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09_Terminal Hub.qxd 10/3/2003 12:02 PM Page 9.1 9 TERMINAL HUB 9.1 09_Terminal Hub.qxd 10/3/2003 12:02 PM Page 9.2 TERMINAL HUB The addition of the state of the art, multi-modal Transbay Terminal will not only provide easily-accessible transit options to San Francisco’s residents, visitors, and workers, but it will also offer the city a grand, civic landmark.The proximity of the Terminal to the high-density residential Transbay and Rincon Hill neighborhoods will create a pedestrian- oriented, sustainable district immediately adjacent to downtown San Francisco. DISTRICT OVERVIEW Bay, the South Bay, and the Peninsula. In addition, N San Francisco residents with both out-of-city and The Terminal is not only the confluence of the local destinations accessible by Muni, will depart BEALE ST region’s major transit services, but it sits at the from the facility. The Terminal may also someday be future center of the city’s downtown, the hinge the main arrival point for people traveling on high- FREMONT ST between the Financial District and the new down- speed rail from southern California. town neighborhoods. While the current Transbay Terminal serves 20,000 passengers daily (mostly Today’s Terminal is deteriorated and functionally 1ST ST East Bay commuters), the new proposed multi- obsolete, and provides passengers a dreary experi- modal Terminal at the site has the potential to ence.Tomorrow’s Terminal will celebrate transit, MISSION ST SHAW ALY increase this figure dramatically. A total of 80,000 commerce, and downtown San Francisco. The main passengers from all around the region are expected entry experience will be transformed with a grand to use the Terminal on opening day with a capacity entry Plaza, in the form of a pavilion, located next to NATOMA ST to handle close to 300,000 daily passengers at the a proposed mixed-use Transit Tower. Together, the facility. With the extension of Caltrain into the Terminal,the Plaza and the Tower will become a Terminal and with improved facilities for AC Transit new city landmark, which will mark the central apex and other regional bus services, the facility will be a of the downtown skyline and will take advantage of hub of transportation for passengers from the East the access to transit. Terminal Hub The Transbay Terminal is nestled among high-rises to the north At ground level, the Terminal’s public realm is currently and to the west, and mid-rises to the south. dominated by vehicular traffic. 9.2 09_Terminal Hub.qxd 10/3/2003 12:02 PM Page 9.3 STREETS AND OPEN SPACE IMPROVEMENTS NATOMA STREET Given the high volumes of pedestrians entering and exiting the Terminal,the quality of the pedestrian environment surrounding it is particularly important. While the new Terminal has yet to be designed, certain principles will guide its configuration and will ensure that the pedestrian environment is not compromised by the high volumes of bus, taxi, and drop-off traffic. The design of the Plaza and the ground level around the Terminal should help pedestrians access their mode of transit from all orientations. The cross-section through Natoma Street at the Terminal illustrates a likely condition on the south edge of the facility. Here, although service access exists on the edge of the facing building to the south, a generous pedestrian zone should be provided on the north side of the alley, to allow pedestrians to easily and to safely enter the Terminal building. The diagram to the right establishes the public envi- TERMINAL STREET LEVEL DESIGN GUIDELINE ronment context around the Terminal. The yellow ALLEYS pattern delineates the pedestrian alleys that will PEDESTRIAN FRIENDLY / frame the Terminal. As shown, in some areas (indicat- INVITING BUILDING EDGE SERVICE EDGE ed in green), the Terminal frontage should be pedes- trian-friendly, with an inviting edge, permeable to pedestrian movement. This is essential on the west, Mission Street where multiple pedestrian connections pass through the Terminal,and the southern side of the middle and Shaw Shaw First Street First Street Street Fremont Beale Street the eastern portions of the Terminal,which will be To Yerba Buena Gardens PLAZA Minna Street primary access routes for pedestrians approaching from the Transbay area or Rincon Hill. Around the TRANSBAY MUNI BUS central core of the Terminal,where the primary ver- Malden TERMINAL PLATFORMS tical circulation will occur, it will be particularly important that the Terminal itself be supportive of Natoma Street pedestrian activity and that the streetscape and Oscar pedestrian environment be of a high quality. N TERMINAL HUB 9.3 09_Terminal Hub.qxd 10/3/2003 12:03 PM Page 9.4 BEALE STREET AT EASTERN EDGE OF TERMINAL PLAN 9.4 TERMINAL HUB 09_Terminal Hub.qxd 10/3/2003 12:03 PM Page 9.5 The areas, indicated in red, denote where concen- trations of service or bus access will occur. While pedestrian access will be allowed, these areas will be oriented more to this vehicular activity. The plan and cross-section on Beale Street illustrates a unique condition at the eastern end of the Terminal. At this location, high volumes of bus traffic will be entering the Terminal building from southbound Beale Street. Two lanes of bus move- ments will be required along this edge, and a nearly continuous driveway will provide entry for these buses. In order to provide a safe refuge and passage for pedestrians desiring to move south past the Terminal on Beale Street, the configuration shows a wide median, accessed by mid-block crosswalks.Two vehicular travel lanes lie to the east of the median. This configuration allows pedestrians to continue to walk along the eastern end of the Terminal and min- imizes potential pedestrian/bus conflicts by clearly BEALE STREET AT EASTERN EDGE OF TERMINAL SECTION (looking south) directing pedestrians to crosswalks. An alternative approach would be to create a more continuous pedestrian walkway surface, with buses crossing this surface via a driveway curb cut. This approach Mission Street and new development that would be would make the pedestrian sidewalk seem more suitable for office space, but could also potentially continuous and inviting to the walker, but may result be developed as housing. The final design for this in some confusion for bus movement.This condition block specifically, should be developed in coopera- needs detailed study during the final design of the tion with the owners of the existing office building Terminal. Retaining clear and strong north-south in order to ensure that the new development and pedestrian movements along Beale Street adjoining open space is integrated with existing uses. the Terminal is very important as this will be a Regardless of its use, the new development must primary access route for the Terminal and for meet the performance standards of the Design for other destinations to the north and south in the Development, including maintaining view corridors Transbay area. and sunlight to public space. The plan for the block directly across Beale Street from the Terminal shows a new pedestrian plaza adjacent to the existing office building at 201 TERMINAL HUB 9.5 09_Terminal Hub.qxd 10/3/2003 12:03 PM Page 9.6 URBAN FORM As noted in the Background Chapter, an independ- ent contract to redesign the Terminal will follow the Design for Development. The final design will incorporate the analysis and development concepts exhibited in the MTC Plan, as well as the Design for Development requirements. Independent of the Design for Development process, the TJPA has made the following changes to the concept design: – The Terminal Footprint – The Terminal Levels The MTC Plan produced the conceptual design for the Transbay Source: MTC Transbay Terminal Improvement Plan, 2001 Terminal,as shown in section (above).The Terminal design will be The Terminal Footprint finalized by the TJPA in the coming year. Rather than span three north-south streets, the Terminal footprint has been shifted west, onto a STEUAR 0 100 500 Natoma Street property that will be acquired for TERMINAL FOOTPRIN T T ST CURRENTLY PROPOSED TERMINAL the Caltrans Extension (see adjacent plan). This PREVIOUSLY PROPOSED TERMINAL shift reduces the impact on the Beale Street envi- PROJECT AREA BOUNDARY ronment and will leave the parcels, bordered by RINCON PARK wide sidewalks on Beale and Main Streets, open for MARKET ST future mixed-use development. SON ST T STEVEN The Terminal Levels JESSIE S N ST MISSIO The Terminal will consist of six levels, two of which SPEAR S SHAW ANTHONY ST MINNA ST T will be below grade to service rail lines (see the ALY NATOMA ST MAIN ST Mission Street Elevation). The Terminal Lobby at ARD ST HOW ST ground level will be comprised of easily-accessible BEALE ST TEHAMA A ST transit services, amenities, and convenience retail. TIN FREMONT ST OSCAR O CLEMEN ECKER AL MALDEN M ST ALY Muni service will operate on the ground level FOLSO Y ALY CE between Beale and Fremont Streets. The concourse GUY PLA 1ST ST level will facilitate passenger connections between LANSING ST THE EMBARCADER ESSEX ST rail service below and bus service above. AC HARRISON ST Transit will operate on the lowest bus level; private carriers will operate on the top level. 2ND ST BRYANT ST The Bay Bridge off-ramps will connect directly to HAWTHOR these levels. NE ST ST AN The new Transbay Terminal footprint, as shown in purple, has shifted west from the original proposal. 9.6 TERMINAL HUB 09_Terminal Hub.qxd 10/3/2003 12:03 PM Page 9.7 The Design for Development Requirements The existing Transbay Terminal sits one block south The Terminal Hub Urban Design of Market Street, facing Mission Street with its back Requirements MISSION ST to Natoma Street.The new Terminal design should – Ensure that the new Terminal design opens allow for multiple entrances from both north and to the north and to the south and is easily TRANSIT south to facilitate easy connections to the sur- TOWER accessed by all cross streets.