South San Francisco, CA February 9, 2015 Submitted by City of South San Francisco
Upgrades include additional safety measures and more efficiency with trains
Plans call for an underground passage way leading from the train station to Grand Avenue
Renderings: Group 4 Architecture Research + Planning, Inc.
The South San Francisco Caltrain station will undergo a $55 million upgrade, greatly improving service for Caltrain riders and providing a direct connection to downtown South San Francisco. The upgrade includes moving the station to the intersection of Grand Avenue and Airport Drive, construction of a pedestrian and bike access tunnel under Highway 101 and installation of a wider rider platform to improve safety and the overall appeal of the station.
“This is transformational for our downtown,” said South San Francisco Mayor Rich Garbarino. “We are laying the groundwork for new development downtown and providing a far better transit solution for our residents and businesses,” continued Garbarino.
The upgrade is possible thanks to a partnership between the City of South San Francisco and the San Mateo County Transportation Authority, which last week approved $49.1 million in Measure A funds to rebuild the South San Francisco Caltrain Station. The South San Francisco City Council had earlier appropriated $5.9 million in city funds for the project, providing the total needed to build the project.
“We have worked for well over a decade to get this done,” said South San Francisco Councilmember Karyl Matsumoto. “More than 400 riders, many of them employees in the biotech industry, use this station on an average weekday, so this will be a much welcome improvement for these riders and our future riders.”
A new drop off point is part of the plan
Moving the station to Grand Avenue allows for a wider center boarding platform as well as additional improvements that enhance the value of the station. A new parking lot on the east side of the station will facilitate dropping off and picking up employees in the nearby biotech hub and a plaza that connects the station to Grand Avenue and downtown South San Francisco. In addition, the new underpass meets American Accessibility Act standards.
Design of the new station is already complete and construction could begin as early as 2016, with the new station being placed in service by 2019. The construction schedule will be timed to coordinate with the electrification of Caltrain.
The new platform
Moving and upgrading the Caltrain Station creates an opportunity for transit-oriented development. More than 500 new residential units are already planned for the area around the station, with more likely in the future. The new Station also ties directly to the City’s new Downtown Plan, which was adopted by the South San Francisco City Council two weeks ago. The new Downtown Plan will guide the City’s efforts to build a vibrant and diverse downtown and includes pedestrian and bicycle improvements, high-density development, and mixed land uses including housing, retail, office, civic and institutional spaces with a blend of green spaces, plazas, parks, and paths.
Local business owners are excited about this development and feel like this is just one more step to growing the City of South San Francisco. “I am very excited about the new Station,” said local business owner Joe Barwin, who recently opened the retail shop “Bitters and Bottles” on Grand Avenue in South San Francisco. “It will vastly improve our downtown and provide that spark needed for a renaissance in the downtown.”
NOTE: Renderings were developed by Group 4 Architecture Research + Planning, Inc.
Entrance through tunnel passage way
Entrance through tunnel passage way
The plaza
The proposed underground passage way