Central Subway
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The Central Subway is an extension of the Muni Metro light rail system in San Francisco, California from the Caltrain commuter rail depot at 4th and King streets to Chinatown. The subway is the second phase of the Third Street Light Rail Project. Still in its planning stages, the Central Subway is currently scheduled for completion by 2016.
[edit] The route
In 2004, planners adopted an alignment promoted by Rescue Muni, a watchdog group. The revised routing will have trains enter and exit the tunnel via a joint portal on Fourth Street under the I-80 freeway (under an earlier plan, the line would have been split into Third and Fourth segments). The route will then continue under Fourth Street through the South of Market district to a station at the Moscone Convention Center, then to Market Street, where it will connect to Muni Metro and BART at the Union Square/Powell Station, and ending in Chinatown on Stockton Street. The new alignment will eliminate sharp turns, avoiding delays and supposedly save Muni more than $100 million.
The Central Subway's current status is obtaining comments on the Supplemental EIS/EIR for the Fourth Street alignment.
New underground stations will be built at the Moscone Center near Fourth and Folsom streets in SOMA, Stockton and O'Farrell streets near Union Square (connected to the Market Street subway at Powell Street Station by a pedestrian passage), and in Chinatown at Stockton and Clay streets.
In the future plans the line could be extended further north to North Beach and Fisherman's Wharf. A Muni Metro line may eventually be built along Geary or Post streets, and if so, it might connect to the Central Subway near Union Square.
[edit] Cost
Due to the capital cost ($1.4 billion for the 1.7 mile light rail line), the Central Subway project has come under criticism from transit activists for what they consider to be poor cost-effectiveness[citation needed]. In particular, they note:
- Muni's own estimates ([1]) show that the project would generate no more than 4,600 new trips over existing bus service.
- Muni would have to spend an additional $4 million/year in local operating subsidies (over existing bus service) to run the new rail line.
[edit] External links
- Overview from Muni
- Subwaylaid by Matt Smith, SF Weekly, December 10, 2003 - describes the convoluted subway alignment.
- A few articles on the Central Subway status by San Francisco Cityscape
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