San Francisco's new light rail line, the 5-mile T-Third, opened for free, weekend service Jan 13. The service is intended to revitalize the sagging south-east neighborhoods, but some bus riders question the new line. Daily service begins April 7.
"The Third Street line, discussed for more than two decades, has been under construction since May 2002. The $667 million project was supposed to begin service in winter 2005, but construction delays pushed the beginning of full service back to this spring and the cost soared to $120 million over budget."
"Trains will run on a dedicated lane that doesn't compete with cars and trucks -- except for a half-mile stretch through the Bayview business district -- and will stop at 18 new stations along Third Street." The trip from Visitacion Valley in Brisbane, just across the city's southern border in San Mateo County, to China Basin, by the Caltrain terminal and AT&T ballpark, is anticipated to take 31 minutes, about 10 minutes faster than bus service. The line crosses two drawbridges and climbs over Highway 101.
"In cities around the nation, new light-rail lines are increasingly being used to boost the fortunes of stagnant neighborhoods, drawing new housing, shops and restaurants. San Francisco officials and residents of the Bayview and Visitacion Valley hope the T-Third will deliver some of the economic growth that other neighborhoods have enjoyed."
"Bayview and Visitacion Valley residents, many of whom ride the busy 15-Third buses regularly, were mostly enthusiastic about the arrival of light-rail. Some complained that it will serve fewer destinations than the bus -- such as City College of San Francisco and Fisherman's Wharf -- and require transfers."
FULL STORY: Muni's Third St. light-rail line finally rolling
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
San Francisco's School District Spent $105M To Build Affordable Housing for Teachers — And That's Just the Beginning
SFUSD joins a growing list of school districts using their land holdings to address housing affordability challenges faced by their own employees.
Can We Please Give Communities the Design They Deserve?
Often an afterthought, graphic design impacts everything from how we navigate a city to how we feel about it. One designer argues: the people deserve better.
Engineers Gave America's Roads an Almost Failing Grade — Why Aren't We Fixing Them?
With over a trillion dollars spent on roads that are still falling apart, advocates propose a new “fix it first” framework.
The European Cities That Love E-Scooters — And Those That Don’t
Where they're working, where they're banned, and where they're just as annoying the tourists that use them.
Map: Where Senate Republicans Want to Sell Your Public Lands
For public land advocates, the Senate Republicans’ proposal to sell millions of acres of public land in the West is “the biggest fight of their careers.”
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Borough of Carlisle
Smith Gee Studio
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
Municipality of Princeton (NJ)