Press ReleasesFor Immediate ReleaseBART Emergency: Trains Resume TransBay SeviceMTC, Bay Area Transit Operators and 511 Join Forces to Provide Bus Bridge and Alert the PublicContact: The Metropolitan
Transportation Commission established an Emergency Operations Center
at its Oakland headquarters early this morning to address the major
disruption to regional travel, working with bus and ferry operators
to organize alternative service for the tens of thousands of commuters
stranded by the BART closure, and to notify travelers of transportation
options. In a lucky coincidence, the real-life emergency coincided
with a regional emergency preparedness exercise set for today at MTC,
which meant that staff and equipment were at the ready and assembled
early in the morning, and transit operator staff around the region
were standing by to respond. The Alameda-Oakland, Harbor Bay and Vallejo Baylink ferry systems added vessels and trips during the morning and afternoon commutes, while AC Transit redeployed vehicles to provide a bus bridge between San Francisco’s Temporary Transbay Terminal and the MacArthur BART station in Oakland. In a show of regional cooperation, AC Transit allowed BART commuters to board by showing their BART ticket or a Clipper card loaded with a high-value BART ticket. Several bus operators stepped in to provide nearly 20 extra vehicles and drivers for the afternoon commute bus bridge: TriDelta Transit, the Livermore Amador Valley Transit Authority (LAVTA/Wheels), the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) and SolTrans in Solano County. The Central Contra Costa Transit Authority (County Connection/CCCTA) was ready with standby buses as well. AC Transit said the emergency bus bridge would continue to at least 6 p.m. tonight. MTC’s
511 Traveler Information System played a central role in getting the
word out to the traveling public about the outage and commute alternatives,
both via its free 511 phone line and the 511.org website
and transit trip planner. News organizations and transit operators advertised
511 as the go-to source for current, accurate information. According
to BART, the fire started at 2:15 a.m., Thursday, June 14, at a senior
housing complex that was under construction near the West Oakland BART station.
The fire spread onto BART property, causing damage to BART insulators, and BART
communication and electrical cables, as well as some trackside equipment. BART
was forced to close the West Oakland station and to suspend service
between San Francisco and the East Bay in the wake of the fire. BART
was able to run truncated service between East Bay stations and between
Peninsula and San Francisco stations. Today’s
commute was complicated by two major events occurring in San Francisco
— a Giants game at AT&T Park, and the U.S. Open golf tournament
at The Olympic Club at the city’s southwest edge, both of which
drew large crowds. Caltrans activated
all message signs along approaches to the San Francisco-Oakland Bay
Bridge this morning, warning drivers to take alternate routes, according to Sean
Nozarri, deputy director of Caltrans District 4. He said that Caltrans also canceled
any lane closures planned for today for maintenance purposes. Drivers
experienced long delays on Bay Bridge approaches this morning, according
to Caltrans District 4 Traffic Management Chief Barry Loo. MTC is the transportation planning, coordinating and financing agency for the nine-county San Francisco Bay Area. # # # |
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