIVE PUBLIC INPUT TO THE FEDERAL RAILROAD ADMINISTRATION
President Obama has committed billions of federal dollars to intercity transit. Why not go after some of that swag to build a light-rail or busway system right up the middle of Highway 1 from Linda Mar to Colma BART? Instead of being stuck in traffic, we could be riding modern trains or express buses. Think about it. It would mean construction jobs, revenue for the city, access to other Bay Area transit systems via BART, and a green way to bring workers in and out of Pacifica.
JOHN MAYBURY
EDITOR & PUBLISHER
Damn Yankee, okay, so how about Matt Levie's idea for a dedicated busway L.A. style, bus rapid transit (BRT)? I like that almost as much as a streetcar. And you could eat a BLT on the BRT.
Posted by: John Maybury | May 29, 2009 at 09:46 PM
Bloody Sox Fan,
I think you have a great idea, but there are a few snags. We'd either have to widen the highway or create a raised platform to accommodate a train down the centerline. You'd also have to go over the Manor Overpass, and the steep and twisty climb up HWY1 is nerve-racking enough in a car. The cost would be enormous, but it would be a wonderful idea if it ever happened.
Oh yeah, it might also bring more people to Pacifica to live. Can't have that.
Posted by: Jeffrey Simons | May 29, 2009 at 09:27 PM
John. Couldn't agree with you more.
Posted by: mike bell | May 29, 2009 at 09:07 PM
Let's spend Measure A funds on roads and transit instead of trails.
Posted by: Sue Vaterlaus | May 29, 2009 at 08:25 PM
I'd love rail down here, but we do not have the density or the existing transit ridership to make a case for it, and the right-of-way does not exist for much of the route.
What I do think we could do is begin implementing a version of Bus Rapid Transit (BRT). BRT involves a fraction of the investment of rail with substantially the same benefits, and it can be phased in. We can use Measure A funds to begin the process and require developers to contribute to improvements to the system.
BRT means:
-giving buses priority at traffic lights
-time between buses of maybe 10-15 minutes at rush hour
-offboard fare collection so people can board and the bus can get underway faster
-making stations that have bike racks, good pedestrian access and are protected from the weather
-where possible, creating an exclusive right-of-way for buses on shoulders and medians
Posted by: Matthew Levie | May 29, 2009 at 03:16 PM
Wouldn't it be cheaper & easier just to run more buses?
Posted by: Steve Sinai | May 29, 2009 at 02:17 PM
If we could get it to run more frequently than the buses, that would be more beneficial. I like this idea; let's see what we can do to make it work.
Posted by: Cynthia Montanez | May 29, 2009 at 01:23 PM
There is one already called BART. Good fast train service from Colma to Hayward. (I know Bruce knows this already as a state employee and transit guy, but I love to give him a hard time.) The problem is getting to Colma BART. SamTrans buses are okay at rush hour, except when they get stuck in traffic along with the cars. But the rest of the day, service is only hourly. That's why I am frothing about putting a speedy little choo-choo in the Highway 1 median strip to zip Pacificans in and out of town, and plugging us straight into Colma BART, which rolls downtown, across the bay, and to both airports.
Posted by: John Maybury | May 29, 2009 at 12:31 PM
Personally I'd prefer one that went from Pacifica to Hayward, but then I'm just a selfish s.o.b.
Posted by: Bruce Hotchkiss | May 29, 2009 at 11:31 AM