Here are a few Streetsblog news nuggets to start your weekend.
Caltrain does (one hopes!) the final weekend shutdown for electrification
The good news: Caltrain is on track for getting fully electric rail service going this September. The moderately bad news: the transit agency is suspending service this weekend, Saturday, June 8 and Sunday, June 9, so they can do a full test of the electrical equipment and systems. From a Caltrain release:
Limited capacity replacement bus service will stop at San Jose Diridon, Palo Alto and Millbrae Stations. There will be no replacement bus or train service at other stations. Riders should seek alternative transportation if they are traveling outside of these stations. Riders traveling to or from San Francisco should transfer to BART at Millbrae station.
Buses will have limited capacity for luggage and bikes. Riders can use bike parking options, which are available at most stations.
Caltrain asks riders to use Muni, VTA, SamTrans or transfer from the bus bridge at Millbrae to BART for travel to/from San Francisco.
Alameda-Oakland ferry service delayed
Western Alameda residents and those who want to get to the island from Oakland without a car were disappointed to learn that ferry service, which was supposed to start this spring, is getting pushed back to July. From the Alameda City web page:
A partnership of public and private organizations and agencies, led by the City of Alameda, is working hard to launch this service as soon as we can, which is now estimated to be not before July [emphasis added]. We have a boat we've named Woodstock, and many of the logistics are in place, but we still have a few critical regulatory hurdles to complete before we can announce a launch date, namely getting final approvals from the U.S. Coast Guard and the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission (BCDC). Sign up here to be notified of our launch date and receive updates.
Alameda officials declined to share further details as to the reason for the delay. When service launches, the ferry will run between Alameda Landing (behind Target, at the Bohol Circle Immigrant Park dock) and Oakland's Jack London Square from the dock at the foot of Broadway. Initial services will operate Wednesdays through Sundays, for about twelve hours per day.
Snake on a train
Underscore SF caught this one from Reddit. Apparently, the snake pictured above was seen riding Muni on an outbound K train out of Civic Center. "It looked like it may have slithered out of the backpack belonging to a passed out man?" wrote fuckwow69 on Reddit.
Streetsblog is still trying to understand why apparently everything is allowed on Muni rail except bicycles.
