Not a far fetched idea. At JFK Airport in New York, a 9 mile light rail
line is being built to connect the terminals and facilities with the nearby
subway and commuter train stations. A $900 million contract was awarded to
a private contractor to build and then operate the system for ten years.
Another idea. A private group is paying the $200 million bill to extend
a light rail line in Portland to the airport. In exchange, the group
receives some city-owned land along the route, on which they will build an
office park and transit-oriented housing.
Carleton writes: The reason the renovation is so expensive is that the
(Caltrain Paul St) station would have to be brought up to full
accessibility standards as required by the Americans With Disabilies Act.
A Chronicle article states the $3 million renovation does not include
costs for the required ADA upgrades. The bigger issue is that the Bayshore
Caltrain Station (1 mile away) will be the intermodal transfer station for
Third St. Light Rail, Caltrain, Samtrans, Muni buses, and private shuttles
to 3-Com Park and nearby business parks. The Paul St. Station was kept
open due to political lobbying by Willie Brown and Amos Brown (both up for
re-election in November), and has little to do with transportation or
economic revitalization.
Donald writes: While there is some truth to the view that the Third Street
rail line uses resources that could better be used elsewhere, I still think
it will prove to be an important addition to MUNI's rail network.
The Third St Light Rail will be the only major public transit investment
for the next 20 years in San Francisco. The city is spending almost all of
its public transit money from the 1/2% transportation sales tax on Third
St. Light Rail (surface portion), which will be completed in 2003. The
1.75 mile subway portion from Caltrain to Chinatown is unlikely to be built
because it requires a $600 million contribution from the federal
government. Assuming the 1/2% tax is renewed in 2009, the next major
transit investment would be completed sometime in the year 2020. A long
wait for "resources that could have been better used elsewhere".