Background

The second phase of the Third Street Light Rail Project will extend service north from King Street along 4th Street, entering a tunnel near Harrison Street, crossing beneath Market Street, and running under Stockton Street to Stockton and Clay Streets. A surface station will be built near Bryant Street, and underground stations will be located at Moscone Center, Union Square, and near Clay Street in Chinatown.

In February 2009, the project once again received a medium-high rating from the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) on its New Starts Report. It was one of only six projects nationally to receive the highest rating given to projects in the Preliminary Engineering Phase. 

Also in early 2009, the Municipal Transportation Agency (MTA) approved a contract with the Central Subway Partnership (AECOM and EPC Consultants) to provide Program Management and Construction Management services for the project. In May, the project team completed the Preliminary Engineering Phase and the construction documents for the Utility Relocation Contract Package No. 1. The project team also issued Requests for Proposals (RFPs) for the three Final Design contracts (tunnels, stations, and systems), selected the three teams, and completed negotiations with two of them, with the last one expected to complete in January 2010. The project team completed the FTA's comprehensive Risk Assessment Review and continued its success with the FTA Quality Assurance/Quality Control program. The project team also reached its first construction milestone: the bid and award of the construction contract for Utility Relocations Package No. 1, which began in February 2010.

Also in 2009, the San Francisco Arts Commission, with the participation of MTA and Authority staff, started the artist selection for the $15 million public art program for the project. The MTA also launched the Central Subway's social media program.

By the end of 2009, FTA had completed its Financial Capacity Analysis of the MTA, and the project team had completed all the deliverables required for FTA's authorization to enter into Final Design. The authorization from FTA is expected in late December 2009 or early January 2010.

The total project budget is $1.58 billion, and the MTA has identified full funding from a combination of local, state, and federal sources. The primary funding source for the New Central Subway is anticipated to be federal New Rail Starts dollars. To date, the project has received $16.8 million in funds programmed by the Authority and $45 million in federal funds. Revenue service is scheduled for 2018.

See the MTA's Central Subway Facebook page for more information and photos.