San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge

Reject the 'freeway on stilts' new bridge design for the East Span,
promoted by Caltrans and MTC, that does not allow Trains!

Heavy Rail Trains used the Bay Bridge, not streetcars! The proposed concrete bridge design does not support trains other than light rail.

The Bay Bridge must be 'future-ready' for trains, to the same weight capacity as the present bridge! Trains went as far as Chico. In the future, High Speed trains and regional trains are most likely to use the Bay Bridge.

Shown: 5-car Interurban Electric Railway #2 train arriving in San Francisco circa 1940.

This 5-car train is the "Dutton Ave. Express" to San Leandro. Express trains should augment BART since BART has always declined express service. Travel time is the main criteria for travel mode choice.

Shown: Transbay Terminal circa 1940 with Interurban Electric Railway #7 express train.

The Bay Bridge rail could save $900 million for High Speed Rail by bypassing the Peninsula. Bay Bridge rail would also give a San Francisco downtown terminus at the Transbay Terminal vs. the current Caltrain station now proposed.

Graphics: CaHSRA.
More photos, next page!

Letters (details are provided by clicking on the underlined "links" from the MTS web site):

Email from Mayor Willie Brown of San Francisco.

The Truth about Trains by Mayor Ken Bukowski of Emeryville.

Letter from Caltrans to Mayors rejecting the voters approval of allowing trains.

Letter from MTS handed-out to the MTC Commissioners requesting allowing trains.

MTC's Bay Bridge rail "study" rebutted by MTS.

Excerpt from the web site of the Modern Transit Society: moderntransit.org
PO Box 5582, San Jose CA 95150

The tracks carried more people than all the auto lanes COMBINED. Yet, the tracks used only 20% of the bridge area.

The report states:

"Electric interurban railways have a greater capacity and offer safer and faster transportation (particularly during rush hours) than do other forms of transportation. Therefore, it is essential that the electric railways be retained on the present bridge."

Cross Section of Bridge from State Report

A 1947 California Department of Public Works report shows the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge configuration (1939-1958) with five peak direction lanes and two tracks.

Train passengers helped pay for the bridge! The toll was 2.5 cents per passenger each way, included in the fare. This is equivalent to about 50 cents round trip today. It is a significant amount because it's per passenger (not per car).

Shown: Transbay Terminal and Bay Bridge.

The A-trains of the Key System (shown) went between San Francisco and San Leandro. The Oakland traffic engineering department wanted trains eliminated near Lake Merritt so the right of way of the trains could be used for more automobile lanes. In 1950, the "heavily used" A-line was severed. As a result of a hostile takeover in 1946 by General Motors Corp., the Key System transit company supported its own destruction.

For details, see the report Conflict of Transportation Competitors on the MTS web site.

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