Enhancing Capacity and Managing Demand to Increase Short-Term Throughput on the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge

<p>While there are many proposals for fixing congestion between San Francisco and Oakland in California by adding a new bridge or tube, these solutions will take decades to implement even though a solution is needed now. This thesis assesses sixteen different strategies for reducing congestion in the short-term in the four categories of improving transit, promoting carpooling, implementing intelligent transportation systems practices, and incentivizing alternatives to using the Bay Bridge. Top priorities include HOV improvements on the West Grand Avenue and Powell Street onramps, altering WestCAT Lynx and BART transit services, partnering with rideshare apps to increase transit station accessibility (last mile problem), partnering with vanpool/minibus apps, promoting carpooling and implementing a citizen report system for carpool violators, shifting corporate cultures away from requiring employees to drive and drive alone, and lastly, altering land-use planning practices. To reach this conclusion, an inventory of current proposals and relevant research was compiled. Ridership and capacity data for the various modes of transportation across the bay were assessed for shortfalls and opportunities. Through this research and its resultant conclusions, focus can be placed on the best strategies to pursue in the near-term, while the Bay Area waits on a second bridge or tube in the long-term.</p>

Name thesis:degree_name

MS in Civil and Environmental Engineering

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Civil and Environmental Engineering

Year dc:date.available

2016

Author dc:creator

• Carstens, Kevin Reid

Contributors dc:contributor

• Anurag Pande

• Congestion
• BART
• HOV
• San Francisco
• Public Transit
• Carpool
• Infrastructure
• Transportation
• Transportation Engineering
• Urban Studies and Planning

Identifier

10.15368/theses.2016.155

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:digitalcommons.calpoly.edu:theses-2878