With this compilation we look back on the major events of 2013 through the lens of photography, presenting a colorful representation of the Metropolitan Transportation Commission’s busy and fruitful year. MTC was financier and coordinator for two major construction projects that came to fruition in 2013 after years of planning and labor. Topping off a decade-long journey that involved a gathering of parts from multiple continents, the new East Span of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge opened to traffic on Labor Day. The sleek white self-anchored suspension span is the largest of its kind in the world and provides unobstructed views of the illuminated San Francisco skyline and the signature hills of the East Bay. Photographers climbed the catwalks, drove on the decks and circled the bridge from above to capture the Bay Area’s newest icon from many vantage points. In November, the Fourth Bore of the Caldecott Tunnel, connecting Alameda and Contra Costa counties, welcomed its first vehicles, easing up the congestion that had plagued this gateway for years. While the tunnel doesn’t have the dramatic architectural features of the East Span, its kid-designed medallions and fiery streaks of traffic at dusk made for some striking photographs as well. Cyclists had just as much to celebrate as motorists in 2013, with the debut of the East Span’s bicycle/pedestrian path and the kick-off of the very first regional bike-sharing network in August. The MTC-financed and sponsored Bay Area Bike Share spread its mint-colored fleet across five cities and is already gearing up for expansion in 2014. This summer also saw the adoption of Plan Bay Area, MTC and ABAG’s long-range sustainability strategy that fosters a healthy and livable environment for all Bay Area residents — which are projected to number 9 million by 2040. In the midst of all the excitement, one man set out to explore as much of the Bay Area as he could by foot, chronicling its ecological diversity with his camera and a daily blog. Kurt Schwabe trekked the entirety of the Bay Trail (or at least the 300-plus miles that currently circle the Bay) in June, arriving at the trailheads via the region’s stellar public transit networks and using the MTC-sponsored Clipper® fare card as his passport. A selection of his stunning snapshots are included in our photographic year-end round-up. This collection trains a spotlight on the natural beauty, advanced infrastructure and forward thinking that give the nine-county Bay Area its special regional identity.
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2013: Our Year in Photos
Friday, May 22, 2015