Public Transportation Solutions for Cisco Field?

by norcaldevilasu on Nov 10, 2006 10:23 AM PST Comment 41 comments

If the proposed BART extension is built to Warm Springs how will fans get from that location to Cisco Field? The distance will be about two miles which isn't that far. I offer two solutions to the problem.

A. Shuttle buses. Create a lane that is used only for shuttle buses 2 hours prior to the start of a game and for 1 hour after a game is completed. If you have this type of access to and from the park a shuttle ride wont last but a couple minutes which wouldn't be a huge inconvenience to fans as it takes a few minutes to walk across the current BART ramp in Oakland.
B. Build a two mile monorail from the BART Warm Springs extension to Cisco Field. This monorail could also be used to transport people to the shopping area that will resemble San Jose's Santana Row.

How feasible do you believe these two options are to create public transportation to/from the new ball park location?

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Shuttle Busses would be cheaper

but with the image they are trying to convey, it would fail. You don't take a bus to a place thats supposed to be the highest tech area ever.

I say peoplemovers or a mono rail.

by Zonis on Nov 10, 2006 10:38 AM PST reply actions 0 recs

of course the question is $$$

and, since they don't even have the $$$ for the proposed Warm Springs BART station (the only one approved), let alone all the other hoops, it seems optimistic to assume that the monorail will be approved -- let alone built -- in the reasonably near future.

by OaklandSi on Nov 10, 2006 10:43 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

oxcarts!

God I miss old Van Halen, splits and leopard pants -- Blez @('.')@

by monkeyball on Nov 10, 2006 11:00 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Segway scooters for all!

"...sometimes I can't tell the difference between baseball and magic."- salb918 "Ellie plowed into him like an evil, pink unicorn."-ArakSOT

by McFood on Nov 10, 2006 11:08 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

You want high-tech? Beam me up, Scotty!

by socal on Nov 10, 2006 12:31 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

I say hoverboards...

As seen in "Back to the Future Part II: Product Placement Gone Awry".

Hope Floats...I hate Sandra Bullock

by franks a lot on Nov 10, 2006 12:45 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

I think a simple Light Rail will do the trick

It is mostly open land between the Warm Springs Bart station and the new stadium site. A few bridges would have to be constructed over the freeway, but it should be pretty easy to lay the rail everywhere else. It shouldn;t be that expensive to put the track on flat undeveloped ground.

by ryder1650 on Nov 10, 2006 10:59 AM PST reply actions 0 recs

Agreed.

A few miles of people moving is hardly going to be the kind of thing that Wolff allows to kill a deal.

Heck, in the Sydney Olympics, there was a no-driving rule in place that meant you had to take public transport to any and every stadium in the system, even countryside equestrian events.

Worked like a dream. No traffic, milions of people moved quickly and efficiently (and ecologically safely), and the initial bitching quickly subsided when the fun of taking a train with 200 like-minded souls sunk in.

"It's time to blow this team up." - Oaktoon, July 2006

by Ozzz on Nov 10, 2006 12:43 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

I had that "experience"

this summer at the World Cup (where free use of public transport was included with your game ticket). I had no idea you could fit that many people onto a light-rail car. But people definitely had fun with it. Many humorous songs were sung in Spanish about it (it was the Portugal-Mexico game, dominated by Mexican fans).

"Next thing you know, they'll have me taking an overdose of pills."--Milton Bradley

by jeepers on Nov 10, 2006 1:04 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

who would pay for it?

by OaklandSi on Nov 10, 2006 1:05 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

If it came down to it, Lew.

In most progressive cities on earth, private transportation systems exist and prosper. Sydney and Vancouver both have train lines that are privately run, as well as privately run roadways, bus services, etc.

If it came right down to it, there's no reason Lew couldn't fork out $10m, build a monorail, and be making money off it during game time and non-game time.

Chances are, however, he won't have to. Cities don't like spending on infrastructure. But they like even less watching their infrastructure die because they couldn't be arsed stretching a train line two miles.

"It's time to blow this team up." - Oaktoon, July 2006

by Ozzz on Nov 10, 2006 2:16 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

i don't know if monorail is simple...

what would a nice, basic one cost? i'm thinking it's the multimillions, even tens of millions...

any BART directors here?

where's hendu when you really need him?

by OaktownWarrior on Nov 10, 2006 2:51 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Bart, monorail,

suddenly it all makes sense !

"Even if you know the deck is stacked in your favor, you still have to have the discipline to trust the math and the cojones to go to the ATM." BB

by green star oakland on Nov 10, 2006 3:45 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

The Oakland A's of North Haverbrook

God I miss old Van Halen, splits and leopard pants -- Blez @('.')@

by monkeyball on Nov 10, 2006 4:10 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Not cheap.

But also not unprofitable.

"It's time to blow this team up." - Oaktoon, July 2006

by Ozzz on Nov 10, 2006 3:54 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

public transit that is profitable

is generally only found in the land of the unicorn.

Another project of Devo's

by devo on Nov 10, 2006 5:00 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Not so.

In Sydney Australia, public transport pays for itself. Ditto Vancouver.

Of course, it costs more than 50c to ride, and there's routes that go all over, rather than one straight line, but that's the way to do it.

"It's time to blow this team up." - Oaktoon, July 2006

by Ozzz on Nov 10, 2006 6:27 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

probably closer to

$100m.

The cheapest option other than walking (buses) would cost about $20m.

Another project of Devo's

by devo on Nov 10, 2006 4:59 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

What about...

Those things GOB rode around on in "Arrested Development."
Sweet.

Fire Macha Yesterday!

by dboysick on Nov 10, 2006 11:11 AM PST reply actions 0 recs

Check the ballpark blog

I initially wrote about this in April. The post covers most of the mainstream and alternative options, costs, etc.. There's also an aerial photo that shows possible routes for buses and rail.

by vertig0 on Nov 10, 2006 11:22 AM PST reply actions 0 recs

Barring a direct BART connection...

which seems improbable, but not impossible, I'd prefer the people-mover option. Don't know if the dollars for it would ever materialize, but it looks like it would be just as fast as walking over the shorter bridge to the Coli from BART.

"When I got injured, I felt disrespected. Waaannnh!" - Mark Kotsay

by FoolshGame22 on Nov 10, 2006 11:35 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

<holds out for monkey-mover option>

God I miss old Van Halen, splits and leopard pants -- Blez @('.')@

by monkeyball on Nov 10, 2006 11:46 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Monkey mover option.

"It's time to blow this team up." - Oaktoon, July 2006

by Ozzz on Nov 10, 2006 12:45 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

FIRE MONKEYS NOW!!!

God I miss old Van Halen, splits and leopard pants -- Blez @('.')@

by monkeyball on Nov 10, 2006 1:04 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Wait a second!

The monkey has to put on his flying suit first.

"It's time to blow this team up." - Oaktoon, July 2006

by Ozzz on Nov 10, 2006 2:19 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Thanks for the link

Interesting break down of the options. I'd lean towards the people mover.

We can be considered David, David knocks out Goliath. -Eric Chavez PT-42

by norcaldevilasu on Nov 10, 2006 12:42 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

what about a moving walkway?

that would be cheap, relatively quick, horrifically dangerous and great for upsale, as the entire 1.2 mile trek could be bordered by stores and restaurants.

Another project of Devo's

by devo on Nov 10, 2006 12:58 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

I, Robot!

"Next thing you know, they'll have me taking an overdose of pills."--Milton Bradley

by jeepers on Nov 10, 2006 1:02 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

The Jetsons!

Hope Floats...I hate Sandra Bullock

by franks a lot on Nov 10, 2006 1:04 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

the penultimate 2 minutes of Brazil!

God I miss old Van Halen, splits and leopard pants -- Blez @('.')@

by monkeyball on Nov 10, 2006 1:05 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

The Geico commercial with that caveman!

Hope Floats...I hate Sandra Bullock

by franks a lot on Nov 10, 2006 1:07 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

What about a slingshot?

That could be kinda fun.

"Next thing you know, they'll have me taking an overdose of pills."--Milton Bradley

by jeepers on Nov 10, 2006 11:28 AM PST reply actions 0 recs

only if they use it to slingshot Slingblade

God I miss old Van Halen, splits and leopard pants -- Blez @('.')@

by monkeyball on Nov 10, 2006 2:27 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

You mean like this...

man slinger?

Chocolate Mint

by Ice Cream on Nov 10, 2006 11:18 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

What are the odds...

that if they don't make the WS extension that they could build a monorail/people mover type system in it's place. Instead of 1 or 2 miles it would be 7 or 8 miles. Probably would be cheaper. Maybe spring a little more to give it a little more speed than most of these systems so that it doesn't take 15 - 20 minutes for the trip. Since the BART plans are "in place" the route would already be "prepped".

by DMOAS on Nov 10, 2006 7:31 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

"prepped" ?

not sure what you mean by that. the Warm Springs proposal hasn't cleared all the hurdles yet (including financial), and work hasn't begun.

by OaklandSi on Nov 10, 2006 7:35 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

By prepped

I meant there was a "proposed" and "semi-acceptable" path, hence the quotes... and what the hell... """""""""" quotes, the new comma, er, elipse., er exclamation point.

by DMOAS on Nov 10, 2006 9:47 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Not possible

Even though they're building a BART line, the land on which it will be built is owned by Santa Clara County VTA. VTA won't sell the land to BART unless BART is built.

Every kind of rail transit involves buying the land for the tracks or "right of way." In the Bay Area, that cost is a big reason why rail is so expensive.

by vertig0 on Nov 10, 2006 9:22 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Well if the VTA owns it...

then they could very well build their own light rail system to connect the Fremont station to the park, could they not? I'm not saying they would or be willing. I'm just saying if you can't fund a 200 million per mile BART system, a 40/70 million per mile light rail/monorail/people mover/name your choo-choo train type system wouldn't be a bad fall back position. If the VTA didn't have to pay for the building but got to keep the rights to run it... see I can wishful dream like the rest of you :)

by DMOAS on Nov 10, 2006 9:53 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Technically it IS an option

If BART is too expensive, it could be extended only to Warm Springs while VTA light rail could be brought up to Warm Springs. Now that Ron Gonzales is out of office I expect this alternative to gain some momentum. It's too soon to tell right now. All I can say is that the BART-to-SJ proposal may have significant money-saving changes when it's redone and released.

by vertig0 on Nov 10, 2006 11:09 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs