Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

California Transit Nerd @catransitnerd.bsky.social · 3h

I think that’s a case where we need to move to a quarterly rather than a half year period for rate adjustments to account better for solars changing production. Looking yesterday 9am-4pm was peak solar generation

There also could be grid capacity issues in some areas.

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California Transit Nerd @catransitnerd.bsky.social · 3h

I wouldn’t do any sort of major utilities at the county level

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California Transit Nerd @catransitnerd.bsky.social · 3h

Oh fun that looks like a little more than 12.5%
Cool so that’s now .12$kwh we can cut off peak rates

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California Transit Nerd @catransitnerd.bsky.social · 3h

NEM?
Much of the major transmissions network is still going to be in those fire prone areas no matter what and so have them actually address their aging network is a must

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California Transit Nerd @catransitnerd.bsky.social · 3h

We could cut at least 10% off of PG&E rate by making them publicly owed
But some things would have to massively change to see residential users approach .20$kwh off peak and hold to .35$kwh at peak

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California Transit Nerd @catransitnerd.bsky.social · 3h

Building a new double track tunnel would probably be a good idea so Ignacio south can eventually be fully double tracked allowing east west trains to interline rather than force a transfer

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Reposted by California Transit Nerd

Matthew Lewis is ready for progressive federalism @mateosfo.bsky.social · 14h

$11 billion to raise and widen a highway, through a wetland, during a climate crisis.

Imagine spending $11 billion on workforce housing in Marin/Sonoma/Napa/San Francisco so the people driving across 37 every day to get to work ... could just live where they work.

California is a climate pariah.

Alfred Twu @alfredtwu.com · 16h

The entire proposed Highway 37 Solano-Marin super bridge is estimated to cost $11 billion, all to replace an existing road between a couple of suburbs. And it's proposed at 114 feet wide.

For comparison, the Golden Gate Bridge is 90 feet wide.

Warren Wells, AICP @warrenjwells.bsky.social · 18h

Caltrans has released a cross section for the ultimate (raised viaduct) version of SR-37.

Now maybe I'm just being paranoid, but if you were building a road that you planned to keep at 4 lanes wide, I don't think it would look like this.

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California Transit Nerd @catransitnerd.bsky.social · 12h

East west smart from Fairfield and the existing line being under wire and running at 15 min headways even using the insanely inflated Caltrain and SMART construction costs would be less than 10B
Reaching further south is probably NIMBY hell but could be done

California Transit Nerd @catransitnerd.bsky.social · 12h

You can get to the north edge of Sausalito by adding rail back onto the now trailed alignment. I just doubt Corte Madera and Mill Valley will be very warm to the idea.

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California Transit Nerd @catransitnerd.bsky.social · 13h

given the need to expand the embankment for the majority of the run to accommodate a 2nd main as part of that they can raise it at the same time.
the existing ballast (rock) can likely be used as fill given its likely fairly rounded and not good for railroad use.

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California Transit Nerd @catransitnerd.bsky.social · 14h

You aren't going to be able to shoehorn rail in later given the loading profile unless you do some ultra light special cars like BART and even then I doubt it

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California Transit Nerd @catransitnerd.bsky.social · 14h

yes and I think like a lot of places are going to have to make the politically unpopular choice to abandon/accept its going to be closed at times for Mare island to Sears Point

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California Transit Nerd @catransitnerd.bsky.social · 14h

Or rail for the north bay. SMART plus a SMART east west line running every 15 mins under wire wouldn't be hard to do in that budget.

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California Transit Nerd @catransitnerd.bsky.social · 14h

They can cut out 28ft by removing 1 breakdown lane and making the lanes 11ft rather than 12ft. That makes it only 86ft...
Almost certain caltrans will end up re striping this for 3 GP lanes not long after it opens so just assume from a carbon perspective its 3+3

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California Transit Nerd @catransitnerd.bsky.social · 15h

You’d be building a whole new bridge because the space and likely spare load capacity was taken up by all the seismic improvements

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California Transit Nerd @catransitnerd.bsky.social · 15h

They want to get it off of fill and onto a viaduct like for Alviso wetlands so they can have it be almost transparent to smaller wildlife
Eh SR-37 can just not exist between Sears point and Mares island

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Reposted by California Transit Nerd

Warren Wells, AICP @warrenjwells.bsky.social · 16h

Regrettably, Governor Newsom just signed this bill, paving the way to widen a rapidly sinking highway.

MTC Bay Area @mtcbata.bsky.social · Sep 5

Today’s passage of AB 697 marks a major advance for long-running efforts to start work on a suite of projects to enhance North Bay marshlands and wildlife habitats, reduce flooding, improve traffic flow along Highway 37, and introduce transit service between Vallejo and Novato.

Legislature passes bill paving way for Highway 37 improvements

Today’s passage by the California State Senate of Assembly Bill 697 — sponsored by the Solano Transportation Authority, authored by Assemblymember Lori Wilson of Solano County and passed by the Assemb...

mtc.one

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California Transit Nerd @catransitnerd.bsky.social · 17h

Calling any highway expansion congestion relief is lying

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Reposted by California Transit Nerd

Warren Wells, AICP @warrenjwells.bsky.social · 18h

Caltrans has released a cross section for the ultimate (raised viaduct) version of SR-37.

Now maybe I'm just being paranoid, but if you were building a road that you planned to keep at 4 lanes wide, I don't think it would look like this.

Cross section of 114' wide bridge structure with each direction having a 12' outside shoulder and a 10' inside shoulder.

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California Transit Nerd @catransitnerd.bsky.social · 17h

The existing alignment with the Schellville curve cut restored is likely good enough and could be done significantly cheaper than any of the SR-37 options
It won’t serve Vallejo directly unless they branch service between there and Fairfield which ideally is 15 mins on the overlapping segment

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California Transit Nerd @catransitnerd.bsky.social · 18h

I don’t see the rail line and Caltrans will absolutely use those 20ft of shoulders to add in 1 if not 2 lanes in the future like Dumbarton

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California Transit Nerd @catransitnerd.bsky.social · 3d

Outside of the hotshot intermodals and officer car specials they don’t care at all about on time performance of any trains.
California has bonuses worth 5-10 million dollars a year for high OTP on each of the 3 Amtrak CA routes and it doesn’t really move the needle

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California Transit Nerd @catransitnerd.bsky.social · 3d

Ridership will be decent if we can use it as a half hourly spine like smart is with bus transfers at each end
Opex should be a combo of more state support and from Solano and probably Napa counties

California Transit Nerd @catransitnerd.bsky.social · 4d

As for operating costs it’s not particularly expensive to run even if the farebox ratio is going to be low.

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California Transit Nerd @catransitnerd.bsky.social · 4d

I disagree the alignment exists it needs an investment to bring the track standard up, some powered switches on passing sidings and a singling system. We probably can’t get it started for 500M given SMARTs fairly expensive project delivery but for 1-1.5B we could do it which is 10% the road cost

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