Dublin BART

I was just discussing THX 1138 on another forum, and realized I still haven't posted a blog about the "end of the line". Bit of a leap? BART actually featured in THX-1138 before it was open to the public, so it's not a huge leap.

Dublin BART station is a long way short of Victoria or Grand Central, heck I don't think it can even compare favourably to Manchester Oxford Road. However there are a lot of fun things in its architecture.

From Dublin B.A.R.T.

The basic design philosophy was to squeeze it in between the East and West bound carriageways of 580 as it punches it way out to the Central Valley. However, the surrounding approaches and covered walkways to the station are very self referential to pre-existing BART infrastructure, the walkway on the North side of the station is very reminiscent of the elevated track around San Leandro, but more particularly in Oakland alongside Martin Luther King Jr Way by Childrens Hospital.

From Dublin B.A.R.T.

The same sweeping curve is seen in the Southern approach as well.

To the North is a new parking structure, another two matching garages are astride the freeway in Dublin, one behind Stoneridge, the other by the new offramp from 680, these will service the new Dublin station which opens early next year.

From Dublin B.A.R.T.

There is something about these garages, in their mix of open and mesh covered "windows" and the sand and white construction that rends them not displeasing, though the Dublin garage does rise above the flats of the valley floor.

In the above image you can see the sort of cheeky fun they had designing the street furniture, note the downspout from the shelter looks like it is feeding into a dog legged torchier lamp.

From Dublin B.A.R.T.

I thought glass bricks were passe, but here they are incorporated into the arch. Behind, and framed by the arch, you can see the shiny metal roof, undulating over the platforms, the car is in lane 5 of Westbound 580.

From Dublin B.A.R.T.

So there we have it, until the system is extended out to Vasco, this remains the end of the line. Recent activity in the center divide of 580 suggested possible work on the hoped for track, but it is simply the addition of a much needed car pool lane. Who needs an electric train when we all have cars to burn gas...

From Dublin B.A.R.T.

Key Station, West Oakland, CA

This station is visible from both I880 and the frontage road in West Oakland. For those of you who are curious as to what it may be, it is one of the last remaining stations from the Key System. I was very curious, and so on a recent visit to Oakland, took a detour to get some photos. Unfortunately the site is surrounded by chain link fence, and so I couldn't get close up for the photos I wanted.

The Key System was a light rail, or tram system that linked Oakland, Berkeley and other East Bay cities to the Transbay Terminal in San Francisco.

The trams used to run across the Bay Bridge, on the lower deck. It was decided that trams were not needed, and got in the way of the cars. The system was retired, and the decks of the Bay Bridge were each made one way.

Many years later, it was decided that there were too many cars. Addition of a mass transit system was called for, and that is where BART comes into the picture.

BART runs about a mile away from this old station, pretty much following Adeline to the Bay Bridge causeway, then plunging under The Bay to San Francisco.

Despite being over grown with weeds, and lacking in irrigation, there was still evidence of the geraniums in the planters at the stations main entrance. I found an old bus stop, for the 62 route, which suggests that the yard of the station served as a bus terminus for some years after the trains were retired.

There is a new housing development one block from the station, across a large vacant lot, and it has embraced the railway theme, these pieces of decorative steelwork reminiscent of the station platform awning.

I was ultimately left with the question, which is the more opulent society, the one that could build such a grand looking station, the one which could abandon it, or the one which can afford the seismic retrofit and refurbishment?

I have shared some more photos on line at Picasa

16th and wood Oakland

Update 2 June 2008:-

I know it's a bit late but...
- West Oakland housing project must get underway
Oakland Tribune, May 7, 2005