Amtrak San Francisco

[minnrider]

I am aware that Amtrak in San Francisco is nothing more than a curbside bus stop with no shelter. I suppose this can be tolerable on a nice day during daylight hours, but what about being dropped off on a rainy day or in the middle of the night in a possibly sketchy area? I think of the late arrivals of the westbound Zephyr and passengers unfamiliar with the thruway bus connection to San Francisco. This is such a downgrade of service compared to a few years ago when there was a staffed station facility along with bus stops at multiple locations. I wonder what passengers' experiences have been like.

 

[MccfamschoolMom]

I am aware that Amtrak in San Francisco is nothing more than a curbside bus stop with no shelter. I suppose this can be tolerable on a nice day during daylight hours, but what about being dropped off on a rainy day or in the middle of the night in a possibly sketchy area? I think of the late arrivals of the westbound Zephyr and passengers unfamiliar with the thruway bus connection to San Francisco. This is such a downgrade of service compared to a few years ago when there was a staffed station facility along with bus stops at multiple locations. I wonder what passengers' experiences have been like.

The current lack of facilities/shelter/security for Amtrak passengers in downtown San Francisco is precisely why, when the hubby and I ride the California Zephyr westbound at the end of September/beginning of October, we plan to overnight at the nearest hotel to the Emeryville station, without even attempting to enter SF itself.

 

[Asher]

The current lack of facilities/shelter/security for Amtrak passengers in downtown San Francisco is precisely why, when the hubby and I ride the California Zephyr westbound at the end of September/beginning of October, we plan to overnight at the nearest hotel to the Emeryville station, without even attempting to enter SF itself.

Where are you in such a hurry to get to that you want to pass up a great destination like San Francisco. Just wondering.

 

[MccfamschoolMom]

Where are you in such a hurry to get to that you want to pass up a great destination like San Francisco. Just wondering.

The train ride is the vacation for us, not the destination.
(I probably have been in San Francisco before -- but it was over 60 years ago when I was a toddler, so I have no direct personal memory of the city.)

 

[Bob Dylan]

Where are you in such a hurry to get to that you want to pass up a great destination like San Francisco. Just wondering.

San Francisco isn't what it used to be, and Never Was!!!

 

[joelkfla]

San Francisco isn't what it used to be, and Never Was!!!

Oh, it was what it used to be. I was living there in the 70's (well after the Summer of Love), and it was still wonderful. But from what I've been seeing on the local news, it ain't no more.

 

[Bob Dylan]

Oh, it was what it used to be. I was living there in the 70's (well after the Summer of Love), and it was still wonderful. But from what I've been seeing on the local news, it ain't no more.

I agree it was a Great Place to visit in the 60s and70s, ( I visited often, and lived there for a year in the 80s)but considering what it Costs to live there, the current myriad of problems with Crime and the Homeless, and with people leaving in droves, it's lost its luster.

On the other hand,New York City has revitalized itself after the "Lost Years" in the 70s and 80s, and I think most people would prefer to visit there as opposed to the City by the Bay! YMMV

 

[stevie]

I am aware that Amtrak in San Francisco is nothing more than a curbside bus stop with no shelter. I suppose this can be tolerable on a nice day during daylight hours, but what about being dropped off on a rainy day or in the middle of the night in a possibly sketchy area? I think of the late arrivals of the westbound Zephyr and passengers unfamiliar with the thruway bus connection to San Francisco. This is such a downgrade of service compared to a few years ago when there was a staffed station facility along with bus stops at multiple locations. I wonder what passengers' experiences have been like.

Fear not. That's where the Amtrak bus parks, along with other services. San Francisco is the second most densely populated city in the US; there's not a lot of room for bus parking.

The area is not "sketchy" by any means, at any time of day. It is busy and well lit. It's at 555 Mission Street in the Financial District, at the Chase Bank building. Taxis, private car services (e.g. Uber, Lyft), and public transit are easily accessible. The subway is just a block north on Market Street.

There is a really nice public space to wait, with tables and benches among some trees. It rarely rains here, but if it does, there's quite a bit of room to wait with your bags under the shelter of the building's entrance.

I've lived here for more than 20 years. Sure, things happen, and no matter where one is, one should always be cautious. But there is absolutely nothing to be particularly concerned about with this location.

The ride to/from Emeryville station (EMY) takes about 30 minutes. The coach is quite comfortable, and it goes over the Bay Bridge, with views of the Bay and the skylines of San Francisco and Oakland. Many Amtrak travellers visiting the area have commented to me on how beautiful it is.

 

[Asher]

I agree it was a Great Place to visit in the 60s and70s, ( I visited often, and lived there for a year in the 80s)but considering what it Costs to live there, the current myriad of problems with Crime and the Homeless, and with people leaving in droves, it's lost its luster.

On the other hand,New York City has revitalized itself after the "Lost Years" in the 70s and 80s, and I think most people would prefer to visit there as opposed to the City by the Bay! YMMV

Y’all probably right. I have by passed the City many times myself.
But it’s the city by the bay, the gateway to everything this side of Chicago. Too much to pass up for a night in Albany.

 

[railiner]

I am aware that Amtrak in San Francisco is nothing more than a curbside bus stop with no shelter. I suppose this can be tolerable on a nice day during daylight hours, but what about being dropped off on a rainy day or in the middle of the night in a possibly sketchy area? I think of the late arrivals of the westbound Zephyr and passengers unfamiliar with the thruway bus connection to San Francisco. This is such a downgrade of service compared to a few years ago when there was a staffed station facility along with bus stops at multiple locations. I wonder what passengers' experiences have been like.

Almost sounds like they’re taking a page out of Greyhound’s book…

 

[TrainStick]

The current lack of facilities/shelter/security for Amtrak passengers in downtown San Francisco is precisely why, when the hubby and I ride the California Zephyr westbound at the end of September/beginning of October, we plan to overnight at the nearest hotel to the Emeryville station, without even attempting to enter SF itself.

My wife and I rode the Zephyr from Den to Emeryville last November. We stayed in Emeryville—walked to nice hotel with a room with a beautiful view of SF and the bay. We used public transpo to tour SF the next day. We had a wonderful time. I highly recommend it. See details and “how-to’s” in my Nov TripAdvisor post under “California Zephyr.”

 

[MARC Rider]

San Francisco isn't what it used to be, and Never Was!!!

 

[MARC Rider]

Back in 2010 when I passed through, Amtrak had a very nice bus station next to the ferry terminal at the foot of Market St. This had a waiting room, Quick Trak ticket machines, and I think even checked baggage. I think I remember reading they were going to relocate in a space in the new Transbay bus terminal, but I'm not sure what happened with that.

 

[allanorn]

I wonder why Amtrak isn't using the Transbay terminal across the street. Should be plenty of space....

 

[Bonser]

Oh, it was what it used to be. I was living there in the 70's (well after the Summer of Love), and it was still wonderful. But from what I've been seeing on the local news, it ain't no more.

Don't believe everything you read about SF. I lived here in the 1970's and return every year for a couple of months in my retirement. Crime is lower than 50 yrs ago and the city still is spectacularly beautiful.

 

[Brian Battuello]

In 1974, a friend and I were doing an Amtrak national circle trip, and spent 24 hours in San Francisco. Being young, we decided to close down the town, then spend some time in the Greyhound station until we could take BART back to the Oakland (NOT Emeryville) station. That Greyhound station was one of the scarier places I've been to. There's a scene in the Disney animated movie "Inside Out" where a pre-teen girl spends some time alone in that bus station and it really brought back some PTSD. We went to BART at about 6am, and that's when we found out that BART didn't run on Sundays at all. We asked for some help and were sent to the old Transbay terminal to catch a bus. The first thing we saw when we walked in was a three-window Amtrak ticket office. They quickly arranged for us to take the dedicated bus to Oakland, so we lucked out. I think we slept most of the way south on the Coast Starlight after that. Remember travelling without iPhones?

Since then I lived in San Francisco from 1978 to 1998, and seen all kinds of changes. Overall it is still spectacular, but the downtown scene is deteriorating. Just recently I heard that the beautiful three story Nordstrom store is pulling out of downtown because the street scene and theft inside the mall have gotten too bad.

https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea...style-class-captured-essence-s-f-18077503.php
I'd still rather go to San Francisco than almost anywhere else, but I wouldn't stay downtown, and I'd spend most of my time out on the Bay and revisiting Marin and other coastlines.

 

[desertflyer]

I wonder why Amtrak isn't using the Transbay terminal across the street. Should be plenty of space....

There is! In fact, when the new Transbay terminal opened, they had Amtrak logos on the wayfinding signs and elevators. I think we finally found the last one in 2021 for them to scrape off. I helped with this Streetsblog article that goes into some of the reasoning for not using the Transbay Transit Center (it's a little out of date since this was written before the stop moved to 555 Mission St, but the rest of the information is still relevant):
https://sf.streetsblog.org/2020/01/16/amtrak-non-grata-at-transit-center/

I lived here in the 1970's and return every year for a couple of months in my retirement. Crime is lower than 50 yrs ago and the city still is spectacularly beautiful.

I totally agree! There is a doom loop narrative about San Francisco, for whatever reason. Still, it's a wonderful place with good people, food, arts, and scenery. The tourists are back in full force now as well!!

 

[desertflyer]

Just recently I heard that the beautiful three story Nordstrom store is pulling out of downtown because the street scene and theft inside the mall have gotten too bad.

Downtown is too reliant on commercial space, unfortunately, and now we're seeing the downside of that. Offices aren't as important as they once were, and this was true even before COVID. In the case of Nordstrom, they blame it on street conditions, but the realitiy is that many Nordstrom properties have been closing - two of the 15 that are closing are in SF.

The Westfield is definitely charging quite a lot for rent, which doesn't help. A small hotdog shop in the mall's food court is paying $28,000/month in rent. There's no way that's sustainable.
https://www.sfchronicle.com/food/restaurants/article/nordstrom-san-francisco-mall-18074418.php

 

[stevie]

There is! In fact, when the new Transbay terminal opened, they had Amtrak logos on the wayfinding signs and elevators. I think we finally found the last one in 2021 for them to scrape off. I helped with this Streetsblog article that goes into some of the reasoning for not using the Transbay Transit Center (it's a little out of date since this was written before the stop moved to 555 Mission St, but the rest of the information is still relevant):
https://sf.streetsblog.org/2020/01/16/amtrak-non-grata-at-transit-center/

I totally agree! There is a doom loop narrative about San Francisco, for whatever reason. Still, it's a wonderful place with good people, food, arts, and scenery. The tourists are back in full force now as well!!

I fully agree, and thanks for sharing that link about Transbay.

My advice to visitors, as it has always been, is DON'T RENT A CAR. Use public transportation, taxis, and car services to get around. Parking is scarce and expensive, and, unfortunately, auto burglaries (car break-ins) are all too common. I got rid of my car back in 2006 and never looked back.

In my experience, many visitors seem to believe, for some reason, that San Francisco is some kind of Disneyland. It's not (thank goodness); it's a city -- the second most densely populated major city in the United States.

 

[zephyr17]

There is! In fact, when the new Transbay terminal opened, they had Amtrak logos on the wayfinding signs and elevators. I think we finally found the last one in 2021 for them to scrape off. I helped with this Streetsblog article that goes into some of the reasoning for not using the Transbay Transit Center (it's a little out of date since this was written before the stop moved to 555 Mission St, but the rest of the information is still relevant):
https://sf.streetsblog.org/2020/01/16/amtrak-non-grata-at-transit-center/

I totally agree! There is a doom loop narrative about San Francisco, for whatever reason. Still, it's a wonderful place with good people, food, arts, and scenery. The tourists are back in full force now as well!!

They cited having multiple stops as a reason for not using Salesforce Transit Center. That's no longer the case, there's only one San Francisco stop.

I seem to remember Amtrak consistently has issues with new facilities built by public agencies on costw. Long ago, when the then new Albany station was finished, it took Amtrak months to move operations there because they didn't like the lease. A less clear memory is when they restored the San Bernardino Santa Fe station, I seem to recall that there was a problem there with Amtrak being able to use the waiting room. Not sure about that one, though.

 

[jis]

They cited having multiple stops as a reason for not using Salesforce Transit Center. That's no longer the case, there's only one San Francisco stop.

I seem to remember Amtrak consistently has issues with new facilities built by public agencies on costw. Long ago, when the then new Albany station was finished, it took Amtrak months to move operations there because they didn't like the lease. A less clear memory is when they restored the San Bernardino Santa Fe station, I seem to recall that there was a problem there with Amtrak being able to use the waiting room. Not sure about that one, though.

And then of course there is Miami Intermodal Center at Miami International Airport - the long running saga.

But San Francisco seems to be remarkable in that there is one Public Agency which is sitting on a prime facility constructed with public fund that is unable to reach any accommodation with three public agencies (well tow plus one that cannot make up its mind what it is) who are prime candidates as customers of the facility. Sometimes public agencies act worse than private companies.

 

[desertflyer]

They cited having multiple stops as a reason for not using Salesforce Transit Center. That's no longer the case, there's only one San Francisco stop.

That was one reason, for sure. The quote from the SJJPA marketing statement also made mention of cost [emphasis mine]:

As the Salesforce Transit Center was nearing completion and through the time since its initial opening San Joaquin Joint Powers Authority (SJJPA), the Capitol Corridor Joint Powers Authority (CCJPA) [the state agencies that fund Amtrak’s service to the Central Valley, San Jose and Sacramento], and Amtrak have all been hard at work to negotiate a contract to lease space within the Transit Center. These efforts were hard fought, and we all hoped we could come to an agreement. This can be seen in our extended stay at the “Temporary Terminal” even beyond the initial opening of the Transit Center and continuing through current operations of the Transit Center. Recently, it became clear that these negotiations were not going to be successful in providing a space for our Thruway Service at a fair, reasonable, and predictable price.

 

[allanorn]

But San Francisco seems to be remarkable in that there is one Public Agency which is sitting on a prime facility constructed with public fund that is unable to reach any accommodation with three public agencies (well tow plus one that cannot make up its mind what it is) who are prime candidates as customers of the facility. Sometimes public agencies act worse than private companies.

Those agencies run like fiefdoms and really do not like cooperating with each other. I'm still amazed that the Clipper Card exists as a viable product; I have the feeling each agency would have their own separate card if they could.

It's why we won't see anything like a Verkehrsverbund in the Bay Area anytime soon. Transit is such a continual turf war, even within the various Joint Powers Boards, that everyone feels threatened when regional cooperation or harmonization is even mentioned. So I'm not even surprised when Amtrak can't even come to an agreement to rent a bus bay or two at Salesforce Transit Center.

 

[GDRRiley]

Those agencies run like fiefdoms and really do not like cooperating with each other. I'm still amazed that the Clipper Card exists as a viable product; I have the feeling each agency would have their own separate card if they could.

It's why we won't see anything like a Verkehrsverbund in the Bay Area anytime soon. Transit is such a continual turf war, even within the various Joint Powers Boards, that everyone feels threatened when regional cooperation or harmonization is even mentioned. So I'm not even surprised when Amtrak can't even come to an agreement to rent a bus bay or two at Salesforce Transit Center.

the states doing the hard work right now of linking all transit cards together with ITP. so a clipper card can be used on LA metro ect.

3-5 years ago maybe but now the Bay area is starting to move towards a single fare structure and with them asking for money from the state one of the conditions maybe some consolidation of agencies which would be great. SB 917 last year was opposed by VTA but it seems like they've come around. MTC still working on it even without a state law forcing it.

Transbay Joint Powers Authority is being unreasonable in their pricing for a handful of buses a day, its not like they are lacking for space

 

[av84]

This is from the CCJPA April 2023 board agenda:

The bus service that we operate between SF to Emeryville is currently
served at Mission Street. We are working to partner with AC Transit, but
given their bus driver shortage the earliest we can establish this would be
2024. Working with AC Transit would be the most cost-effective way to
serve SF at Salesforce Transit Center.