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Salesforce Transit Center opens with celebratory block party

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Jackie Wei Green Jackie Wei Green Americas Head of Communications,Los Angeles
16 August 2018

Arup, Pelli-Clarke-Pelli Architects, the Transbay Joint Powers Authority, and other key collaborators joined with the public to celebrate the grand opening of the Salesforce Transit Center. Following a ceremonial ribbon cutting on 10 August, the official public opening kicked off on 11 August with an aptly named block party, as the transit hub spans three city blocks in the heart of Downtown San Francisco. 

“

This represents San Francisco at our best. It represents our commitment to transportation, our commitment to environmental sustainability and community development. ”

London Breed Mayor of San Francisco

Replacing the old Transbay Terminal originally built in 1939, and renamed Salesforce Transit Center via a sponsorship agreement with the South of Market-headquartered software company, the new center was delivered as Bay Area traffic reaches critical volume. The transit hub can process up to 20,000 bus passengers in an hour, and provides intercity, regional, and commuter bus services for five major transit providers at the ground and bus deck levels. The center also includes a below-grade trainbox ready to receive two tracks for commuter rail line Caltrain, as well as a terminus for high-speed rail.

As bus service commenced on Sunday 12 August, with coffee and confetti to greet the first riders, Saturday’s block party provided a unique opportunity for guests to traverse the new complex, complete with food and music. Huge crowds thronged the center, from the retail plaza and Grand Hall to the 5.4-acre park on top. 

Arup’s involvement dates back to 1998 when we, as part of the Richard Rogers Architecture/SMWM team, were selected by the Metropolitan Transportation Commission to prepare the Transbay Terminal Improvement Plan. Twenty years later we celebrated the successful culmination of our work, which included complete civil, geotechnical, and bridge/highway engineering design services, as well as electrical, lighting, and cost estimating/scheduling consulting, transport and pedestrian planning, structural risk analyses, pedestrian modelling, fire and life-safety review, tunnel ventilation design, and rail coordination for this landmark addition to San Francisco’s mass transit infrastructure.

Salesforce Transit Center park Salesforce Transit Center park
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