An early morning fire at a construction site has shut down the transbay bart service. AN absolute traffic nightmare.
http://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2012/06/14/3-alarm-oakland-fire-shuts-transbay-bart-service/
This event just shows the need for another rail tunnel from SFO - OAK. MAYBE there will eventually be a rail line from the Transbay terminal now under construction for Caltrain and the HSR line ? I know it is being constructed so eventually a line could go under the bay.
If Caltrain and Capitol corridor had enough equipment many commuters could have been taken to San JOSE then up to SFO by Caltrain. or even over the Dunbarton bridge if it was in service ?
BART announcement.
http://bart.gov/news/articles/2012/news20120614.aspx
BART claims service will be restored at 1600 PDT.
iIf so a great job restoring service even if repairs are only temporary ??
service restored at 1545 with residual delays.
Tunnels, no matter where they are or what purpose they serve in the transportation network are very critical to that transportation line and in most instnaces there are no 'easy or economical' work arounds to the service the tunnel supports.
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
Hold the calls for another Trans-Bay tube.
The fire decapitated the system a mile or so east of the east portal of the only existing, and unaffected by the fire tunnels. All East Bay traffic crossing the Bay funnels into two tracks east of West Oakland station. The fire, if anything demonstrated a shortage of approach routes to the tunnels, incidentally they are single-track single-direction tubes with connecters for evacuation under the Bay.
Easily predictable population size stipulates the need for additional trans-Bay BART venues, but not with this event a factor.
Like the LIRR choke point Jamaica, West Oakland is critical. Both need bypasses during interruptions on their approaches..
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