BAY BRIDGE CLOSURE
<!> <!> <!> <!> <!> <!> <!> <!> <!> <!> <!> <!> <!> <!> <!> <!> <!> <!> <!> <!> <!> <!> <!> <!> <!> <!> <!> <!>
IMPORTANT IMPORTANT IMPORTANT IMPORTANT IMPORTANT IMPORTANT IMPORTANT IMPORTANT IMPORTANT IMPORTANT
As of October 28th, the Bay Bridge (The main bridge connecting San Francisco to Oakland and the East Bay) is CLOSED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE due to a severe problem with a repair installed over Labor Day weekend. There is no ETA on the bridge reopening, but it will be at least SEVERAL DAYS, and will likely impact transportation for people arriving to ApacheCon.
If you aren't familiar with the bay area, here are tings to be aware of as long as the bridge is out...
- Bart will be very crowded even if you aren't going to/from San Francisco
- If you are driving a car, Don't trust GPS or online directions about how to get to/from San Francisco and the east bay. The Bay Bridge is the main artery, you'll need to find directions that use one of the other bridges.
- All bridges will be extremely congested, expect *much* longer travel times for any car/bus/van type transportation between Oakland and San Francisco. If you are coming from South of the Bay, you should avoid the bridges completely and take 880.
For status updates on the state of the Bridge, detour routes, and public transportation options, consult 511.org...
IMPORTANT IMPORTANT IMPORTANT IMPORTANT IMPORTANT IMPORTANT IMPORTANT IMPORTANT IMPORTANT IMPORTANT
<!> <!> <!> <!> <!> <!> <!> <!> <!> <!> <!> <!> <!> <!> <!> <!> <!> <!> <!> <!> <!> <!> <!> <!> <!> <!> <!> <!>
| Table of Contents |
|---|
511
The number One thing to remember about getting arround in the Bay Area is "511". You can call it free from anywhere in the nine counties and get public transit information
...
http://bart.gov/guide/airport/index.aspx
After Effects of Bay Bridge Closure
On October 27th, a malfunction in an repair installed over Labor Day weekend resulted in a complete closure of the Bay Bridge (The main bridge connecting San Francisco to Oakland and the East Bay) that lasted until the morning of November 2nd. Even though the bridge was reopened, there are likely to be lingering impacts on transportation in and around the Bay Area for the duration of ApacheCon. Things to be aware of...
- Many people who may have tried commuting via Bart for the first time during the bridge closure may continue to use it this week – which will likely make Bart very congested since it was operating at peak capacity last week (ie: using every available rail car on extra long trains) during the closure, but this week will be returning to their regular capacity.
- Many commuters are expected to avoid the Bay Bridge due to fear of additional problems, and may instead use/congest alternate routes
- During the closure, at least one other bridge was repainted to increase the number of lanes (by narrowing the existing lanes) so that more cars could cross at the same time (but at lower speeds). These bridges still need to be repainted at some point, which will likely involve late night lane closures, and until then will require reduced speed.
For status updates on the state of the Bridge...