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| SFMTA home > Transit > Projects & Planning > Central Subway > Reports > Central Subway Connections Issue 6 - Spring 2008 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Central Subway Facts The Central Subway will operate as an extension of the T Third light rail line which opened for full service in April 2007. The Central Subway segment will significantly reduce travel time and increase reliability of transit service in the corridor. It will serve regional transit connections, major tourist destinations, convention facilities and the large number of residents in the corridor who rely on transit. Construction is expected to begin in 2010 and service is expected by 2016. The Central Subway will extend light rail service, primarily in subway, serving the South of Market, Union Square and Chinatown neighborhoods. The project has received over $56 million in New Starts federal funding to date for preliminary engineering activities. Benefits
Central Subway AdvancesMessage from SFMTA Executive Director/CEO, Nathaniel P. Ford, Sr.
This year has started out on a very positive note for the Central Subway project. On February 5, the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) announced its annual ratings for projects competing for Federal New Starts funds. I’m pleased to report that the Central Subway received a very positive evaluation. The project’s high ratings are in large part due to our political leadership, community input and the hard work of the project team. We appreciate the FTA’s support and guidance to make this project successful. The project is recommended because of its high level of benefits and its strong local financial support. The Central Subway project will provide convenient subway service to jobs, medical care, educational opportunities, shopping and entertainment for residents and visitors from Visitacion Valley to Chinatown. Another important milestone was the adoption of a new Central Subway Locally Preferred Alternative (LPA) by the SFMTA Board on February 19. The LPA extends the T Third light rail service along Fourth and Stockton streets and includes one surface and three underground stations. The project team will now focus on detailed engineering and design over the next few years with construction expected to begin in 2010. (See page 3 for more information on the LPA.) Central Subway Gets High Rating from FTA
On February 5, 2008, the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) announced its annual ratings for projects currently competing for federal New Starts funds. The Central Subway received a positive review with a “medium-high” rating for project justification and mobility improvements and a “high” rating for land use benefits. The project received a “medium-high” overall rating. Mayor Gavin Newsom stated, “I am pleased that the U.S. Department of Transportation acknowledges the importance of the Central Subway project as the backbone for expanded rail transit services in San Francisco. I want to thank House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senators Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer for their continued leadership and support of the entire T Third project.” The Mayor held a press conference in Chinatown on February 19 to emphasize the importance of the project to the City.
Central Subway Community Outreach SFMTA prominently featured the Central Subway in the 2008 Chinese New Year Parade and Community Street Fair. On Saturday, February 23, project team members, along with community volunteers, braved inclement weather and marched in the parade along with students from Jean Parker Elementary School. Project team members also staffed a Central Subway booth during the Street Fair where they answered questions and distributed thousands of informational handouts. Central Subway outreach activities include:
Central Subway Public Art Program The San Francisco Arts Commission has issued a Call for Artists to supplement the existing Central Subway Artist Pool which was established in 2005 following a national competition. The Central Subway Artists Pool, whose members will be eligible as candidates for several permanent artworks at each of the Central Subway stations, will include a diverse range of local, regional and national artists, both emerging and established, who are working in a variety of visual arts media. An independent panel of representatives from Central Subway corridor neighborhoods and the SFMTA, as well as project architects and arts professionals, will select the artist applicants later this spring from the Call for Artists. Then, a separate independent panel established for each of the three underground Central Subway stations will select several different artists from the Artist Pool to prepare proposals for each art opportunity. All artist selection panel meetings are open to the public. The Call for Artists has been open to all professional artists working in a wide variety of visual arts media. The Arts Commission will also develop occasional transit-related temporary projects and community programs on an annual basis during design and construction over the next eight years. Following the completion of the Central Subway in 2016, rotating exhibitions of artwork in the stations will provide a dynamic aspect to the subway stations. Interested artists can obtain more information about the Central Subway Public Art Program at the Arts Commission’s website at: www.sfartscommission.org/pubart/or by calling Mary Chou, Public Art Program Associate, at 415.252.3215 SFMTA Adopts Locally Preferred Alternative On February 19, the SFMTA Board of Directors voted to adopt a Locally Preferred Alternative (LPA) for the Central Subway. The newly adopted LPA includes a surface station at Fourth and Brannan streets, three subway stations and tunnels to North Beach. The three subway stations are located at Moscone Center, Union Square/Market Street and Chinatown. The adoption of the new LPA comes after extensive planning, including public review and input to the Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement/Environmental Impact Report (Draft SEIS/SEIR) that evaluated Central Subway alternative alignments.
Funding (Millions)
Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement/Environmental Impact Report (SEIS/SEIR) Update The Draft SEIS/SEIR was distributed for public review on October 17, 2007. A Public Hearing was held by the San Francisco Planning Commission on November 15, 2007. Forty written comments on the draft environmental document were received and 23 people commented at the Public Hearing. Responses to the comments and questions will be addressed in the Final SEIS/SEIR. Preparation of the Final SEIS/SEIR includes reviews by the San Francisco Planning Commission and the FTA before being released to the public later this year. The next step is for the Planning Commission to certify the Final SEIS/SEIR at a public meeting and to initiate a Master Plan Referral. A 20-day appeal period will follow the Planning Department Certification. SFMTA will then hold a public hearing to adopt the Central Subway project, the environmental findings and overriding considerations and Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program. This action completes the California environmental review process. The FTA will then issue a Record of Decision that will complete the federal environmental review process. Tunnel Technology for the Central Subway
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San Francisco Muni is part of the SFMTA. Copyright © 2000-2008 SFMTA. All rights reserved. Updated September 22, 2008 |
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A construction approach called deep tunneling will be used to construct the Central Subway. Deep tunneling allows most of the work to be done below ground, reducing disruption on the surface. The tunneling will be accomplished with a Tunnel Boring Machine, a technology that has been used extensively throughout the world. Deep tunneling has great potential for controlling project costs by minimizing surface construction staging, reducing utility relocations and shortening construction time.
