In San Francisco, Massive Waterfront Projects Bring Transportation Challenges

A new arena for the NBA's Warriors and a $1.6 billion mixed-use development south of AT&T Park are among the projects planned for San Francisco's waterfront. But a transit system already at capacity presents a formidable challenge for planners.

1 minute read

March 8, 2013, 11:00 AM PST

By Jonathan Nettler @nettsj


"With Muni and BART already at capacity during peak hours, and thousands of new housing units being built in the coming years both along the waterfront and from nearby SoMa down through the Eastern Neighborhoods Plan area, city transportation planners are trying to get ahead of potential problems created by the development boom," reports Steven T. Jones.

“'We're now taking a step back and looking at the long-term needs from the Exploratorium down to Pier 70,' says San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency planner Peter Albert, who is leading a comprehensive waterfront transportation study. 'What we get is an environmental review that is much smarter because we have all this advanced planning ... EIRs are important, but they aren't really planning.'”

"Albert is looking at everything from working with various transportation agencies to beef up bus, train, and ferry services to the area; using these projects to complete the ambitious but underfunded and long-stalled Blue-Greenway bicycle path along the waterfront; accelerating capital projects that are already in the SFMTA's queue; and exploring a dozen or so new ideas."

Friday, March 1, 2013 in The San Francisco Examiner

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