Long lines for transbay ferries and the limited number of free charter buses operated by BART, packed AC Transit transbay buses, and traffic crawling on the S.F.-Oakland Bay Bridge show the effects of the BART strike on day two.
The Bay Area is struggling through the second day of a four-county BART strike that has put transbay and downtown San Francisco traffic in gridlock, as well as creating commuting nightmares for many of the 400,000 commuters who take BART daily. Bargaining between union and management on the "key issues of the key issues pensions, health benefits, salaries and safety" had halted on Sunday night, when the strike began.
KCBS reports from various locations, including Jeffrey Schaub on the status of the charter buses (mostly full) at selected BART stations in the East Bay on Tuesday morning (audio and podcast).
Reporter Jeff Bell has an "in-depth" discussion with Steve Heminger, director of the Bay Area's Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) to get insight into the strike and its relationship to Bay Area transportation, and also problems with the construction of the eastern span of the Bay Bridge.
“BART has had a very difficult and tension-filled relationship with its unions", he states.
BART is irreplaceable - there aren't enough alternatives to carry 400,000 riders, and certainly not at the same speed. "BART is a faster trip across that Bay than a ferry boat is”, he adds.
One surprise in the interview was his statement on BART priorities, determined not by MTC but by BART, though all funding goes through MTC.
Instead of focusing on outward expansion of the existing transportation network, Hemminger said the focus should shift to the reinvestment of the core capacity of the BART system; meaning getting more trains through the Trans-Bay Tube with a computer system.
KQED's Bryan Goebel reports much the same in talking "to transit advocates including TransForm and Public Advocates who point the finger at MTC" for those expansions.
They said part of the problem is bigger than wages and benefits. "They point the finger at the Metropolitan Transportation Commission for funding BART extensions, instead of focusing on improving the existing system," Goebel says. "They point to big capital projects like extensions to the Oakland Airport and to Livermore, things they contend BART can't really afford." Advocates say these big projects have soaked up money that could have been used to update systems and service.
The strike is not just impacting the lives of commuter and the region's traffic, but the region's economy as well. According to the Bay Area Council Economic Institute, the daily toll in lost worker productivity alone is $73 million.
FULL STORY: Traffic Gridlocked On BART Strike Day 2; Shuttles Full
The Slow Death of Ride Sharing
From the beginning, TNCs like Lyft and Uber touted shared rides as their key product. Now, Lyft is ending the practice.
In Most U.S. Cities, Archaic Laws Limit Roommate Living
Critics argue laws preventing unrelated adults from living in the same home fail to understand the modern American household.
Ten Signs of a Resurgent Downtown
In GeekWire, Chuck Wolfe continues his exploration of a holistic and practical approach to post-pandemic urban center recovery, anchored in local context and community-driven initiatives that promote livability, safety, and sustainability.
California Moves to Limit Autonomous Trucks
A bill passed by the State Assembly and moving on to the Senate would require autonomous semi trucks to have a trained human operator in the vehicle.
Minnesota Budget Includes Significant Transit Investments
After a contentious debate, the state legislature passed a budget that changes how transportation projects are funded and supports increased transit service in the state.
Proposed Land Value Tax Plan in Detroit
Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan proposes hiking property taxes for vacant land and buildings while lowering the rate for occupied homes and businesses in a split tax plan he contends will resolve many of Detroit's blight and high property tax woes.
San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency
City of Orange
City of Charlotte - Charlotte Area Transit
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Montrose County
Wichita-Sedgwick County Metropolitan Area Planning Department
City of Lomita
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.
