A Varied, Growing Network
RAILWAY AGE, MARCH 2023 ISSUE: Rail transit in Northern California is on the rise.
San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency
Commentary
A Day in History: Market Street Subway Milestone
Forty-five years ago on January 31, 1978, San Francisco Muni and city officials along with members of the press took an inaugural ride in the brand new Market Street Subway from Castro Station to Embarcadero.
Transit Briefs: Brightline, Amtrak, PennDOT, SFMTA
Brightline reveals first look inside its Orlando Station. Also, Wisconsin mayors submit letter of interest to the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) to take part in a study that will look at building an Amtrak rail line connecting Green Bay and Milwaukee; construction of a new Coatsville, Pa., station, serving Amtrak’s Keystone Corridor and Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) is now under way; and the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Authority’s (SFMTA) Central Subway is now open seven days a week.
Transit Briefs: MBTA, PANY/NJ, SFMTA, TriMet, VPRA, WMATA
The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) has asked Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) to resubmit 12 corrective action plans addressing required safety improvements. Also, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANY/NJ) has issued a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) to replace AirTrain Newark with a new 2.5-mile elevated guideway train system; San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) will offer Central Subway system riders wireless connectivity; Tri-County Metropolitan Transportation District of Oregon (TriMet) and the Small Business Administration (SBA) form a strategic alliance; Virginia Passenger Rail Authority (VPRA) and Amtrak celebrated 10 years of service between Norfolk and Washington, D.C.; and Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority’s (WMATA) long-awaited Potomac Yard Station is slated to open in May 2023.
Transit Briefs: MBTA, SFMTA
Voters in two Massachusetts cities, New Bedford and Fall River, have voted to join the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) in allowing the agency to move forward with its South Coast Rail project. Also, the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Authority (SFMTA) opens new Muni metro station in the heart of Union Square and announces that it will switch over to a new, upgraded software system.
Commentary
Watch: 75 Years After ‘Save the Cable Car’ Battle
Seventy-five years ago, San Francisco’s cable cars were viewed as more of a costly nuisance. A few city leaders wanted to tear out the 1870s-era transit system of wooden vehicles towed by an underground cable system. Pioneer of civic activism, Friedel Klussmann led the charge to preserve this moving landmark that draw visitors from around the world looking to fulfill their dream of riding the cable car over our hills.
Transit Briefs: UTA, Amtrak, SFMTA/Muni, RTD, CTA, SMART, Metrolink
The Utah Transit Authority (UTA) seeks input on its Five-Year Service Plan. Also, Iowa City Council approves the purchase of properties for potential Chicago to Iowa City route; San Francisco Muni to upgrade city streets with 1,500 new digital signs and boost tunnel wi-fi; the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) reveals a sneak peek of the new Chinatown-Rose Pak Muni station; the Regional Transportation District (RTD) releases FY 2023 proposed budget; the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) releases proposed 2023 operating budget; Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit (SMART) allots $14 million to build second Petaluma station; and Metrolink announces that weekend trains along the Orange County and Inland Empire-Orange County lines will resume service starting Oct. 29.
![“Since arriving at MARTA, Collie [Greenwood, pictured,] has shown a tremendous knowledge of transit and capacity for leadership and innovation, while always keeping the customer front and center,” MARTA Board Chair Rita Scott said. “His rapid promotion to second-in-command demonstrated his ability to do the job well, and his steady, skilled leadership this year has further demonstrated that he is the best person to lead us as we navigate a post-pandemic world and embark on an historic enhancement and expansion program.”](https://www.railwayage.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Marta-300x169.png)
Transit Briefs: MARTA, Metrolinx, SFMTA
Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) will later this month confirm the appointment of Collie Greenwood as General Manager/CEO. Also, the Ontario government on Oct. 6 marked the start of construction on the Confederation GO station in Hamilton, part of Metrolinx’s GO Expansion program; and San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) explains Proposition L and why voters should approve it on Nov. 8.
Commentary
Celebrating BART at 50: A Critical Link for San Francisco
In September, our sister agency San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District, celebrated its 50th anniversary. BART service changed transportation in the Bay Area forever, connecting communities in a way that hadn’t been done before. For San Francisco, the construction of BART not only provided new travel options within the city and to the East Bay, but also built the Muni Metro system.
Service on SFMTA’s New T Third Line Extension to Begin November
The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) on Sept. 20 announced that, beginning Nov. 19, a soft launch of the Central Subway Project, an extension of the T Third Line, will open with dedicated shuttle service on weekends between 4th and Brannan Station to Chinatown/Rose Park Station, stopping along the way at Yerba Buena and Union Square where passengers can make transfers to Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) service and the Market Street subway.