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The Bay Bridge has reopened this morning and in phases since 9 AM. I frankly hold out hope the repairs hold and this wasn't a rush to place a band-aid on an already damaged structure.
And CalTrans calls the eyebar repairs "enhanced" - let's hope that's not a cute trick at using the right marketing term and it really is stronger than before. One thing is for certain: BART's 24-hour train service was a success and proves that BART can extend train service with the right level of funding.
Remember in my second blog post on this subject, BART's Linton Johnson said that economic and maintenance factors combined to make 24-hour service an impossibility unless CalTrans provided the money for it.
Well that happened and the 24-hour service, provided Friday night and Saturday night, worked like a charm.
In fact, it worked so well I think BART and CalTrans should do this every weekend. Moreover, funding for this should come not just from CalTrans but the Federal Government in some fashion under the rationale of keeping drunk drivers off the road and money out of the pockets of lawyers like Former Speaker and San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown, who once hilariously said to party goers including California Assembly Speaker Karen Bass, "Drink. Drink. And drive, so I can represent you!
(Love ya Willie!)
BART's a fun, social vehicle to use in getting too and fro, especially at night after a play or a party. Why create an environment where people who have been out even having a "little drink" can't see an alternative to driving from San Francisco to Oakland?
Yes, AC Transit has great 24 hour service but it's not enough to handle the volume of people who need it on the weekend. I've heard the argument before that there's not enough ridership at night, but that's only because people are conditioned not to use the service as much because it's not available.
BART's trains were packed during the weekend, yes, because of Halloween, but I contend 24-hour service, if it were standard on the weekends, would alter the economy of San Francisco and Oakland. More establishments would stay open longer past the 2 AM bar close deadline and because more people are out and about, its safer to be out and about.
World-class cities have such service. It's about time we got serious and acted like a World-class region; make 24-hour service permanent on the weekends.
Stay tuned.
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