SFMTA, Seeing Growth in Southeast SF, Looks Northeast for Subway Expansion

“As San Francisco’s population continues to climb, providing Muni service connections for the growing southeast neighborhoods while making service enhancements to the densely populated northeast neighborhoods remain a top priority.

The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) is exploring an extension of the Central Subway beyond its current Chinatown Station terminal at Washington and Stockton streets. Possible destinations include North Beach, Fisherman’s Wharf, the Marina, Cow Hollow and Presidio.” Read More

SFMTA: Central Subway Milestones

Here is the list of project milestones from SFMTA: Get Recent Updates Here

November 2008: Record of Decision (PDF) awarded by the FTA
January 2009: Right-of-way, property and easement acquisition process commences
May 2009: Completion of the Preliminary Engineering Report
February 2010: Groundbreaking of Utility Relocation for the future Moscone Station and Portal Tunnel
May 2010: California Transportation Commission awards the Central Subway Project $27 million for high-speed rail connectivity
December 2010: Board of Supervisors approves Housing Relocation Plan for Chinatown residents and businesses 
January 2011: Utility Relocation Contract for Union Square/Market Street Station (Contract No. 1251) awarded to Synergy Project Management, Inc.
June 2011: Tunneling contract (Contract No. 1252) awarded to Barnard Impregilo Healy Joint Venture
September 2011: Full Funding Grant Agreement application submitted to the FTA
April 2012: TBM Launch Box construction begins on 4th between Harrison and Bryant
October 2012: Full-Funding Grant Agreement, approval to award Federal New Starts funds toward Central Subway Project construction, approved
March 2013: San Francisco Board of Supervisors approve Pagoda Palace site for TBM removal location
April 2013: The first piece of TBM Mom Chung arrives at the Launch Box work site May 2013: SFMTA awards contract 1300 to Tutor Perini, which includes all four stations, surface tracks, and systems
July 2013: TBM Mom Chung launches, beginning tunnel construction beneath SF
August 2013: Demolition of the Pagoda Palace Theater in North Beach begins
September 2013: Construction begins on stations, surface tracks, and systems November 2013: TBM Big Alma launches, commencing construction of the second Central Subway tunnel
June 2014: Both TBMs break through into the North Beach Retrieval Shaft, completing tunnel boring operations
November 2014: The first annual Winter Walk opens along Stockton Street in Union Square January 2015: Both Tunnel Boring Machines (TBMs) disassembled and removed through North Beach Retrieval Shaft site, and Retrieval Shaft site restored and vacated
November 2015: Installation of new track interchange at 4th and King completed, laying groundwork for 4th Street surface tracks
November 2015: The second annual Winter Walk opens along Stockton Street in Union Square
November 2016: The third annual Winter Walk opens along Stockton Street in Union Square
April 2017: Yerba Buena/Moscone Station "bottoms out," effectively ending major excavation at the site and pivoting work toward interior construction
August 2017: Union Square/Market Street Station "bottoms out," effectively ending major excavation at the site and pivoting work toward interior construction

MTA Budget Update

On April 5th, the MTA budget was adopted by the MTA board, with the appropriation for the Central Subway extension work.  The next step is for it to be submitted to the mayor and Board of Supervisors with the board needing to adopt the City Appropriation Ordinance by July 31.

Politics at Play in New Push for S.F. to Buy Pagoda Palace Theater Site

From KQED

By Ted Goldberg SEPTEMBER 24, 2015

Two San Francisco supervisors want the city to buy the site of the old Pagoda Palace Theater in North Beach to help pave the way for a possible future expansion of the city’s Central Subway.

The push to purchase the site comes as its owner moves forward on turning the area into a home for 19 luxury condominiums, a move some believe could slow efforts to extend the Central Subway Project all the way to Fisherman’s Wharf.

To continue reading this article go here.

Supervisor takes steps to purchase key site for Central Subway expansion

From the SF Examiner

By Joe Fitzgerald Rodriguez on September 24, 2015 1:00 am

In the wake of impending loss of a key site to expand the new Central Subway, a city supervisor has announced renewed efforts to purchase it.

Supervisor Julie Christensen has asked city government’s Real Estate Division to newly assess the Pagoda Theater property on Columbus Avenue, the San Francisco Examiner has learned.  Continue reading the article here.

 

Central Subway project may lose site to luxury condos

From the SF Examiner

By Joe Fitzgerald Rodriguez on September 23, 2015 1:45 am

San Francisco politicians have big dreams for the Central Subway.

Right now, the section under construction will see it stretch underneath Union Square to Chinatown, but plans are on the books to possibly expand the subway through North Beach to Fisherman’s Wharf.  (Read the rest of the article here.)