As Price Tag Skyrockets, S.F.'s Transbay Terminal Needs a Bailout

Phase 1 of a project described as the "Grand Central Station of the West" has almost doubled in cost since 2008. Now San Francisco County Supervisors are considering a bailout of the project.

1 minute read

May 4, 2016, 8:00 AM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Transbay Terminal Construction

Mike Linksvayer / Flickr

"San Francisco’s major Transbay transportation and development project has nearly doubled in cost since 2008, and The City is now poised to borrow hundreds of millions of dollars to offset the most recent negative financial blow," according to an article by Joshua Sabatini.

More specifically, the cost for the project has ballooned to $2.259 billion, according to a report by Budget Analyst Harvey Rose. The project's price tag in 2008 when construction began: $1.189 billion.

"To address the latest shortfall, The City has proposed issuing $260 million of certificates of participation, which would be paid back through the project area’s special tax district revenues," reports Sabatini.

Sabatini also notes that the bailout will borrow from Phase 2 of the project to save Phase 1. "It remains unclear how Phase 2 will be fully funded."

Thursday, April 28, 2016 in San Francisco Examiner

"Planetizen federal action tracker" logo superimposed over black and white image of US Capitol dome.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

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

October 28, 2026 - Zachary Whalen

A car drives through a puddle, making a large splash. Rain pours down.

California plans to bury El Niño’s downpour

If the state plays its cards right, it may be able to store a billion acre-feet of El Niño’s water in aquifers.

October 28, 2026 - Grist

Lake Powell with much of the water evaporated.

Desperate measures: Advocates weigh draining Lake Powell to fill Colorado River

Draining the reservoir could reduce evaporation losses by a couple hundred thousand acre-feet.

October 30, 2026 - Yale Environment 360

Nithya Ramen talks to an older man. She is smiling and wearing a yellow dress. They are both outside.

Los Angeles just elected an urban planner as its mayor

Transportation analysts are optimistic that Raman will be more aggressive in addressing transit issues than Bass.

November 7 - Los Angeles Times

Mamdani behind a microphone, in front of a snowbank

Mamdani’s pied-à-terre tax survives legal challenge

A panel of judges found that the plaintiffs failed to demonstrate injury as a result of New York City's implementation of the tax.

November 6 - CNN

A road in north eastern Nebraska with power lines on either side, and grassy fields.

Eastern Nebraska is running out of electricity

Data centers and electrification are straining eastern Nebraska’s grid, throttling economic development.

November 6 - Grist

FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?

After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.

Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold

The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.