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San Francisco groundbreaking: On Tuesday 28 May the official groundbreaking ceremonies for the Third Street Light Rail Project took place at the Caltrain Depot. The Municipal Railway is spending USD550 million to extend its light rail streetcar system 5.4 miles from its current terminal at Fourth and King Streets, down Third Street, to end at the Bayshore CalTrain Station in Visitacion Valley by early 2005. It is estimated that it may eventually carry 71,000 passengers a day. It is Phase One of a plan to build a central subway connecting Caltrain and the Third Street line to Chinatown by 2009 and is intended to improve service reliability and travel times, enhance transit connections and help generate economic opportunities and jobs for local residents and business owners.

This second phase will extend light rail service north from King Street along Third Street, entering a new Central Subway near Bryant Street, crossing beneath Market Street and running under Geary and Stockton Streets to Stockton and Clay Streets. Underground subway stations will be located at Moscone Enter, Market Street, Union Square and Clay Street in Chinatown. Muni and the City are actively pursuing funding for the Central Subway.

A new Metro East Operating and Maintenance Facility will be built on approximately 13-17 acres at 25th and Illinois Streets to store, maintain and dispatch light rail vehicles as well as relieve the overcrowded conditions at Muni's only other light rail maintenance and storage facility.

5 June 2002

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