The plan to extend a Caltrain line to the Salesforce Transit Center is now expected to cost $6.7 billion as the agency faces a budget shortfall for its electrification project.

A new cost projection for a 1.3 mile section of tunnel in San Francisco is 34 percent higher than a 2015 estimate, reports Dan Zukowski in Smart Cities Dive. The $6.7 billion project would extend the Caltrain commuter train to the downtown Salesforce Transit Center, which opened in 2018 to much anticipation and serves as the city’s primary bus hub.
According to Zukowski, “The Caltrain rail line is also designated as the future route of the California high-speed rail project to San Francisco. But the cost of connecting the high-speed line being built in the Central Valley to the Caltrain line was estimated last year at $19 billion, and there is no funding currently available.” Meanwhile, Governor Newsom’s proposed 2023-2024 budget cuts $2 billion from transit and rail spending, and Caltrain’s plan to shift away from fossil fuel-powered to electrified trains is facing funding challenges.
FULL STORY: Cost of proposed San Francisco commuter, high-speed rail tunnel grows to $6.7B

Trump Administration Could Effectively End Housing Voucher Program
Federal officials are eyeing major cuts to the Section 8 program that helps millions of low-income households pay rent.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

The 120 Year Old Tiny Home Villages That Sheltered San Francisco’s Earthquake Refugees
More than a century ago, San Francisco mobilized to house thousands of residents displaced by the 1906 earthquake. Could their strategy offer a model for the present?

NYC Outdoor Dining Could Get a Re-Do
The city council is considering making the al fresco dining program year-round to address cost concerns from small businesses.

HSR Reaches Key Settlement in Northern California City
The state’s high-speed rail authority reached an agreement with Millbrae, a key city on the train’s proposed route to San Francisco.

Washington State Legislature Passes Parking Reform Bill
A bill that would limit parking requirements for new developments is headed to the governor’s desk.
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