Paul Avenue station

Last updated
Paul Avenue
Paul Avenue station, July 2005.jpg
Paul Avenue station in July 2005
General information
Location1 Gould Street
San Francisco, California [1]
Coordinates 37°43′24″N122°23′49″W / 37.72333°N 122.39694°W / 37.72333; -122.39694
Owned by Peninsula Corridor Joint Powers Board (PCJPB)
Line(s)PCJPB Peninsula Subdivision [2]
Platforms2 side platforms (now demolished)
Construction
AccessibleNo
Other information
Fare zone1
History
ClosedAugust 1, 2005 (2005-08-01)
Original company Southern Pacific
Passengers
2005 [3] 1 (daily average)
Former services
Preceding station Caltrain roundel.svg Caltrain Following station
22nd Street
toward San Francisco
Local Bayshore
toward San Jose Diridon or Tamien
Preceding station Southern Pacific Railroad Following station
23rd Street
toward San Francisco
Peninsula Commute Bayshore
toward San Jose
Del Monte
Until 1971
 San Bruno
toward Monterey
Location
Paul Avenue station

Paul Avenue station was a Caltrain station located in the Bayview neighborhood of San Francisco, California. The lightly used station was closed on August 1, 2005, and the platform and shelter were removed in 2009. A replacement station to the north has been proposed.

Contents

History

Soon after Caltrans took over operation of the Peninsula Commute service, a study was published in 1982 recommending that Paul Avenue be closed. [4] Service was reduced after the 1982 study. [5] : 27–28  A 1987 ridership survey showed that on a typical weekday, 37 northbound passengers disembarked at Paul, 1 northbound passenger embarked, and 43 southbound passengers disembarked. [5] : 15  In the late 1990s, Caltrain staff recommended that the station be closed due to low ridership – it was located away from residential and commercial areas, and riders found it unsafe. [6] [7] It was to require $3.65 million to stabilize a crumbling embankment, and modernizing the station was to have cost significantly more. However, the Caltrain board voted in February 1999 to keep the station open due to pressure from the neighborhood and from mayor Willie Brown. [7]

The former station site in 2012 Paul Avenue station 3253 03.JPG
The former station site in 2012

After the Caltrain Express project was completed in 2004, only four weekday trains stopped at Paul Avenue: one northbound and one southbound local in the early morning, and one northbound and one southbound local in the evening. [8] Before its closure in 2005, service remained at four weekday local trains, and no service on weekends. [9]

The Peninsula Corridor Joint Powers Board, the governing body of Caltrain, voted in April 2005 to suspend service to Paul Avenue effective August 1, 2005. [10] [11] Weekday service was also suspended at Broadway and Atherton in order to add twelve more Baby Bullet trains to help close a funding gap, because the limited-stop express trains had typically operated at capacity and generated higher revenues than locals since their introduction in 2004. [10] [11] [12]

The abandoned station was soon covered with trash and graffiti. Caltrain cleaned up the larger debris in March 2009. That July, the platforms and shelter were removed, the graffiti painted over, and a fence installed to deter access. [13] [14]

Oakdale station proposal

A southbound train passing the proposed station site (June 2018); the Quint Street Lead can be seen branching east from the northbound mainline. Caltrain passing Oakdale Avenue station site, June 2018.JPG
A southbound train passing the proposed station site (June 2018); the Quint Street Lead can be seen branching east from the northbound mainline.

When Caltrain was still being operated by Caltrans, a report was published in 1988 from a study to evaluate the feasibility of replacing Paul Avenue with a new station to the north at either Williams Avenue, Palou Avenue, or Evans Avenue. The report was prepared in conjunction with the effort to create a home port for USS Missouri (BB-63) in San Francisco at the Hunters Point Shipyard, and concluded that with the completion of the Downtown Rail Extension (now known as The Portal), daily ridership could increase to 2,400. However, without the downtown extension, ridership would be limited to less than 100. The preferred site was at Evans Avenue. [5]

The Bayview Hunters Point Community Revitalization Concept Plan (March 2002) identified the Oakdale-Palou area as the community's preferred location for the Caltrain station. [15] A 2005 feasibility study proposed a new station just north of Oakdale Avenue ( 37°44′17″N122°23′41″W / 37.738°N 122.3948°W / 37.738; -122.3948 ) next to the City College of San Francisco Southeast Campus in Bayview, 1.0 mile (1.6 km) north of the former Paul Avenue station. The new station would have platforms passing over Quint, and bus stops for four lines would be located within walking distance of the new station. [16] : 18  Just north of Oakdale, freight trains are routed east along the Quint Street Lead, which branches from the main line, to the Intermodal Freight Rail Cargo Transfer Facility near Piers 90–96. [16] : 27  A follow-up study in 2014 predicted daily ridership of around 2,350. [6] [17] In the vicinity of the proposed station, the Caltrain line is grade-separated from Oakdale (which passes over the rail line) and Quint. Prior to 2016, the rail line was carried over Quint on a steel bridge originally constructed for the Bayshore Cutoff in the early 1900s. In preparation for a new Oakdale station, the bridge, which was structurally deficient, was removed on April 30 and replaced by a berm completed in July 2016, which severed Quint between Oakdale and Jerrold. [18] A new road has been proposed on land belonging to Union Pacific west of the tracks, to reconnect Quint to Jerrold. [19]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Caltrain</span> Commuter rail line in California

Caltrain is a commuter rail line in California, serving the San Francisco Peninsula and Santa Clara Valley. The southern terminus is in San Jose at the Tamien station with weekday rush hour service running as far as Gilroy. The northern terminus of the line is in San Francisco at 4th and King Street. Caltrain has express, limited, and local services. There are 28 regular stops, one limited-service weekday-only stop, one weekend and holiday-only stop (Broadway), and one stop that is only served on football game days (Stanford). While average weekday ridership in 2019 exceeded 63,000, impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic have been significant: in June 2024, Caltrain had an average weekday ridership of 24,580 passengers.

<i>Capitol Corridor</i> Amtrak service between San Jose and Auburn, California

The Capitol Corridor is a 168-mile (270 km) passenger train route in Northern California operated by Amtrak between San Jose, in the Bay Area, and Auburn, in the Sacramento Valley. The route is named after the two points most trains operate between, San Jose and Sacramento. The route runs roughly parallel to I-880 and I-80. Some limited trips run between Oakland and San Jose. A single daily round trip runs between San Jose and Auburn, in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada. Capitol Corridor trains started in 1991.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Millbrae station</span> Train station in Millbrae, California, U.S.

Millbrae station is an intermodal transit station serving Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) and Caltrain, located in Millbrae, California. The station is the terminal station for BART on the San Francisco Peninsula, served by two lines: The Red Line before 9 pm and the Yellow Line during the early morning and evening. It is served by all Caltrain services. The station is also served by SamTrans bus service, Commute.org and Caltrain shuttle buses, and other shuttles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Palo Alto station</span> Train station in Palo Alto, California, U.S.

Palo Alto station is an intermodal transit center in Palo Alto, California. It is served by Caltrain regional rail service, SamTrans and Santa Clara VTA local bus service, Dumbarton Express regional bus service, the Stanford University Marguerite Shuttle, and several local shuttle services. Palo Alto is the second-busiest Caltrain station after San Francisco, averaging 7,764 weekday boardings by a 2018 count. The Caltrain station has two side platforms serving the two tracks of the Peninsula Subdivision and a nearby bus transfer plaza.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">22nd Street station (Caltrain)</span> Train station in San Francisco, California, U.S.

22nd Street station is a Caltrain commuter rail station located south of 22nd Street between the Dogpatch and Potrero Hill neighborhoods of San Francisco, California beneath the Interstate 280 freeway viaduct. The only below-grade Caltrain station, it is bracketed on the north and south by two tunnels which take the line under the eastern slope of Potrero Hill. The station is also served by Muni routes 48 and 55.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bayshore station (Caltrain)</span> Train station in San Francisco, California, U.S.

Bayshore station is a Caltrain commuter rail station in the Visitacion Valley neighborhood of San Francisco, California. The station is on the border of San Francisco and the neighboring city of Brisbane. The parking lot and the northern section of the station are in San Francisco, while the remainder is in Brisbane. The station address is in San Francisco proper.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South San Francisco station (Caltrain)</span> Train station in South San Francisco, California, U.S.

South San Francisco station is a Caltrain station in South San Francisco, California. The station is on the east side of the Bayshore Freeway, east and south of the curved Grand Avenue overpass, and north of where the freeway crosses over the tracks. Downtown South San Francisco is to the west, across the freeway. It previously underwent a substantial modernization and expansion project, completed in January 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">San Bruno station (Caltrain)</span> Train station in San Bruno, California, U.S.

San Bruno station is a Caltrain station located in San Bruno, California. The station is located just northeast of downtown San Bruno, above the intersection of San Mateo and San Bruno Avenues, adjacent to Artichoke Joe's Casino.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Broadway station (Caltrain)</span> Train station in Burlingame, California, U.S.

Broadway station is a Caltrain station in Burlingame, California. Caltrain only serves the stop on weekends and holidays; weekday service is provided by a bus shuttle to nearby Millbrae station.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">San Mateo station</span> Train station in San Mateo, California, U.S.

San Mateo station is the northernmost of the three Caltrain stations in San Mateo, California. It is in downtown San Mateo.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Atherton station</span> Closed Caltrain rail station

Atherton station was a Caltrain station in Atherton, California. The station had one side platform and one island platform serving the two tracks of the Peninsula Subdivision, with a concrete and wooden shelter on the west side of the tracks. The station opened by the Southern Pacific Railroad in 1866 as Fair Oaks and was renamed Atherton in 1912. Caltrain cut weekday service to the station in 2005 due to low ridership and a hold-out rule that prohibited two trains from being at the station simultaneously. Weekend and holiday service continued until December 19, 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Capitol station (Caltrain)</span> Train station in San Jose, California, U.S.

Capitol station is a Caltrain station located off Monterey Road near the Capitol Expressway, after which the station is named, in southern San Jose, California. The station is only served during weekday peak hours, with northbound trains in the morning and southbound trains in the evening. Service between San Jose and Gilroy, including Capitol station, was increased to four weekday round trips on September 25, 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blossom Hill station (Caltrain)</span> Train station in San Jose, California, U.S.

Blossom Hill station is a Caltrain station located off Monterey Road near the Blossom Hill Road expressway in San Jose, California. The station is only served during weekday peak hours, with northbound trains in the morning and southbound trains in the evening.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Morgan Hill station</span> Train station in Morgan Hill, California, U.S.

Morgan Hill station is a Caltrain station located in the downtown area of Morgan Hill, California. The station is only served during weekday peak hours, with northbound trains in the morning and southbound trains in the evening.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">San Martin station</span> Train station in San Martin, California, U.S.

San Martin station is a Caltrain station located in the downtown area of San Martin, California. The station is only served by South County Connector service during weekday peak hours, with four northbound trains to San Jose in the morning and four southbound trains to Gilroy in the evening.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Caltrain Express</span> Faster San Francisco–San Jose rail service

The Caltrain Express (CTX) project was implemented from 2002 to 2004 to establish the Baby Bullet express service, which shortened the transit time on the Caltrain commuter rail line between San Francisco and San Jose, and certain stations in between. New locomotives and rolling stock were purchased for dedicated express service, bypassing most stations; quad-track overtake sections were added in two locations along the Peninsula Corridor right-of-way to allow express trains to pass slower local trains that were making all stops; tracks were also upgraded with continuous-welded rail; a centralized traffic control system was added; and crossovers were added every few miles to allow single-tracking trains around disabled trains. Congresswoman Jackie Speier, then serving as a California State Senator, is credited with securing the funding for CTX and one of the new locomotives acquired for the project is named for her as a result. During commute hours, the Baby Bullet went up to 20 percent faster than driving south from San Francisco to San Jose. On September 21, 2024, with the completion of the Caltrain modernization project and the transition to electrified trains, the Baby Bullet was renamed as simply the Express service.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Caltrain Modernization Program</span> Railway electrification project in California, US

The Caltrain Modernization Program (CalMod), sometimes referred to as the Caltrain Electrification Project, was a $2.44 billion project which added a positive train control (PTC) system and electrified the main line of the U.S. commuter railroad Caltrain, which serves cities in the San Francisco Peninsula and Silicon Valley. The electrification included installation of a 25 kV catenary system over the double-tracked line from San Francisco to San Jose, and acquisition of new rolling stock, consisting of Stadler KISS double-decker electric multiple units (EMU). Caltrain is transitioning from its legacy push-pull trains hauled by diesel-electric locomotives, most of which have been in service since 1985.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Portal (San Francisco)</span> Planned transit project in San Francisco

The Portal, also known as the Downtown Rail Extension (DTX), is a planned second phase of the Salesforce Transit Center. When complete, it will extend the Caltrain Peninsula Corridor commuter rail line from its current northern terminus at 4th and King via a 1.3-mile (2.1 km) tunnel. The new terminus will be near the Financial District and will provide intermodal connections to BART, Muni, Transbay AC Transit buses, and long-distance buses. In addition, the California High Speed Rail Authority (CHSRA) plans to use DTX and the Caltrain-owned Peninsula Corridor for service on the CHSRA San Francisco–San Jose segment. The Caltrain Modernization Program (CalMod), which included electrification of the line and acquisition of electrified rolling stock, was a prerequisite, since the former diesel locomotives were not suitable for use in a tunnel.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Monterey County Rail Extension</span>

The Monterey County Rail Extension is a planned commuter rail extension that would bring Caltrain passenger service south of its existing Gilroy, California terminus to Salinas in Monterey County, using the existing Coast Line owned by Union Pacific (UPRR). Implementation of the rail extension will occur over three phases, starting from Salinas and moving north. When construction is complete, there will be four trains operated over the extended line per weekday: two northbound trains that depart from Salinas and travel to San Francisco in the morning, and two southbound trains that return to Salinas in the afternoon.

References

  1. ↑ "Caltrain Stations". Peninsula Corridor Joint Powers Board. 2002. Archived from the original on August 22, 2005.
  2. ↑ SMA Rail Consulting (April 2016). "California Passenger Rail Network Schematics" (PDF). California Department of Transportation. p. 13.
  3. ↑ "Caltrain Weekday Station Passenger Boardings – 1992 & 1995 through 2007". Peninsula Corridor Joint Powers Board. Archived from the original on October 7, 2007.
  4. ↑ Barton-Aschman Associates (198). Caltrans commuter rail station location and improvement study (Report). California Department of Transportation.
  5. 1 2 3 Evaluation of the Feasibility of Constructing a Peninsula Commute Service (CalTrain) Station in the South Bayshore/Hunters Point Area of San Francisco and of Closing the Paul Street Station (PDF) (Report). California Department of Transportation, District 4: Public Transportation Branch. Fall 1988.
  6. 1 2 "Fact Sheet: Caltrain Station at Oakdale Avenue" (PDF). San Francisco County Transportation Authority. March 2014.
  7. 1 2 Hendricks, Tyche (February 5, 1999). "Caltrain board to keep Paul Avenue station open". San Francisco Chronicle.
  8. ↑ "Timetable" (PDF). Peninsula Corridor Joint Powers Board. June 5, 2004. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 9, 2004. Retrieved June 4, 2018.
  9. ↑ "Timetable" (PDF). Peninsula Corridor Joint Powers Board. May 2, 2005. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 24, 2005.
  10. 1 2 "Caltrain OK's Fare Increase, Service Revamp to Close Deficit" (Press release). Peninsula Corridor Joint Powers Board. April 25, 2005. Archived from the original on May 7, 2005. Retrieved June 4, 2018.
  11. 1 2 "Caltrain to Continue Weekend Service for Broadway and Atherton" (Press release). Peninsula Corridor Joint Powers Board. May 23, 2005. Archived from the original on May 26, 2005. Retrieved June 4, 2018.
  12. ↑ "Caltrain Adding Two More Bullet Trains to Help Financial Crisis" (Press release). Peninsula Corridor Joint Powers Board. April 13, 2005. Archived from the original on May 7, 2005. Retrieved June 4, 2018.
  13. ↑ Curiel, Jonathan (April 2, 2009). "San Francisco: Paul Avenue Station clean up". San Francisco Examiner.
  14. ↑ Curiel, Jonathan (July 7, 2009). "S.F.: Paul Avenue Caltrain Station cleaned up". San Francisco Examiner.
  15. ↑ "4, Part II: Physical Planning and Environmental Programs" (PDF). Bayview Hunters Point Community Revitalization Concept Plan (Report). San Francisco Planning Department. pp. 108–109. Retrieved 17 October 2018.
  16. 1 2 HNTB Corporation (February 2005). Bayview-Oakdale Caltrain Station Study (PDF) (Report). San Franicsco County Transportation Authority. Retrieved 17 October 2018.
  17. ↑ Caltrain Oakdale Station Ridership Study (PDF) (Report). San Francisco County Transportation Authority. March 2014. Retrieved 17 October 2018.
  18. ↑ "Quint Street Project". Peninsula Corridor Joint Powers Board. Retrieved 17 October 2018.
  19. ↑ "Quint-Jerrold Connector Road (and the Quint Street Bridge Replacement Project)". San Francisco County Transportation Authority. Retrieved 17 October 2018.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.