The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA), which oversees all transportation in the city, including the Municipal Railway (Muni), reminds customers that the Muni increase in adult daily cash fare from $2.00 to $2.25 will take effect September 1. Also, both adult Fast Passes and the Lifeline Pass will reflect a fare increase beginning with September sales period, which starts August 17, 2014 for Clipper sales.
Fare increases effective September 2014 are as follows:
Single Ride Adult Fare will increase from $2 to $2.25.
Adult “A” Fast Pass will increase from $76 to $80.
Adult “M” Fast Pass will increase from $66 to $68.
Lifeline Monthly Pass will increase from $33 to $34.
For more details, please visit sfmta.com.
Photo courtesy of SFMTA
The price of the monthly passes and single ride fares for Senior, Disabled and Youth will remain unchanged. All qualifying youth are encouraged to apply to the Free Muni for Youth program, which has been extended to last through June 30, 2016. This program provides youth aged 5-18 living in San Francisco from low to middle income families free access to Muni.
The fare increases are based on a formula set in 2009 by the SFMTA Board of Directors to create a more predictable and transparent mechanism for setting charges. The formula is based on a combination of the Bay Area Consumer Price Index for all urban consumers (CPI-U) and labor costs. Though the CPI-U suggests annual periodic increases, there has not been a daily fare increase since 2009 as the SFMTA Board of Directors elected to wait until there was a recommended increase of $0.25 based on the formula.
Grant is first in the nation to address “core capacity” expansion needs of a major urban rail transit system
Photo courtesy of Federal Transit Administration (FTA)
CHICAGO – U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx joined Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel today (8-7-14) to announce a $35 million grant to help the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) lay the groundwork to improve service and capacity on a heavily traveled segment of its aging North Red Line and Purple Line rail transit system. The CTA is the first U.S. transit agency selected for funding through the Federal Transit Administration’s (FTA) new Core Capacity Grant Program, which is designed to help rail transit providers increase the volume of passengers or trains without expanding the footprint of the system.
“The City of Chicago has run on public transportation for over a century, and it is up to all of us to ensure that the many thousands of riders who cross this city by train every day to get to work, to school, to the doctor’s, or even to see the Cubs or White Sox, can continue do so safely, efficiently, and comfortably,” said Secretary Foxx. “Congress should pass the President’s GROW AMERICA Act so we can support more projects like this in transit-intensive cities across the country.”
The FTA’s $35 million Core Capacity grant supports $43.7 million to plan the initial phase of the CTA’s comprehensive 9.6-mile, $4.7 billion Red-Purple Line Modernization Project. This initial work will pave the way for constructing a track bypass immediately north of the CTA Belmont Station to reduce bottlenecks with the Brown Line; expanding and modernizing four rail stations between Leland and Ardmore Avenues, to make them ADA-compliant for the first time; upgrading rail corridor signals; and making other track and related infrastructure improvements. According to CTA, the future enhancements are expected to result in faster, smoother service and increase passenger capacity by about 30 percent. Approximately 110,000 daily riders on this segment of the Red and Purple lines are expected to benefit from these investments, CTA says.
“While Chicago’s transit systems face state-of-good-repair challenges, we cannot ignore the equally important need to modernize the current system to meet rising demand for service now, and for years to come,” said FTA Acting Administrator Therese McMillan. “The need is equally great in cities across the country—from Washington, D.C. to San Francisco—which is why we must keep pace with investments in a 21st century transportation systems that generations depend on.”
FTA’s Core Capacity Program was created by the current authorizing legislation, the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century (MAP-21) Act. The program is a new addition to the agency’s existing Capital Investment Grants Program (often called New Starts/Small Starts). Projects eligible for Core Capacity grants must expand capacity by at least 10 percent in existing transit corridors that are already at or above capacity today, or are expected to reach that point within five years. The FTA’s FY2014 budget includes $120 million for the Core Capacity Program; FTA is determining how to allocate the remaining funds. The President’s FY2015 budget proposal seeks an additional $275 million for the program.
Alstom Transport will open a new manufacturing line dedicated to trams in Taubaté, Brazil, operational in the beginning of 2015. Based at the Alstom group’s existing hydro manufacturing site in Taubaté, the new manufacturing line will address the Brazilian and Latin American markets where tram projects are booming. The line, which represents an investment for Alstom of around 15 million euros, will cover an area of 16,000m².
Panoramic view of Alstom plant in Taubaté. Copyright: Alstom Photo courtesy of Alstom
The first trams that might be produced in Taubaté are the ones ordered1 in September 2013 by the VLT Carioca consortium for the city of Rio de Janeiro. Alstom is supplying a catenary-free tramway system, which includes 32 Citadis trams along with power supply, signalling and telecommunication systems.
The delivery of the trams is scheduled to take place between early 2015 and mid-2016, in time for the summer Olympics. In order to meet the contractual term, Alstom will produce the first Citadis in Europe and the remaining ones in Taubaté.
“The tramway is gaining momentum as one of the solutions for urban mobility issues in Brazilian and Latin America cities. This is why Alstom has decided to invest in a tram line in Taubaté, which will serve Brazilian projects as well as export projects in Latin America,” said Michel Boccaccio, Senior Vice President of Alstom Transport in Latin America.
Alstom has sold 1726 Citadis trams to 43 cities throughout the world. 1500 Citadis are already in circulation and have carried more than 6 billion passengers since its entry into service some fifteen years ago.
1 – The total amount of the project is €450 million; Alstom’s share is around €230 million
Tramway manufacturing line, La Rochelle, France. Copyright: Alstom Transport/TOMA – C.Sasso Photo courtesy of Alstom
This article is a repost (7-11-14), credit: Alstom.
The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA), which oversees all surface transportation in the city, including the Municipal Railway (Muni), joined Supervisors London Breed (District 5) and Scott Wiener (District 8) to greet riders as the new light rail vehicle seating pilot launched. As part of the agency’s work to improve Muni’s speed and reliability, this pilot will determine if a new seating configuration will improve the rider experience by addressing capacity and overcrowding.
“I am proud to have developed this pilot seat project with Supervisor Wiener, and I thank the MTA for working closely with us to bring it to fruition. This design will create more space for Muni riders, who are too often forced to wedge onto full trains or wait at the station in hope for room on the next one. The MTA, I, and others are working hard to secure over 200 new trains. In the meantime, I am committed to doing everything possible to help Muni riders, and I look forward to hearing directly from them about this pilot design,” said Supervisor Breed.
“Muni is over-capacity, particularly our light rail vehicle lines,” said Supervisor Scott Wiener, who worked with Supervisor Breed and MTA to advocate for the seat configuration. “As our population grows, it will be challenging to accommodate Muni’s growing ridership. Until we have enough light rail vehicles, we need to be creative and resourceful in making sure there’s enough room on these vehicles for people to board. This modest seat reconfiguration, which will create more standing room while allowing those who need a seat to sit, is a great short-term solution for Muni’s ongoing crowding problem.”
The train has been reconfigured to replace 14 double-wide seats with single-wide seats. This will increase floor space for 26 standing passengers, resulting in a net increase of at least 10 passengers. Trains can hold approximately two standees for each seat removed. The pilot train will be deployed for one month on the N Judah from Monday, May 19th to Friday, May 30th and on the L Taraval from Monday, June 2 to Friday, June 13.
“Our system is over capacity and our trains are crowded,” said John Haley, Director of Transit Operations for Muni. “Until we can purchase additional light rail vehicles that could be made possible by sustainable funding through upcoming ballot measures, we have to be creative about how we address the challenges our riders are faced with every single day. Along with other ideas to address crowding, including the NX Express and three-car shuttles, this pilot holds the potential to provide further relief for our riders.”
During the pilot, SFMTA will count and survey passengers to gather data about capacity and passenger opinions, which will influence future decision-making. For more information and to take the survey, please visit: www.sfmta.com/SeatingPilot.
By David Tattersall, Product Manager, Public Transit
More than 70 percent of the world’s population doesn’t own a car1—a surprising fact for anyone who’s sat for what seems like hours on end in bumper-to-bumper traffic. Millions of people rely on public transit to get around. That’s why, since 2007, we’ve worked to include public transit routes and schedules in Google Maps. In fact, buses, trains, trams and subways included in Google Maps travel 200 million kilometers every day—that’s the equivalent of driving every single road in the world three times!2
Infographic courtesy of Google
Today, Google Maps is helping you get around on public transit even more easily with these additions:
We’ve added every single transit route in Great Britain to Google Maps—making it easier to get anywhere from Land’s End to John O’Groats.
On the other side of the globe, Vancouverites looking for sun can now get real-time updates on whether a bus to Kits is faster than one to Third Beach.
In Chicago, Cubs fans can now zip to and from Wrigley Field, armed with the real-time information they need to hop on a bus and avoid congestion on Lake Shore Drive.
And finally, just in time for the games, we’ve recently added transit information for every host city in Brazil. Can you say “GOOOAAALLLLL?!”
Infographic courtesy of Google
Our transit data spans six continents, 64 countries and more than 15,000 towns and cities worldwide. And we’re not done yet: Google Maps will continue to improve—serving people the information they need to get around town when and where they need it.
Infographic courtesy of Google
1 This estimate is based on the most recent World Bank data on the number of passenger cars per 1,000 people throughout 100 countries and territories. Passenger cars refer to road motor vehicles, other than two-wheelers, intended for the carriage of passengers and designed to seat no more than nine people (including the driver). 2 CIA World Factbook
Tram based on FLEXITY 2 technology Photo courtesy of Bombardier
The first vehicle built under the license agreement was presented in Nanjing to the customer from the city of Suzhou
CSR Puzhen holds a 10-year license to produce trams based on BOMBARDIER FLEXITY 2 technology
The roll-out for the first tram produced under a 10-year-license agreement was held at the Nanjing manufacturing site of CSR Nanjing Puzhen Rolling Stock Co. Ltd. (CSR Puzhen). This is the first vehicle manufactured under the technology license agreement signed in July 2012 between rail technology leader Bombardier Transportation and CSR Puzhen.
Following the first public tender for modern 100% low-floor trams in China, Bombardier partner CSR Puzhen, a subsidiary of China South Locomotive and Rolling Stock Corporation Limited, won an order for 18 low-floor trams for the city of Suzhou. CSR Puzhen is building the trams based on Bombardier’s FLEXITY 2 technology at its site in Nanjing. Bombardier has developed the vehicle design, provides training and delivers on-site support. The tram is equipped with BOMBARDIER FLEXX Urban 3000 bogies and BOMBARDIER MITRAC propulsion technology.
Jianwei Zhang, President of Bombardier China, said: “We are proud to be part of this milestone and look forward to seeing Suzhou become a benchmark in modern tramway operation in China. As the world market leader in trams, Bombardier is the ideal partner to introduce this technology in China successfully.”
Suzhou New District Tram Co., Ltd. (SND) will operate the trams within the Suzhou new & high-tech industrial development zone, a “greenfield” satellite city within Suzhou municipality. Suzhou is a city of 11 million people located in the southeast of Jiangsu Province, close to Shanghai.
The five-section bi-directional, multi-articulated low-floor trams for Suzhou are 32 m long and 2.65 m wide. These modern low-floor trams provide the latest standards in safety, passenger comfort, accessibility and energy consumption. CSR Puzhen is also producing trams for two lines in Nanjing (Hexi and Qilin lines), featuring Bombardier’s catenary-free technology based on BOMBARDIER PRIMOVE traction batteries.
Bombardier has sold more than 1,200 FLEXITY 100 per cent low-floor trams worldwide. About 3,500 Bombardier trams and light rail vehicles are in revenue service or on order in approximately 100 cities across Europe, Australia and North America.
In order to sustain global economic growth while ensuring the health and quality of life of citizens, cities the world over are looking for smarter and more environmentally friendly forms of mass transit. Trams and light rail vehicles are the most energy efficient mode of transportation, consuming up to five times less energy per passenger than cars travelling with an average of between one and two people.
About Bombardier Transportation
Bombardier Transportation, a global leader in rail technology, offers the broadest portfolio in the rail industry and delivers innovative products and services that set new standards in sustainable mobility. BOMBARDIERECO4 technologies – built on the four cornerstones of energy, efficiency, economy and ecology – conserve energy, protect the environment and help to improve total train performance for operators and passengers. Bombardier Transportation is headquartered in Berlin, Germany, and has a very diverse customer base with products or services in more than 60 countries. It has an installed base of over 100,000 vehicles worldwide.
About Bombardier
Bombardier is the world’s only manufacturer of both planes and trains. Looking far ahead while delivering today, Bombardier is evolving mobility worldwide by answering the call for more efficient, sustainable and enjoyable transportation everywhere. Our vehicles, services and, most of all, our employees are what make us a global leader in transportation.
Bombardier is headquartered in Montréal, Canada. Our shares are traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange (BBD) and we are listed on the Dow Jones Sustainability World and North America Indexes. In the fiscal year ended December 31, 2013, we posted revenues of $18.2 billion. News and information are available at bombardier.com or follow us on Twitter @Bombardier.
San Francisco’s N Judah streetcar splits the City, running on the east-west axis. EV News Report took a quick 3 question survey of 50 Muni transit riders. This survey was composed of 26 females and 24 men, ranging in ages from 21 to 80, waiting at streetcar and bus stops, primarily in Cole Valley, San Francisco: 1. An electric streetcar and bus arrive at the same time heading to your destination (hypothetically), which would you choose to ride? 42 Streetcar, 8 Bus 2. Did you know that trolley buses and streetcars run on 100% renewable hydro power? 28 No, 22 Yes 3. Would you prefer to ride a 100% renewable powered vehicle? 50 Yes, 0 No
New Streetcar Decision
The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) will be deciding on the next generation streetcar before the end of summer 2014, and the Agency (Muni) expects the new streetcars to start arriving in late 2016. SFMTA Spokesman Paul Rose would not say which companies were bidding, but he did state that four companies were competing. Mr. Rose added that the new streetcars and technology enhancements should significantly increase capacity and efficiency.
The SFMTA calls these modern streetcars, light rail, but we will stick with the common San Francisco term, streetcar. Riders of the N Judah that were interviewed around rush hour had some colorful language to describe these transit vehicles, none used the word, light. One elderly female rider was baffled as to why the SFMTA could not fix the rush hour capacity problem.
The SFMTA added express rush hour buses along the N Judah route in recent years, but this fix is not satisfying for most; the majority of transit riders prefer the streetcar. The SFMTA would be wise to involve residents, particularly transit riders, in the procurement process. What’s on the streetcar menu? By serving transit cake, instead of packed sardines, the SFMTA can help its own policy, Transit First. Streetcar success can open more doors for San Francisco transit and renewable projects.
Follow that Tesla
To accelerate its drive to 100% renewable, San Francisco leaders need to study the Tesla playbook, starting at page one, great all-electric transportation. No, the City cannot simply float shares to build an electric empire, but it can tap a multitude of resources and willing partners that share a vision of a sustainable San Francisco. Tesla Motors has had no trouble getting people excited about the electric energy revolution, including some stock analysts that cover the company. Great products, the Model S and Supercharger, are the heart of Tesla, but the soul is the company’s vision, to move away from oil to all-electric transportation, to a sustainable world.
Tesla stock (TSLA) has rocketed higher (post Q4 earnings) due to a robust demand outlook for the Model S and X; the shares closed the week at $209.6 per share. On the Q4 conference call (2-19-14), CEO Elon Musk stated that he thinks it’s a good idea to raise additional capital, hinting about the funds required for a battery factory. Obviously, Tesla stock at its current price makes a great potential source of capital (secondary offering). CEO Musk added that he would elaborate on the upcoming battery factory (Giga Factory) plans next week.
“Even though there is zero marketing for the Model X, (pause). It’s like if you are going fishing, the fish are jumping in the boat. [Pause] We are not trying to sell the Model X at all, but the demand seems to be remarkably high.” – CEO Elon Musk
Success feeds success at Tesla.
Goodbye to Oil
With oil scarcity and climate change being major worldwide concerns, San Francisco leaders will have little trouble convincing many residents to ditch gasoline powered cars. The City could help the cause by making it more expensive to own and operate an internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicle, and take back much more roadway for transit, electric vehicles, biking, running and walking. The oil market does not care about San Francisco or its bond rating, but the next mayor of San Francisco will be forced to deal with the oil market, barring a geological or technological miracle.
San Francisco will fare better than most major cities in this era of peak oil, due to its condensed size and affluence, making alternatives to the internal combustion engine somewhat easy. Legislative Aide Jess Montejano (Supervisor Farrell’s Office) said that Supervisor Farrell does not support congestion charges, preferring improved transit options and market dynamics to move people from (ICE) cars to alternatives. Mr. Farrell is one of the leading political voices in San Francisco today.
In the shale oil patch in North Dakota, oil production numbers from the North Dakota Department of Minerals Resources showed a slight drop from November to December, from 29,293,592 barrels to 28,620,049. The natural decline of the existing oil wells and cold weather halted the shale oil miracle in North Dakota. At some point, not that far down the road, the barrel numbers will peak and West Texas Intermediate (WTI) oil will go for a ride. WTI oil currently trades at about $102 per barrel.
The 49 all-electric trolley bus splits the City, running on the south-north axis. “With 52 percent of its bus and rail fleet composed of zero-emission vehicles, Muni accounts for 17 percent of all trips made in San Francisco, but only 1 percent of total citywide greenhouse gas emissions.” – SFMTA 2013 Annual Report
Clean Renewable Powered Transit
San Francisco’s all-electric streetcars and all-electric trolley buses are powered by 100% clean renewable Hetch Hetchy hydro energy, making these vehicles the smartest green choice on rails and wheels for City transit riders. Yes, the famous San Francisco cable cars are powered by Hetch Hetchy electricity as well, but most locals refrain from indulging in the cable car pose, leaving that to the hordes of tourists.
These public transit EVs do not have the same acceleration nor low drag coefficient of a Tesla Model S, but they are environmentally friendly, convenient and move a lot of residents and tourists from point A to point B, every single day.
Overall, the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency’s (SFMTA) average daily ridership is about 704,000, which is an incredible statistic considering that San Francisco has a total population of 825,000. According to SFMTA Spokesman Paul Rose, about 400,000 take the bus (trolley, biodiesel, and hybrid) and about 300,000 take rail (streetcar and cable car).
SFWPS at 525 Golden Gate, LEED building. One hundred years ago, construction began on the Hetch Hetchy water reservoir and power project, initialized with a railroad extension to the Yosemite site in order to carry materials from San Francisco. The first electric power services started as early as 1918; O’Shaughnessy Dam was completed in 1923; and the first Hetch Hetchy waters flowed to San Francisco in 1934.
San Francisco Water Power and Sewer
It is San Francisco Water Power and Sewer (SFWPS) that proudly manages the Hetch Hetchy Water and Power Project, which brings clean water and power to the City from its reservoir and hydro power systems that initiate at Yosemite. SFWPS Director of Communications Tyrone Jue has been thinking of marketing ideas to best capture this clean renewable energy image on transit EVs, which would help direct attention to the City’s ultimate goal of becoming 100% renewable.
Today, the Hetch Hetchy power project generates about 200 MW on average, with a maximum capacity of 400 MW. On an annual basis, it generates about 1.7 billion kilowatt hours (SFWPS), providing power to San Francisco facilities and services: SF Airport, SF General Hospital, SF Municipal Transportation Agency (MUNI), SF Police Department, SF Fire Department, City tenants, Hunters Point Shipyard and Treasure Island.
“San Francisco consumes about 6,000 gigawatt hours (GWh) of electricity annually, with a peak load of roughly 970 MW.” – San Francisco Department of the Environment Danielle Murray (100% Renewable Task Force).
Driving to 100% Renewable
The California drought reminds us that hydro power can fluctuate significantly and that it’s important for the City to exploit a multitude of renewable options, including battery storage. In recent years, SFWPS has expanded into solar (7.5 MW) and biogas (3.1 MW) as well, and is looking to add more. Altogether, SFWPS provides about 17-18% of San Francisco’s electric energy, and its portfolio is all renewable (Tyrone Jue).
Of course, greater energy efficiency and distributed energy uptake are basic San Francisco Department of the Environment goals that should not be minimized, helping residents and businesses go green. Distributed energy is the most likely technological winner in the long-term.
On average, California gets about 15% of its electric energy from hydro, with the spring and early summer being the highest hydro periods due to snowmelt; however, electric energy demand is highest in the summer when Californians turn on the air conditioners. San Francisco’s summer weather is quite the exception with its mild climate; some would call the City’s summers foggy and cold, but to San Franciscans that’s home.
San Francisco Wind Energy Diversification
One longtime San Francisco resident, waiting for the N Judah streetcar, put it succinctly: “Anybody that has lived in this town knows about the wind.” Pacific Ocean offshore winds are a huge potential source of renewable energy, but most West Coast offshore locations are too deep for ocean anchored/bedded windmill designs. However, the relatively shallow waters around the Farallon Islands (27 miles to the west of San Francisco) have potential, according to Stanford University researchers in a 2009 study.
US Fish and Wildlife Refuge Manager Gerry McChesney said that the Farallon Islands are a fantastic nesting ground for seabirds, with thousands circling in the air at times. Stanford University wind researcher Michael Dvorak (now at Sailor’s Energy) was somewhat pessimistic about the chances for an offshore wind project near the Farallon Islands due to environmental concerns. After sailing around the Farallones, Mr. Dvorak said the pristine environment made an impression on him. He thinks that Cape Mendocino has the best characteristics for a major California offshore wind project due to the persistently strong winds and relatively shallow waters. Mr. McChesney concurred that Cape Mendocino is extremely windy! He recalled an aerial survey that he did of the area in a small twin engine plane with brutal winds.
Stanford Professor Marc Jacobson (Civil and Environmental Engineering) said that San Francisco could potentially run an underwater cable to a Cape Mendocino wind project, but that cable would be expensive. He thinks floating wind projects might be more plausible, if engineered correctly for storms. On the phone, his voice was hoarse after lecturing the next generation of solar and wind experts (environmental engineers) at Stanford, so he directed me to the Stanford SWEP website to learn more about their projects. Lastly, he added that some of his students had worked with the San Francisco Department of the Environment looking for suitable locations for windmills within the City. You can explore more on this topic on the Department of the Environment’s website: here.
About EV News Report
EV News Report is a community blogging website for electric vehicle and greentech enthusiasts, as well as peak oil activists. Please help accelerate the electric vehicle and greentech movements by submitting an original article to EV News Report by following the video instructions on the About tab.
The world is transitioning from the fossil fuel age to the clean electric energy era. Two major world emergencies are driving this change:
1. There are over 7 billion people on the planet according to the United Nations. Today’s worldwide economic growth is placing tremendous demands on the energy sector. Unfortunately, according to the International Energy Agency, approximately 80% of the world’s energy is derived from fossil fuels. Absent an energy revolution, climate research tells us that the planet will be significantly warmer and altered for future generations.
2. The oil market is expensive and fragile. The door is open to green alternatives; however, high oil prices may destroy the currencies of oil dependent nations before the EV and greentech revolutions have a chance to reach mass adoption.
