Speaking of Caltrain and CAHSR, an interesting fact about the Transbay Terminal is that there is actually an already built basement or “train-box” below the terminal currently, in order to serve the future as mentioned rail services. And also the skylight extends from the roof to the platform area/train box.
It's actually criminal how clean, modern, peaceful, and elegant this bus station is. Most important is how you can see this station was built with a clear "progressive" intent on making it truly a beautiful landmark that bus riders, young to old, disabled or not, can not only wait with security but enjoy too. The integrated park (with a water fountain that detects buses???) and especially the extraneous gondola, it just made me shocked. I loved how you narrated the gondola being this seemingly fun little add-on the designers put, to me it just sears into my mind how insane that this transit center is real, and exceptionally inside America.
I usually prefer to ride AC Transit over BART if I am visiting my boyfriend in the East Bay. What I like is that it goes directly to his neighborhood so that I don't have to get from BART to his place. I also prefer to come home on the bus. Incredible views of boats sailing in SF Bay as well as over to the GG Bridge is spectacular! I can transfer to my MUNI bus at the terminal and it goes one block from my home. I also like to go up to the park and walk around if I have a wait for my bus to depart. If you are riding the Amtrak bus the stop is a couple of blocks away on Mission Street. When coming into the terminal look out for the beleaguered Millennium Tower next door I advice to bring a layer to wear here. Even on those rare hot days in SF it is cold in the terminal. Something you can see in the video are lines in the concrete as the path meanders. Those are to help the visually impaired to navigate the building. There are also planned events such as Tuesday Yoga on the Roof Park. Always lots of mothers with strollers
@@davidjackson7281 I completely disagree. I work in Mission Bay and it is an absolute nightmare for our clients who get caught up in the SOMA maze. Plus big ticket public works projects are always criticized
Great video! I used to live right next to the transbay terminal and used it all the time to get around the city. There's also a few other things in that terminal like a gym, restaurants, dentist office and clinic. Multi-use ftw! Fun fact, if you go into the center entrance where the escalators go directly to the park, you can see the giant floor plates they'll remove to go to the basement where the trains will be
If you never traveled through the original Transbay Terminal, I can't understate how dramatic a transformation the new building is. As part of the construction, the space for the underground concourse and train level have already been built and waiting. In the central atrium there are glass panels in the floor to let the light down underground, and solid rectangular pieces where the stairs and elevators will be added in the future.
I think in addition to Caltrain's downtown extension there are plans to build a underground pedestrian walkway to Embarcadero station nearby. Might be a while but can't wait until all that is finished! Truly would be a giant transit hub then. I think they advertised the Transbay Transit Center to be the "Grand Central of the West" or something.
San Jose Diridon has Caltrain, VTA light rail, ace, Capitol Corridor, and a bart extension (under construction) and a planned stop for high speed rail. So it will be a competitor for sure.
@@blainegabbertgabonemhofgoa6602 I really like the train station in San Jose! I used to go to hockey games sometimes. I have also taken the bus from there to Santa Cruz
I would love to see the kind of underground connectors that they have in Asia that are full of shops and restaurants. Probably won't happen in SF anytime soon, though.
@@fixpacifica in Asia isn’t there more clay in the ground? I think that makes it easier to build underground. The thing in San Francisco, especially this area, are underground ships and streams. They found a whole bunch of them in front of the Hyatt. They have to excavate the site when that happens before they can proceed with construction. This area, The East Cut and Rincon Hill had massive casualties during the 1906 earthquake. I’m sure there’s a lot buried that would make building an underground city complicated
I’ve never heard of a nice bus terminal with a gondola. That’s so cool, I’m gonna want to check it out one day. And I gotta agree that it’s a nice looking terminal. I only remember going to an underground bus terminal in downtown Minneapolis. There’s one that’s two stories in downtown Nashville because one of the streets that run along it is uphill.
Wow, how cool! I really look forward to your videos. They're fresh, clean, and positive! I remember the old Transbay Terminal. It was dark, creepy, and dirty, just like you described most American bus stations. The buses arrived and departed on different tracks (remember, it was designed for interurban trains), so there were only stairs up to the bus level. If you love air brake noises and diesel fumes, it was your kind of place! 😝 I was fascinated by your map of the old interurban lines in the East Bay. That must have been the way they were rather late in time, say the 1950s. Earlier the map would have been more extensive. I'm trying to find a map that shows just how extensive the routes were at their peak. By the way, did you know that the Key System invented the turn signal? When streetcars come to a switch in the tracks, where they could go straight or turn, the switch is normally set one way. To go the other way, the streetcar stops at just the right spot on the track. There a magnet buried in the street detects the car sitting there and throws the switch. The streetcar has a few seconds to go before the track switch moves back to the normal position. The Key System didn't use that method. At junctions they had "towers"--little booths on the sidewalk. The towerman controlled the switches with levers, just like on a steam railroad. When the streetcar came to the junction, the motorman turned on a light on the roof of the car--red for a left turn, green for a right, off for straight. This told the towerman how to line up the switches. The new terminal is everything you say. Thanks again for a great video!
I love the Salesforce Transit Center. Its a great spot in the middle of the city and actually home to a huge gym too! I hope that they do commit to building the connection from 4th and King to the transit center. It would make Caltrain an even more useful service for commuters accessing downtown SF. When the CAHSR project terminates I think this station will really become one of the best in the west coast. It currently feels a little dead there, as if the full potential of the transit center hasnt been realized yet. While its a great step, theres still a lot more to build! Hoping they fund the tunnel!
I think eventually the second transbay tube coming into here will really be great because then the trains can through-run to a destination in the East Bay somewhere or all the way to Sacramento.
The South Station Bus Terminal in Boston is pretty nice too. It sits right above the MBTA Commuter Rail/Amtrak platforms and offers direct connections to that and the MBTA Red Line. It opened in 1995 and was so successful, it is currently being doubled in size. The new expanded part will also have a rooftop garden. The addition is scheduled to open in early 2024.
Love your videos! I work a block away from there and there’s a couple cool happy hour spots near the station and walking around at night feels super safe. I believe the funding will be secured for the Caltrain tunnel by spring 2025 and construction should start within the next year after but projections don’t show completion until 2032 😕
Yes, they actually have good food there in the terminal on the ground floor. I'm surprised TRA didn't mention the light well that carry the light from the top down into the very bottom floor where the railroad tracks are supposed to go. They created an empty box down there for the train tracks to come in at a later date.
@@davidjackson7281 Well yea, CAHSR won't run into the station until then, but Caltrain will run on 15-minute headways from there and the Caltrain board + TPJA are using the updated 2032 ETA for revenue service. CAHSR contributed funds for Caltrain electrification despite not using the tracks for decades so it's all part of the playbook to improve caltrain service.
Thanks for posting this - I used to work a block away (I am a native New Yorker now living in San Francisco) and when I first saw the green space above it reminded me of the High Line. On weekdays, there is quite a large after-work crowd and a lot of activities. As you pointed out, Caltrain, which is being electrified (and high speed rail, if we live that long) is planned to have a station underneath the building. I used to old terminal building for many years; it was a WPA project and was not bad looking, but the vast waiting room areas became a natural draw for the homeless people. There also was a lot of history to the old building, with tracks for the Key System and Sacramento Northern trains (before my time). There are still some viaducts visible on the bridge approaches that still have the supports for the overhead wires.
Very impressive video. I also like your positive and upbeat coverage of The City as too many only see the problems (yes those exist), but get amplified by the media.
Here's a little tidbit of information for you, Thom: San Francisco is in a Mediterranean climate zone. Other such zones around the world, besides the Medeiterranean itself, include South Africa, southern coast of Australia, and Chile. All of the greenery in the Salesforce Park are from Mediterranean climate zones around the world, which is a fairly good guarantee that they will thrive here because they are in similar climates.
I would say that you're one of the biggest small content creators in the industry, simply because out of the s mall pool of transit enthusiasts on the platform your quality is so good that you're able to get everyone's views what's funny is I was actually at the Salesforce tower and transit center a few months ago around May... that aerial tram is always out of order and rarely RARELY ever functions xD its also quite frustrating going and seeing the upper-floors of the transit center, as all of the space that could be used for other massive projects just go to waste- there is often always at least half the bays empty also, the last comment I left on your BART videos regarding the Dublin/Pleasanton extensions towards the east wasn't complete; I really think that BART should focus more on ridership rather than expansion, and this is quite easy to prove - just look at their expectations and realities of ridership coming out of their orange line to Berryessa terminus. Also, it is quite funny as there are bus routes that run between BART stations that are actually faster than riding BART, such as the County Connection line 93X from Antioch to Walnut Creek
If only the Port Authority Bus Terminal would look this good instead of being stuck in the 80s (a new one is planned but it’ll be a traffic nightmare for several years before it’s completed).
Important to note that the Transbay Transit Center does have an underground portion already dug out and ready for trains. Not furnished, missing rails and all that good stuff, but the excavation and concrete work is done and awaiting connection to the 4th and King station via an underground tunnel. Constructing that tunnel is the expensive/controversial part as it is similar to NYC"s Second Avenue Subway in being really expensive for a short distance due to the high value/density above it.
The bay for both Cal Train and Cal High Speed Rail are already there, one atop the other, below the station Cal Train is currently being electrified so its new equipment can run underground. At that point, the freeway, currently ending at CalTrain, will be demolished to 16th st. And the big blue bldg behind the SF transbay aerial tram is the notorious leaning Millennium tower
the rooftop fountain is the coolest feature. It's triggered by sensors in the lower floors. Before I looked it up, I thought the slight air draft would be enough to do the job
My goodness this bus station is awesome but especially the little gondola you can take to the awesome rooftop!!!! Just absolutely awesome!!!! And I hope you two can go back and ride that little sky gondola someday!!!
I love going to a cafe connected to the park. They also have a bar now and lots of restaurants and cafes on the bottom. There are events hosted on top all the time.
In January of 2020 I had lunch on the roof with my cousin that works nearby. There was a gathering of food trucks. When she told me we were have lunch on top of a bus stop. This is definitely not what came to mind.
What's great about the Salesforce Transit Center is it's itself a destination. Between the rooftop park, shops, places to eat and even just standing in the Grand Hall, it provides a cool spot in downtown SF to hang out. The Downtown Rail Extension, nicknamed the Portal, is being built by the Transbay Joint Powers Authority. By their estimates, if it's 100% funded by 2025 it could open in 2032. California HSR will build to SF next once the Central Valley segment is up and running, so it could reach there by the late 2030s if construction doesn't start sooner. They estimate up to six years needed to construct the longer of two tunnels through Pacheco Pass. Once SF-Bakersfield service is established, they'll turn south to LA and Anaheim via Palmdale. There's no funding identified for HSR construction beyond the Central Valley, and any timeline is dependent on funding.
@@Thom-TRA I would say it’s more of bringing the train station to the bus station, but the San Bernardino Line is already on a overpass/bridge by the time it passes the bus station, I guess what could be a compromise would be a shuttle between the two
I watched a few of your older videos, especially about trains in austria and germany (being from austria). one thing I'd like to give as feedback: you nail the pronounciation of german city names fairly well. this is not normal. thank you for taking time to learn how to not butcher german pronounciation. by the way, this is the first channel I found that even recognized the reißzug (reisszug) in salzburg as the oldest railway ever and made a video about it. and of course this video is outstanding aswell. you somehow find the more hidden gems of railways and public transportation.
How was fume management? Guessing the mesh on the outside allows a good airflow at the expense of warmth. Thanks for sharing this - one to watch for the future \m/
It felt perfectly fine inside, but also there weren’t a lot of buses when I was there. Considering it’s a new building in California, I’d guess it’s pretty good.
The Salesforce Transit Center (cleverly shorted to "SF Transit Center" on Muni headsigns 🤭 is really meant to be a train station. The station box for Caltrain and CAHSR's "Downtown extension (DTX)" was built in place with the structure above, and currently sits empty and unconnected. I believe the platforms are already in place. If you take a closer look at Muni buses on Market St, you'll notice the bus stops arrianged quite cleverly, with the street center island platforms (shared with the F) serving buses towards the Ferry Plaza at the end of Market, and the stops on the sidewalk serving buses to and from Salesforce. Speaking of AC Transit Transbay services, the routes (all lettered as opposed to numbered as you may have noticed) are basically direct successors to the old routes of the Key System interurbans, using the same route letters as Key trains did and following roughly the same paths and serving the same areas. This is frustrating as they do not take into account the fact that the East Bay has changed a lot since Key trains were discontinued, and as such, the entire Transbay network is almost entirely peak oriented as the route design does not set up these routes for success during other times. The pandemic came and eliminated many of Transbay routes so now the network is weaker and smaller than before. The routes mostly don't take into account BART service and overall provide a mediocre peak service at best. Outside the peak basically the only all day lines using the bus bays are the F, NL, O, and Muni 25. The Transbay network really needs a wholesale overhaul to redeisgn routes to focus on areas and cordidors far from BART and all day sevice on order to massively improve ridership and justify the huge, expensive transit center built for it, but alas, AC Transit currently has no plans to overhaul the network.
It's one of America's newest and greatest transit centres however it remains woefully underused. Even with a hefty price tag they really should extend the tunnel to it so that HSR and Caltrains can use it. Especially with Greyhound barely being a service anymore. Here in Canada it has been gone for over a decade and there are few alternatives for long-distance travel besides flying...
Regarding Sales Force bus terminal they designed it like New York City Port Authority Bus Terminal direct access ramp to Lincoln Tunnel. about a key difference here is the rooftop level NYC Port Authority Bus Terminal top is a parking lot on the other hand Salesforce Transit Center San Francisco Park Rooftop
As a software engineer at day, a transit video maker on vacation and racing video gamer as a youth, I wondered what the giant black block of building as in Midtown Madness II and the bright building wide building is in Watchdogs 2. Then I found out last year what really is there.
Can’t wait until it turns into a true transit hub with high speed rail and Caltrain and possibly transbay regional rail or BART with the Link 21 Project.
Wow! I thought El Monte Station held the claim to largest bus station in the U.S. west of Chicago, but maybe it has been superseded since its completion?
Another great report! Nice to see how nice Transbay is. When I visited SFO, I did not have time to check it out. Great coverage of transit as always! I have used New York Port Authority before and I agree with you, not bad at all. Dated design but functions well.
I used to work at Muni for a point in my life and I must say this is the best part of it. Of course during rush hour, it can get really rowdy. Only thing I hate about it is the lack of food which is kind of lame because I had to bring my own meal.
@@Thom-TRA The top of the tower is an LED display. A few years ago on Halloween the put an eye on it, like Sauron, but not too close. Copyright and all that.
as someone from the bay area (east bay) its nice to see the station is nice because i have never been there. a lot of people here (specially media) always talk about it like a faliure because of how empty it is. and i think a major issue with that is it doesnt connect to bart. directly so its much easier to buses to somewhere else in the city on market
It’s certainly a lot nicer than the old Greyhound terminal and sets the bar very high for future terminals. My vote for the worst bus station is Paris Bercy, it looks hideous.
@Thom-TRA I don't do it anymore but I used to build ski lifts. It has alot of the same sorts of systems but the entire thing is definitely a one off, none other like it in the world design wise. The entire thing is completely automated including all safeties so it doesn't require an operator. The guy sitting in there in the video from your parents is just a steward/security guy
The best bus station I have ever seen is the underground bus station they built in the CBD in Perth, Western Australia. Instead of having specific stops for each bus (like most bus stations I have seen) stands just get allocated to whatever bus comes in (like how airport gates work). So you just sit in bank of seats the middle, wait for your bus to show up on the screen and then get up and get on it. No need to worry if you are at the right stop or not. Much better than the other bus station in the Perth CBD (much older) that has multiple platforms and multiple stops on each and it can be a pain to find the right place to wait for your bus)
I liked the old one better it was fun to hangout in. This one's boring but the bathrooms are clean and 24hrs. After watching this it's obvious you're not local because of what you called the bridge but it's cute.
It's called the San Francisco Oakland Bay Bridge. I understand locals call it the Bay Bridge but this content is meant to be educational, so I use the proper names.
It wasn't anything bad. I have just never heard it called that before. I actually like your channel I found it yesterday. It was meant to be a compliment sorry if I offended you.@@Thom-TRA
I love the rooftop park, but the downstairs lobby is just plain sad. It's a cavernous empty space with no seating and nothing to encourage people to visit. It should have shops and restaurants.
I hate to say this out of you train subject, but if your in San Francisco, do you plan to visit Alcatraz? The closed down island prison? It may no longer be functional, but worth the visit. If not I understand. No one like prison.
It is a good station and it looks nice, But it is empty, maybe there is some people there but In the first proposal it was supposed to be packed, I hope that CHSR and maybe CalTrain comes to the station, I’m sorry if you already explained this in the video, I haven’t watched completely yet, good videos tho! ❤❤❤
Yes it took a huge hit because of the pandemic. I ride out of here about once a week and it does have a lot of riders who still use it. They used to have many many buses for AC Transit that were express. It took passengers to specific neighborhoods in the East Bay. Presently it is just running three lines, F to Berkeley, O to Alameda and NL to Oakland. It is also served by LYNX that goes to Contra Costa County. I have seen this place packed where if you did not queue up for the bus you may not get a seat
For context the whole point of the Transbay Transit Center (or Salesforce blah blah blah) is exactly as named (originally) San Francisco is the only city in San Francisco county, meaning Muni doesn't run anywhere outside of it except for a couple stops in just into San Mateo county to the south, so it allows people on either side of the Golden Gate or Bay Bridge to come to SF in one location via their local bus systems (not Muni) where they can hop on another bus (Muni) to go anywhere else in the city. Overall though I'm torn on the effectiveness of it as a wise use of money spent. East Bay people can already come into the city via BART which is the only transit system that goes through multiple counties and IMO should be seen as a much more preferable option to avoid bridge traffic than buses, Marin county across the GG bridge still needs to come in yeah, but they don't get the direct access via the Bay Bridge ramp there they literally drive on city streets like everyone else to get to the GG Bridge so there's really no benefit for them so a transit terminal could have been anywhere. And bringing Caltrain to it just seems like a boondoggle of a multi billion dollar project that keeps getting more and more pricey with every re-interation that I feel that SF simply wants it's "Grand Central Station" type landmark at any cost but BART doesn't go there it's a couple blocks away by walking, but they're talking about having a direct link with a second transbay tube? for a couple blocks? They can't keep their finances in check for what they got, just isn't going to happen. CalTrain/CAHSR would be a nice edition for rail but that only will be for one particular train line to the south, all other rail traffic from the rest of the country (Amtrak) terminates in the East bay and there are no plans (realistic ones) to ever bring it into SF proper, in fact what they did is the built a BART station next to the Emeryville station for Amtrak if you need to get into San Francisco or elsewhere in the bay area.
Though I agree with a lot of points here, this transit center is future proofing SF when you take in the amount of people in SoCal and the Central Valley that may want to come up here for a vacation and work. Just an 1/8 of SoCal in it's entirety could possibly flood SF without those other connections. Especially if there's no major stop between SF and San Jose. Also, there already is a direct BART connection to Amtrak in Richmond. Adding Emeryville would be an even greater task to do. Plus the closest station is MacArthur. It's connected through not only AC Transit, but the Emery-Go-Round. And there's a bus connection to SF from Emeryville through Amtrak. Plus plus, from Jack London, you can easily walk to 12th Street or Lake Merritt Station. (Granted if you know how to get around). Oooor! If you are coming up from San Jose on Amtrak to get on BART (if it's cheaper than CalTrain of course), you could get off and the Coliseum and walk the bridge to get to the station.
In the case of Marin, Golden Gate Transit while not having a direct bridge to the transit center, for the most part they use a mostly Muni bus only lane between the bus terminal and the beginnings of the Golden Gate Bridge. So, they have improve their transit connection to SF from the North Bay. On the other hand, you need to keep in mind that the east bay is a large area and that AC Transit transbay buses mostly serve the western sections of Alameda and Contra Costa County. So, you are basically talking three population magnets that can are not entirely have another transit alternative in accessing the city. Central and Eastern Contra Costa Counties along with Santa Clara will continue to use BART but if more people within AC transit transbay buses use more buses that can leave more space for other commuters that travel larger distances on BART. Definitely, not a waste of resources, rather planning for the future.
@@Yvonne-Bella I get the connection to SoCal and the idea of future proofing, but there is a stop already in SF, it's 4th and King. Extending CalTrain lines (future HSR lines too) into the Transbay terminal just seems too expensive for what you get, I forget the current numbers are but I want to say it's well over 6 billion to underground those tracks. I just really think financially that money can be better used elsewhere for transit. Maybe have a series of shuttles between the Transit terminal the train station end of line. Or build a quasi-transit hub at that station where you can have a number of Muni-routes intersect it, perhaps extend some LRV tracks a single block to have a pick up there and you basically open up the whole city and can probably be done for less than $6B (or whatever it ends up ballooning into). As for east bay access, Millbrae should be a stop for HSR too as BART is already at that station and nothing new needs to be built and you can ferry people to any other part of the bay except the North Bay.
Speaking of Caltrain and CAHSR, an interesting fact about the Transbay Terminal is that there is actually an already built basement or “train-box” below the terminal currently, in order to serve the future as mentioned rail services. And also the skylight extends from the roof to the platform area/train box.
It's actually criminal how clean, modern, peaceful, and elegant this bus station is. Most important is how you can see this station was built with a clear "progressive" intent on making it truly a beautiful landmark that bus riders, young to old, disabled or not, can not only wait with security but enjoy too. The integrated park (with a water fountain that detects buses???) and especially the extraneous gondola, it just made me shocked. I loved how you narrated the gondola being this seemingly fun little add-on the designers put, to me it just sears into my mind how insane that this transit center is real, and exceptionally inside America.
A LOT of America's 'bus stations' are just a parking lot or under a freeway over pass. Thanks for the video Thom
Very true! Or these days just a street curb
You should have seen the former Transbay terminal. That place was scary as well as the surrounding streets!
The locals just called it the "Transbay Terminal" and that was the destination sign on all Muni buses that had the route ending there.
added this place to my google maps list of places to visit! whenever im in SF
Nice!
I usually prefer to ride AC Transit over BART if I am visiting my boyfriend in the East Bay. What I like is that it goes directly to his neighborhood so that I don't have to get from BART to his place. I also prefer to come home on the bus. Incredible views of boats sailing in SF Bay as well as over to the GG Bridge is spectacular! I can transfer to my MUNI bus at the terminal and it goes one block from my home. I also like to go up to the park and walk around if I have a wait for my bus to depart. If you are riding the Amtrak bus the stop is a couple of blocks away on Mission Street. When coming into the terminal look out for the beleaguered Millennium Tower next door
I advice to bring a layer to wear here. Even on those rare hot days in SF it is cold in the terminal. Something you can see in the video are lines in the concrete as the path meanders. Those are to help the visually impaired to navigate the building. There are also planned events such as Tuesday Yoga on the Roof Park. Always lots of mothers with strollers
@@davidjackson7281 I completely disagree. I work in Mission Bay and it is an absolute nightmare for our clients who get caught up in the SOMA maze. Plus big ticket public works projects are always criticized
Great video! I used to live right next to the transbay terminal and used it all the time to get around the city. There's also a few other things in that terminal like a gym, restaurants, dentist office and clinic. Multi-use ftw!
Fun fact, if you go into the center entrance where the escalators go directly to the park, you can see the giant floor plates they'll remove to go to the basement where the trains will be
Imagine you're getting a root canal and a giant greyhound above you shakes everything
And my favorite amenity: a beer stand!
Way cool! I will look for it next time I’m there
@@Thom-TRA the doc will just have to give you a little extra funny gas; which will be fine because your ride home is a couple floors up or down
If you never traveled through the original Transbay Terminal, I can't understate how dramatic a transformation the new building is.
As part of the construction, the space for the underground concourse and train level have already been built and waiting. In the central atrium there are glass panels in the floor to let the light down underground, and solid rectangular pieces where the stairs and elevators will be added in the future.
I think in addition to Caltrain's downtown extension there are plans to build a underground pedestrian walkway to Embarcadero station nearby. Might be a while but can't wait until all that is finished! Truly would be a giant transit hub then. I think they advertised the Transbay Transit Center to be the "Grand Central of the West" or something.
A connection to BART and Muni Metro and this would be a game changer
San Jose Diridon has Caltrain, VTA light rail, ace, Capitol Corridor, and a bart extension (under construction) and a planned stop for high speed rail. So it will be a competitor for sure.
@@blainegabbertgabonemhofgoa6602
I really like the train station in San Jose! I used to go to hockey games sometimes. I have also taken the bus from there to Santa Cruz
I would love to see the kind of underground connectors that they have in Asia that are full of shops and restaurants. Probably won't happen in SF anytime soon, though.
@@fixpacifica in Asia isn’t there more clay in the ground? I think that makes it easier to build underground. The thing in San Francisco, especially this area, are underground ships and streams. They found a whole bunch of them in front of the Hyatt. They have to excavate the site when that happens before they can proceed with construction. This area, The East Cut and Rincon Hill had massive casualties during the 1906 earthquake. I’m sure there’s a lot buried that would make building an underground city complicated
Operationally, it reminds me of Boston South Station. BUT Boston's is dark and dirty and doesn't have a park, so SF for the win!
Rooftop parks for the win
Definitely one of the most beautiful transit centers in North America
Definitely
I’ve never heard of a nice bus terminal with a gondola. That’s so cool, I’m gonna want to check it out one day. And I gotta agree that it’s a nice looking terminal. I only remember going to an underground bus terminal in downtown Minneapolis. There’s one that’s two stories in downtown Nashville because one of the streets that run along it is uphill.
Wow, how cool! I really look forward to your videos. They're fresh, clean, and positive!
I remember the old Transbay Terminal. It was dark, creepy, and dirty, just like you described most American bus stations. The buses arrived and departed on different tracks (remember, it was designed for interurban trains), so there were only stairs up to the bus level. If you love air brake noises and diesel fumes, it was your kind of place! 😝
I was fascinated by your map of the old interurban lines in the East Bay. That must have been the way they were rather late in time, say the 1950s. Earlier the map would have been more extensive. I'm trying to find a map that shows just how extensive the routes were at their peak.
By the way, did you know that the Key System invented the turn signal? When streetcars come to a switch in the tracks, where they could go straight or turn, the switch is normally set one way. To go the other way, the streetcar stops at just the right spot on the track. There a magnet buried in the street detects the car sitting there and throws the switch. The streetcar has a few seconds to go before the track switch moves back to the normal position. The Key System didn't use that method. At junctions they had "towers"--little booths on the sidewalk. The towerman controlled the switches with levers, just like on a steam railroad. When the streetcar came to the junction, the motorman turned on a light on the roof of the car--red for a left turn, green for a right, off for straight. This told the towerman how to line up the switches.
The new terminal is everything you say. Thanks again for a great video!
I love the fact about the turn signals! Did not know that.
And fresh, clean, and positive is my new slogan from now on out lol
I love the Salesforce Transit Center. Its a great spot in the middle of the city and actually home to a huge gym too! I hope that they do commit to building the connection from 4th and King to the transit center. It would make Caltrain an even more useful service for commuters accessing downtown SF. When the CAHSR project terminates I think this station will really become one of the best in the west coast. It currently feels a little dead there, as if the full potential of the transit center hasnt been realized yet. While its a great step, theres still a lot more to build! Hoping they fund the tunnel!
I was on vacation so definitely avoided the gym! Lol
I think eventually the second transbay tube coming into here will really be great because then the trains can through-run to a destination in the East Bay somewhere or all the way to Sacramento.
no train is going to sacramento from there lol-
The South Station Bus Terminal in Boston is pretty nice too. It sits right above the MBTA Commuter Rail/Amtrak platforms and offers direct connections to that and the MBTA Red Line. It opened in 1995 and was so successful, it is currently being doubled in size. The new expanded part will also have a rooftop garden. The addition is scheduled to open in early 2024.
I’ll have to make my way up there again!
Love your videos! I work a block away from there and there’s a couple cool happy hour spots near the station and walking around at night feels super safe. I believe the funding will be secured for the Caltrain tunnel by spring 2025 and construction should start within the next year after but projections don’t show completion until 2032 😕
Glad to hear a local perspective! I hope the train funding pulls through
Yes, they actually have good food there in the terminal on the ground floor. I'm surprised TRA didn't mention the light well that carry the light from the top down into the very bottom floor where the railroad tracks are supposed to go. They created an empty box down there for the train tracks to come in at a later date.
@@davidjackson7281 Well yea, CAHSR won't run into the station until then, but Caltrain will run on 15-minute headways from there and the Caltrain board + TPJA are using the updated 2032 ETA for revenue service. CAHSR contributed funds for Caltrain electrification despite not using the tracks for decades so it's all part of the playbook to improve caltrain service.
Thanks for posting this - I used to work a block away (I am a native New Yorker now living in San Francisco) and when I first saw the green space above it reminded me of the High Line. On weekdays, there is quite a large after-work crowd and a lot of activities. As you pointed out, Caltrain, which is being electrified (and high speed rail, if we live that long) is planned to have a station underneath the building. I used to old terminal building for many years; it was a WPA project and was not bad looking, but the vast waiting room areas became a natural draw for the homeless people. There also was a lot of history to the old building, with tracks for the Key System and Sacramento Northern trains (before my time). There are still some viaducts visible on the bridge approaches that still have the supports for the overhead wires.
Thanks for the comment! How does living in NYC compare to San Francisco?
Very impressive video. I also like your positive and upbeat coverage of The City as too many only see the problems (yes those exist), but get amplified by the media.
I will always be positive about places I love! And I see problems as things to care about, not complain about.
Here's a little tidbit of information for you, Thom:
San Francisco is in a Mediterranean climate zone. Other such zones around the world, besides the Medeiterranean itself, include South Africa, southern coast of Australia, and Chile.
All of the greenery in the Salesforce Park are from Mediterranean climate zones around the world, which is a fairly good guarantee that they will thrive here because they are in similar climates.
I would say that you're one of the biggest small content creators in the industry, simply because out of the s mall pool of transit enthusiasts on the platform your quality is so good that you're able to get everyone's views
what's funny is I was actually at the Salesforce tower and transit center a few months ago around May... that aerial tram is always out of order and rarely RARELY ever functions xD
its also quite frustrating going and seeing the upper-floors of the transit center, as all of the space that could be used for other massive projects just go to waste- there is often always at least half the bays empty
also, the last comment I left on your BART videos regarding the Dublin/Pleasanton extensions towards the east wasn't complete; I really think that BART should focus more on ridership rather than expansion, and this is quite easy to prove - just look at their expectations and realities of ridership coming out of their orange line to Berryessa terminus. Also, it is quite funny as there are bus routes that run between BART stations that are actually faster than riding BART, such as the County Connection line 93X from Antioch to Walnut Creek
I appreciate this!
That is the nicest transit/bus stations ever!
Salesforce can name every bus station in the US if they can elevate the game like they do here. What a supercool space to wait in!
If only the Port Authority Bus Terminal would look this good instead of being stuck in the 80s (a new one is planned but it’ll be a traffic nightmare for several years before it’s completed).
I wonder if they'll connect it to the subway
@@Thom-TRA they will, though it’ll have to be with a new connection
I am blown away by this station. Come ON, it’s just so perfect in every way!!! The park takes the cake as the coolest part
I think I saw you blow by my window. Have you landed yet?
Important to note that the Transbay Transit Center does have an underground portion already dug out and ready for trains. Not furnished, missing rails and all that good stuff, but the excavation and concrete work is done and awaiting connection to the 4th and King station via an underground tunnel. Constructing that tunnel is the expensive/controversial part as it is similar to NYC"s Second Avenue Subway in being really expensive for a short distance due to the high value/density above it.
The bay for both Cal Train and Cal High Speed Rail are already there, one atop the other, below the station Cal Train is currently being electrified so its new equipment can run underground. At that point, the freeway, currently ending at CalTrain, will be demolished to 16th st.
And the big blue bldg behind the SF transbay aerial tram is the notorious leaning Millennium tower
the rooftop fountain is the coolest feature. It's triggered by sensors in the lower floors. Before I looked it up, I thought the slight air draft would be enough to do the job
I couldn’t get enough of the fountain. I kept waiting for another bus.
also that water thing thats timed with buses is dope as fuck lol
Nice job
I see a lot of similarities with the central bus station in Breda, The Netherlands. You might be familiar with that one as well Thom 🙂
Zeker weten!
My goodness this bus station is awesome but especially the little gondola you can take to the awesome rooftop!!!! Just absolutely awesome!!!! And I hope you two can go back and ride that little sky gondola someday!!!
Next time we’re there I’m gonna try again!
I love going to a cafe connected to the park. They also have a bar now and lots of restaurants and cafes on the bottom. There are events hosted on top all the time.
What’s the cafe called?
@@Thom-TRA Andytown. It’s in 181 Fremont
In January of 2020 I had lunch on the roof with my cousin that works nearby. There was a gathering of food trucks. When she told me we were have lunch on top of a bus stop. This is definitely not what came to mind.
“Wanna grab lunch at the bus station?” In San Francisco? Yes.
What's great about the Salesforce Transit Center is it's itself a destination. Between the rooftop park, shops, places to eat and even just standing in the Grand Hall, it provides a cool spot in downtown SF to hang out.
The Downtown Rail Extension, nicknamed the Portal, is being built by the Transbay Joint Powers Authority. By their estimates, if it's 100% funded by 2025 it could open in 2032.
California HSR will build to SF next once the Central Valley segment is up and running, so it could reach there by the late 2030s if construction doesn't start sooner. They estimate up to six years needed to construct the longer of two tunnels through Pacheco Pass. Once SF-Bakersfield service is established, they'll turn south to LA and Anaheim via Palmdale. There's no funding identified for HSR construction beyond the Central Valley, and any timeline is dependent on funding.
it looks very modern and comfortable. A beautiful complex probably there are many similar bus stations in America ?
Closest thing I can think of is El Monte Station a few miles east from LA
Are they planning to bring the bus station to the train station there someday?
@@Thom-TRA I would say it’s more of bringing the train station to the bus station, but the San Bernardino Line is already on a overpass/bridge by the time it passes the bus station, I guess what could be a compromise would be a shuttle between the two
I watched a few of your older videos, especially about trains in austria and germany (being from austria).
one thing I'd like to give as feedback: you nail the pronounciation of german city names fairly well. this is not normal.
thank you for taking time to learn how to not butcher german pronounciation.
by the way, this is the first channel I found that even recognized the reißzug (reisszug) in salzburg as the oldest railway ever and made a video about it.
and of course this video is outstanding aswell. you somehow find the more hidden gems of railways and public transportation.
Vielen dank! I took 5 years of German in school in the Netherlands. This comment made my day and I'm glad you enjoy the same transportation I enjoy!
Wow that’s fantastic to ride
Very fun
Wow looks very impressive. Nice to have connections for trains nearby
How was fume management? Guessing the mesh on the outside allows a good airflow at the expense of warmth.
Thanks for sharing this - one to watch for the future \m/
It felt perfectly fine inside, but also there weren’t a lot of buses when I was there. Considering it’s a new building in California, I’d guess it’s pretty good.
It is well ventilated and not smelly. Unfortunately it’s Cold! 🥶
The Salesforce Transit Center (cleverly shorted to "SF Transit Center" on Muni headsigns 🤭 is really meant to be a train station. The station box for Caltrain and CAHSR's "Downtown extension (DTX)" was built in place with the structure above, and currently sits empty and unconnected. I believe the platforms are already in place. If you take a closer look at Muni buses on Market St, you'll notice the bus stops arrianged quite cleverly, with the street center island platforms (shared with the F) serving buses towards the Ferry Plaza at the end of Market, and the stops on the sidewalk serving buses to and from Salesforce. Speaking of AC Transit Transbay services, the routes (all lettered as opposed to numbered as you may have noticed) are basically direct successors to the old routes of the Key System interurbans, using the same route letters as Key trains did and following roughly the same paths and serving the same areas. This is frustrating as they do not take into account the fact that the East Bay has changed a lot since Key trains were discontinued, and as such, the entire Transbay network is almost entirely peak oriented as the route design does not set up these routes for success during other times. The pandemic came and eliminated many of Transbay routes so now the network is weaker and smaller than before. The routes mostly don't take into account BART service and overall provide a mediocre peak service at best. Outside the peak basically the only all day lines using the bus bays are the F, NL, O, and Muni 25. The Transbay network really needs a wholesale overhaul to redeisgn routes to focus on areas and cordidors far from BART and all day sevice on order to massively improve ridership and justify the huge, expensive transit center built for it, but alas, AC Transit currently has no plans to overhaul the network.
I’m really glad they already built the box for the trains. That’s gonna save a major headache.
Great video sir, to you and lyndsey!
Thank you!
It's one of America's newest and greatest transit centres however it remains woefully underused. Even with a hefty price tag they really should extend the tunnel to it so that HSR and Caltrains can use it. Especially with Greyhound barely being a service anymore. Here in Canada it has been gone for over a decade and there are few alternatives for long-distance travel besides flying...
I'm pretty sure the train will be extended eventually
Well done.
Thank you!
Regarding Sales Force bus terminal they designed it like New York City Port Authority Bus Terminal direct access ramp to Lincoln Tunnel. about a key difference here is the rooftop level NYC Port Authority Bus Terminal top is a parking lot on the other hand Salesforce Transit Center San Francisco Park Rooftop
Great video.
Thanks a lot!
As a software engineer at day, a transit video maker on vacation and racing video gamer as a youth, I wondered what the giant black block of building as in Midtown Madness II and the bright building wide building is in Watchdogs 2. Then I found out last year what really is there.
Can’t wait until it turns into a true transit hub with high speed rail and Caltrain and possibly transbay regional rail or BART with the Link 21 Project.
Can’t wait either!
Wow! I thought El Monte Station held the claim to largest bus station in the U.S. west of Chicago, but maybe it has been superseded since its completion?
Interesting, as usual!
Thank you!
Side note: Underneath the ground level, there is a train box already built, ready for the connection to 4th and King.
Perfect
should be the standard honestly
Agreed
They are always critical about the cost of public transport but funnily enough not cars parks and roads.
Very true
I enjoyed that video👍👍
Great job! (with a hidden German ICE in the Video ;-) )
Another great report! Nice to see how nice Transbay is. When I visited SFO, I did not have time to check it out. Great coverage of transit as always!
I have used New York Port Authority before and I agree with you, not bad at all. Dated design but functions well.
Great! have a good day
You too!
I believe there is a ramp for buses to go to street level but it is not used for regular service.
That leads to a depot
sure it's fine, but you haven't seen nice bus stops till you see the 112th/torrence bus loop in hegewisch!
Very cool.
I agree
I used to work at Muni for a point in my life and I must say this is the best part of it. Of course during rush hour, it can get really rowdy. Only thing I hate about it is the lack of food which is kind of lame because I had to bring my own meal.
I thought that they had some good food options? Or maybe it was just that one boba place that I thought was really nice.
@@jpg3702 well I wasn't very lucky because 0 eateries were open when I'm there
LOL! Sitting at my desk and looking at the Salesforce Tower. It's pretty imposing! I call it The Eye like Lord of the Rings
I see the resemblance!
@@Thom-TRA The top of the tower is an LED display. A few years ago on Halloween the put an eye on it, like Sauron, but not too close. Copyright and all that.
as someone from the bay area (east bay) its nice to see the station is nice because i have never been there. a lot of people here (specially media) always talk about it like a faliure because of how empty it is. and i think a major issue with that is it doesnt connect to bart. directly so its much easier to buses to somewhere else in the city on market
didnt know you could take greyhound there doe, that might be a big W considering how sketchy the oakland greyhound(and most greyhound stations are) is
It’s certainly a lot nicer than the old Greyhound terminal and sets the bar very high for future terminals. My vote for the worst bus station is Paris Bercy, it looks hideous.
I might see an exit from the access ramp to Harrison Street
That actually goes to a depot!
I helped design and build the tram. I can answer any questions or give you some construction pictures if you would like.
That’s so cool! Was it a very different job than what you normally do?
@Thom-TRA I don't do it anymore but I used to build ski lifts. It has alot of the same sorts of systems but the entire thing is definitely a one off, none other like it in the world design wise. The entire thing is completely automated including all safeties so it doesn't require an operator. The guy sitting in there in the video from your parents is just a steward/security guy
Did you try the transbay ferry?
Not this time!
The best bus station I have ever seen is the underground bus station they built in the CBD in Perth, Western Australia. Instead of having specific stops for each bus (like most bus stations I have seen) stands just get allocated to whatever bus comes in (like how airport gates work). So you just sit in bank of seats the middle, wait for your bus to show up on the screen and then get up and get on it. No need to worry if you are at the right stop or not. Much better than the other bus station in the Perth CBD (much older) that has multiple platforms and multiple stops on each and it can be a pain to find the right place to wait for your bus)
I lived in SF for a while, and I’ve never seen the team open. Glad to see it is sometimes
Time to camp out for weeks and catch it running lol
I liked the old one better it was fun to hangout in. This one's boring but the bathrooms are clean and 24hrs. After watching this it's obvious you're not local because of what you called the bridge but it's cute.
It's called the San Francisco Oakland Bay Bridge. I understand locals call it the Bay Bridge but this content is meant to be educational, so I use the proper names.
It wasn't anything bad. I have just never heard it called that before. I actually like your channel I found it yesterday. It was meant to be a compliment sorry if I offended you.@@Thom-TRA
@@everything-is-everything I wasn’t offended, just explaining myself! You’re right, very much not a local. I live in DC but I am from Europe.
Can you compare it with the Salesforce (or transbay) Transit Center with the NY NJ Port Authority?
Yes, as I did in the first minute of the video
@Thom-TRA Yes, if you could do it more deeply since there is no content like that, and I am curious how both terminals compare to each other! Please!
@@Alejandro-vn2si an, thanks for the clarification!
I love the rooftop park, but the downstairs lobby is just plain sad. It's a cavernous empty space with no seating and nothing to encourage people to visit. It should have shops and restaurants.
Very nice building. A shame that it is not more busy. But the potential is enormous.
I filmed for about 10 minutes when there weren’t any buses arriving. Not the best reflection for how busy it it.
It’s fairly busy! Yes it took a huge hit bc of Covid. Don’t be fooled!
If it's cool and free, OF COURSE it's going to be closed most of the time!
Did you ride Caltrain?
You’ll find out!
I hate to say this out of you train subject, but if your in San Francisco, do you plan to visit Alcatraz? The closed down island prison? It may no longer be functional, but worth the visit. If not I understand. No one like prison.
I will next time! I just did not have much time this trip so I tried to do as much as possible
It is a good station and it looks nice,
But it is empty, maybe there is some people there but In the first proposal it was supposed to be packed, I hope that CHSR and maybe CalTrain comes to the station, I’m sorry if you already explained this in the video, I haven’t watched completely yet, good videos tho! ❤❤❤
Yes it took a huge hit because of the pandemic. I ride out of here about once a week and it does have a lot of riders who still use it. They used to have many many buses for AC Transit that were express. It took passengers to specific neighborhoods in the East Bay. Presently it is just running three lines, F to Berkeley, O to Alameda and NL to Oakland. It is also served by LYNX that goes to Contra Costa County. I have seen this place packed where if you did not queue up for the bus you may not get a seat
I usually film in the middle of the day when it’s quieter to avoid filming lots of people
It's supposed to be a bullet train station Q.Q
Yep. I talk about that in the video.
My question is do they really need like 40+ platforms for buses?
I wasn't there for rush hour. And even if they didn't there's nothing wrong with having room to grow.
For context the whole point of the Transbay Transit Center (or Salesforce blah blah blah) is exactly as named (originally) San Francisco is the only city in San Francisco county, meaning Muni doesn't run anywhere outside of it except for a couple stops in just into San Mateo county to the south, so it allows people on either side of the Golden Gate or Bay Bridge to come to SF in one location via their local bus systems (not Muni) where they can hop on another bus (Muni) to go anywhere else in the city.
Overall though I'm torn on the effectiveness of it as a wise use of money spent. East Bay people can already come into the city via BART which is the only transit system that goes through multiple counties and IMO should be seen as a much more preferable option to avoid bridge traffic than buses, Marin county across the GG bridge still needs to come in yeah, but they don't get the direct access via the Bay Bridge ramp there they literally drive on city streets like everyone else to get to the GG Bridge so there's really no benefit for them so a transit terminal could have been anywhere.
And bringing Caltrain to it just seems like a boondoggle of a multi billion dollar project that keeps getting more and more pricey with every re-interation that I feel that SF simply wants it's "Grand Central Station" type landmark at any cost but BART doesn't go there it's a couple blocks away by walking, but they're talking about having a direct link with a second transbay tube? for a couple blocks? They can't keep their finances in check for what they got, just isn't going to happen. CalTrain/CAHSR would be a nice edition for rail but that only will be for one particular train line to the south, all other rail traffic from the rest of the country (Amtrak) terminates in the East bay and there are no plans (realistic ones) to ever bring it into SF proper, in fact what they did is the built a BART station next to the Emeryville station for Amtrak if you need to get into San Francisco or elsewhere in the bay area.
I can get behind the quote “salesforce blah blah blah”
Though I agree with a lot of points here, this transit center is future proofing SF when you take in the amount of people in SoCal and the Central Valley that may want to come up here for a vacation and work. Just an 1/8 of SoCal in it's entirety could possibly flood SF without those other connections. Especially if there's no major stop between SF and San Jose.
Also, there already is a direct BART connection to Amtrak in Richmond. Adding Emeryville would be an even greater task to do. Plus the closest station is MacArthur. It's connected through not only AC Transit, but the Emery-Go-Round. And there's a bus connection to SF from Emeryville through Amtrak.
Plus plus, from Jack London, you can easily walk to 12th Street or Lake Merritt Station. (Granted if you know how to get around).
Oooor! If you are coming up from San Jose on Amtrak to get on BART (if it's cheaper than CalTrain of course), you could get off and the Coliseum and walk the bridge to get to the station.
@@Yvonne-Bella emery-go-round really is the best name for a transit agency
In the case of Marin, Golden Gate Transit while not having a direct bridge to the transit center, for the most part they use a mostly Muni bus only lane between the bus terminal and the beginnings of the Golden Gate Bridge. So, they have improve their transit connection to SF from the North Bay. On the other hand, you need to keep in mind that the east bay is a large area and that AC Transit transbay buses mostly serve the western sections of Alameda and Contra Costa County. So, you are basically talking three population magnets that can are not entirely have another transit alternative in accessing the city. Central and Eastern Contra Costa Counties along with Santa Clara will continue to use BART but if more people within AC transit transbay buses use more buses that can leave more space for other commuters that travel larger distances on BART. Definitely, not a waste of resources, rather planning for the future.
@@Yvonne-Bella I get the connection to SoCal and the idea of future proofing, but there is a stop already in SF, it's 4th and King. Extending CalTrain lines (future HSR lines too) into the Transbay terminal just seems too expensive for what you get, I forget the current numbers are but I want to say it's well over 6 billion to underground those tracks.
I just really think financially that money can be better used elsewhere for transit. Maybe have a series of shuttles between the Transit terminal the train station end of line. Or build a quasi-transit hub at that station where you can have a number of Muni-routes intersect it, perhaps extend some LRV tracks a single block to have a pick up there and you basically open up the whole city and can probably be done for less than $6B (or whatever it ends up ballooning into). As for east bay access, Millbrae should be a stop for HSR too as BART is already at that station and nothing new needs to be built and you can ferry people to any other part of the bay except the North Bay.