SF rail station nets stimulus funding
By: John Upton
January 29, 2010
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Flying by: A station for the Anaheim-to-San Francisco high-speed rail is slated for the Transbay Transit Center in SoMa. (Courtesy rendering)
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SAN FRANCISCO — A $400 million underground bullet-train station could be built at First and Mission streets in SoMa following a much-sought-after federal funding announcement.
But when — and if — trains will reach the destination remains unclear.
California was allocated nearly $2.3 billion in federal stimulus funds to support a $43 billion effort to link cities from Anaheim to San Francisco by 2020 with a high-speed rail network, the U.S. Department of Transportation said Thursday.
The announcement will help the state secure billions of dollars in private investment funds needed to complete the network, California High-Speed Rail Authority board member Quentin Kopp said.
“This is a down payment by the federal government in terms of federal grants,” Kopp said. “It affirms further confidence on the consummation of the project.”
The state had applied for twice as much American Recovery and Reinvestment Act high-speed rail funding than it was allocated, but Kopp described the amount as “fair.”
The $2.3 billion includes $400 million to build a train terminal beneath the Transbay Transit Center, according to Transportation Department spokeswoman Maureen Knightly.
“Secretary [Ray] LaHood has reserved $400 million,” Knightly said via e-mail. “US DOT will work with California authorities to get the [Transbay Transit Center rail station] project under way as soon as all the proper approvals are final.”
The transit center is slated to be demolished and rebuilt by 2015 at First and Mission streets. It will be funded largely through redevelopment of surrounding land that could drag San Francisco’s downtown south of Market Street.
A ruling on the $400 million application originally was planned to be made in October, but the federal government pushed that date back to winter.
The delay stalled construction work on the transit center project after a temporary terminal was completed because officials needed to wait for the $400 million ruling before demolition of the existing center could begin.
Following Thursday’s announcement, officials still must secure at least $2 billion for the rail extension.
Construction work on the transit center project could take three months to begin again because of state procedures for notifying bus operators about major changes.
Where’s the money?
Planned California High-Speed Rail funding in 2009 dollars:
Tickets: $105, San Francisco to Anaheim
Voter-approved bond measure: $9 billion
Federal funding: $17 billion to $19 billion
Federal funding allocated Thursday: $2.3 billion
Local funding: $4 billion to $5 billion
Private investment: $10 billion to $12 billion
Source: California High-Speed Rail Authority
jupton@sfexaminer.com
