Click here and scroll down to link to the SFMTA's interactive map of the Central Subway.
Big news of the below-ground variety- the Civil Grand Jury passed judgement on the Central Subway yesterday, and the short little$1.6B railway was judged harshly. It failed on issues of expense, connectivity, convenience and passenger safety. Which didn't stop its boosters like Mayor Lee, or Muni spokesman Paul Rose:
"We appreciate the Civil Grand Jury's interest in the Central Subway project" and said while the report "is comprehensive, it does not say anything new about the challenges we face in regards to serving nearly 700,000 riders each weekday."Who thought this thing up, anyway? The Central Subway dates back to Mayor Art Agnos' desire to demolish the Embarcadero Freeway after it was damaged by the 1989 earthquake, replacing it with an open boulevard linked to Rt. 280. The Embarcadero Freeway ended in Chinatown, and the Chinese community wanted it replaced, not demolished. Demolition went ahead in 1991, but not until Willie Brown defeated Agnos in the mayoral election after the Chinese community switched their support to Brown, who promised a transit link instead. Which is something of an oversimplification, but for the benefit of those Curbed SF readers who hadn't been born yet. Or moved here. Your thoughts, plus any Roman Polanski/Jack Nicholson jokes in the comments, please.
· Civil Grand Jury Calls for SFMTA to Overhaul Central Subway [SF Appeal]
· Central Subway Overview [SFMTA]
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