Mayor Breed, Leader Pelosi and State and Regional Partners Celebrate Completion of TJPA's Salesforce Transit Center
Mayor London Breed, House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi and regional, state and federal leaders joined the Transbay Joint Powers Authority to celebrate the completion of the new Salesforce Transit Center.
The $2.26 billion Transit Center replaces the seismically deficient Transbay Terminal with a modern regional transportation hub that connects transit systems throughout the Bay Area. It also includes pop-up retail, a public art program, shopping and dining; and a 5.4-acre rooftop public park that will be programmed with year-round free activities. At one million square feet, the Transit Center stretches four blocks with four stories above ground, and two stories below ground to accommodate future regional and high-speed trains. The Transit Center will help ease traffic congestion, reduce pollution and make transit more accessible and efficient for Bay Area commuters, especially in the City’s rapidly growing South of Market neighborhood.
“Salesforce Transit Center represents San Francisco at our best. It reflects our commitment to innovation, transportation, environmental sustainability, and community development,” said San Francisco Mayor London Breed “I would like to thank our federal and state leaders, our regional partners, and the Transbay Joint Powers Authority for creating a world-class, technologically advanced, and sustainably built Transit Center for the people of the Bay Area, today and for future generations.”
“Bold investments in infrastructure are the key to unlocking the good-paying jobs of the 21st Century economy and driving strong economic growth that lifts up all families,” said Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi. “The Salesforce Transit Center continues the Bay Area’s proud tradition of leading the country forward in innovative, transit-friendly, sustainable development, and will advance a future in which thousands of workers and students can easily, efficiently and environmentally sustainably move throughout nation’s innovation corridor and ultimately our Golden State to study, work and enjoy time with their families. An anchor to transformation, this initiative also ensures that the surrounding community will burst with new affordable housing, neighborhood- serving retail and vibrant public parks and gathering places where all members of our community can thrive. It has been my great privilege to fight in the Congress for robust federal funding to support this transformational investment, and I am grateful to the Transbay Joint Powers Authority, as well as the many artists, architects and skilled Building Trades workers for their tireless efforts to bring this extraordinary, exciting Center to our community.”
On Sunday, August 12, 2018, the Transit Center began serving AC Transit, Greyhound and other state and regional bus operators. Muni began operating out of the Bus Plaza, or street level, in June 2018.
“This Transit Center marks a milestone achievement for the city and region and I hope it will be a vibrant addition to our neighborhood,” said San Francisco District 6 Supervisor and TJPA Board Member Jane Kim. “The Transit Center will be a hub for regional transportation and commerce and provide our residents and workers with a new, beautiful 5.4-acre rooftop park. Thank you to our partners, from residents and businesses to regional, State and Federal leaders past and present, for investing in this center.”
The new Transit Center includes a bridge crossing several busy San Francisco streets to provide direct bus access from the Bay Bridge to the Transit Center, reducing congestion on City streets and improving travel times for commuters. In addition, it is designed to withstand an 8.0-magnitude earthquake on the San Andreas Fault, so that it can immediately serve the public after an emergency.
“Salesforce Transit Center is a true regional partnership designed to help Bay Area commuters get to and from their destinations,” said TJPA Board Chair and San Francisco Public Works Director Mohammed Nuru. “It will be a destination all its own with a beautiful rooftop garden, outdoor amphitheater, public art and great places to eat and shop,” he added.
Planning and design are underway for the $4 billion Downtown Extension Project, which will provide underground rail for 1.3 miles between 4th and King and the Transit Center including an underground station at 4th and Townsend. Funding dependent, construction can be completed by 2028. California High Speed Rail is expected to be complete by 2029 for the initial operating segment from the San Francisco Bay Area/Silicon Valley to the Central Valley, and 2033 from Los Angeles to San Francisco.
“The Salesforce Transit Center project has long been one of the top regional priorities for the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) and the Bay Area Toll Authority,” said MTC Chair and Rohnert Park City Councilmember Jake Mackenzie. “Voters also identified this as a top priority when they approved Regional Measure 2 in 2004. Over the years, MTC has delivered more than $400 million in tolls and other funds for this project, and we are pleased to have helped guide it on the long road from proposal to passenger service.”
“Congratulations to the TJPA and all our partners on delivering a transportation gateway that has it all: stunning public spaces, excellent connections, and timeless appeal,” said Supervisor Aaron Peskin, chair of the San Francisco County Transportation Authority. “The Transportation Authority has been pleased to be a strong early supporter of this project, providing over $200 million in local half-cent sales tax funds to help design and construct this building and to advance the downtown rail extension that will bring future Caltrain and High-Speed Rail passengers to the heart of San Francisco.”
“The new Salesforce Transit Center allows AC Transit to provide a long-term solution to the more than 13,000 daily East Bay riders, who park their cars to relieve Bay Bridge bottlenecks only to face overcrowded alternate public transit modes. Now, with 30 bus bays dedicated exclusively to AC Transit, we can plan for up to 300 additional buses daily, which translates to about 24,000 riders per hour,” said General Manager Michael Hursh. “In fact, the Center’s new-dedicated bus ramp improves reliability by bypassing congested San Francisco streets and connecting directly to the Bay Bridge.”
“This project showcases our commitment to a future where travel around the state is seamless and easy. I am pleased to deliver the first phase of the Transbay Program to the residents of the Bay Area and I thank all of our partners for their support to make this project a reality,” said TJPA Executive Director Mark Zabaneh.
The Transit Center project was funded, in part, by the U.S. Department of Transportation, the State of California, the Metropolitan Transportation Commission, the San Francisco County Transportation Authority, the City and County of San Francisco, the San Mateo County Transportation Authority and AC Transit. The name of the Transit Center is the result of a 25- year, $110 million naming rights agreement with Salesforce that helps fund operating costs. The Transit Center is managed and operated by the Transbay Joint Powers Authority.
