A cracked beam in the third-level ceiling has the new Transit Center closed for the time being.
SAN FRANCISCO—The Bay Bridge bolts, Millennium Tower foundation and now the Transit Center's cracked beam have Bay Area residents scratching their collective heads about the structural integrity of the newly built orifices in the city. Indeed, the nearly centuries-old structures such as the trusty Golden Gate Bridge, Coit Tower and Palace of Fine Arts seem to be more solid that some of the newer, shinier counterparts.
Salesforce Transit Center was closed yesterday after a fissure in one of the steel beams was discovered in the ceiling of the third-level bus deck near Fremont Street. Out of an abundance of caution, the Transbay Joint Powers Authority/TJPA, after conferring with design engineers and contractors, temporarily closed the transit center as the agency works with Webcor/Obayashi and structural engineers Thornton Tomasetti to investigate and repair this issue, and conduct an exhaustive inspection of all steel beams throughout the center. These inspections are currently underway.
“We apologize for this inconvenience to the public and commuters. The safety of everyone who visits the Salesforce Transit Center is our highest priority and we will work expeditiously to address and rectify this situation,” said Mark Zabaneh, executive director of the Transbay Joint Powers Authority. “While this appears to be a localized issue and we have no information that suggests it is widespread, it is our duty to confirm this before we allow public access to the facility and continue service.”
The Alameda-Contra Costa Transit District released a statement yesterday about the closure: “AC Transit has been notified by the Transbay Joint Powers Authority that a fissure has been discovered in a steel beam of the Salesforce Transit Center. The steel beam is located in the ceiling of the third level bus deck on the eastern side of the Salesforce Transit Center near Fremont Street. Out of an abundance of caution, the Salesforce Transit Center is now closed until further notice.”
To ensure riders' safety and continuation of service, AC Transit diverted all 27 Transbay bus lines to the old temporary terminal located at Howard and Beale Streets. With the Salesforce Dreamforce conference in full swing, along with the usual city congestion, it is likely that traffic will be severely snarled for the foreseeable future.
AC Transit ambassadors outfitted in fluorescent-colored safety vests have been deployed outside the Salesforce Transit Center and temporary transit center to provide riders with direction and the most updated information. AC Transit will closely monitor all information from the TJPA, and update riders with the latest details.
Transit lines that serve the Salesforce Transit Center are fully operational, but have been diverted to the temporary transit center. AC Transit and SFMTA report that despite the temporary closure of the Salesforce Transit Center and Fremont Street, Transbay bus lines and Muni lines serving the transit center continue to fully operate.
AC Transit lines B, C, CB, E, F, FS, G, H, J, L, LA, LC, NL, NX, NXC, NX1, NX2, NX3, NX4, O, OX, P, S, SB, V, W and Z will drop off and depart from the previously used bus bays at the temporary Transbay terminal.
Muni routes will also drop off and depart from the temporary Transbay terminal. Affected routes include 5 Fulton, 5R Fulton Rapid (on Howard at Main), 7 Haight/Noriega (on Main at Howard), 25 Treasure Island (on Beale and Folsom) and 38 Geary, 38 Geary Rapid (on Main at Howard).
There are several transit and traffic impacts due to the temporary closure of the Salesforce Transit Center and the closure of Fremont Street between Mission and Howard, particularly during peak commute hours. Motorists are asked to avoid driving downtown, transit riders are encouraged to allow extra commute time and call 511 or go to 511.org to get up-to-the-minute transit information. Casual carpool drop-off in the South of Market neighborhood may also be affected by the Fremont Street closure.
Paratransit transfer points may change. Check with paratransit providers for details.
BART will run long trains and will monitor passenger flow throughout the commute hours to address impacts to BART service.
Requests for comment from TJPA and Webcor/Obayashi were not granted before publication time. Updates will be provided when they are available.
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Lisa Brown
Lisa Brown is an editor for the south and west regions of GlobeSt.com. She has 25-plus years of real estate experience, with a regional PR role at Grubb & Ellis and a national communications position at MMI. Brown also spent 10 years as executive director at NAIOP San Francisco Bay Area chapter, where she led the organization to achieving its first national award honors and recognition on Capitol Hill. She has written extensively on commercial real estate topics and edited numerous pieces on the subject.
