Archives

August 2004

Ugly Duckling Richmond-San Rafael Bridge

You certainly can’t call the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge beautiful, magnificent, dramatic, or even graceful, and certainly no architect had anything to do with it. The bridge appears to sag in the middle and resembles a camel with two humps. In any case there it is, The Richmond-San Rafael Bridge was completed in 1956 to replace ferry service that had operated since the early part of the last century. Senior Editor F. Weston Starratt looks at this ugly duckling’s history and the major facelift it’s getting. More...

Vallejo Gets Ferry of the Future

Imagine moving at the top speed of more than 40 miles per hour (38 knots) down the main ship channel from Vallejo toward San Francisco, only 55 minutes away, and you will get an idea of the thrill experienced by guests aboard the inaugural run of the M/V Solano on July 15th More...

Mare Island Shipyard Turns 150

The Mare Island naval shipyard turns 150 years old this year. On September 16, 2004, the actual birthday of the shipyard, a granite pillar will be erected in honor of the men and women who worked in the yard. The pillar will be a timeline that commemorates important contributions the shipyard made to America’s naval history. More...

BIG Fat Lies

Why is it so many big transit construction projects have so many big cost overruns and fail to provide the benefits promised? BART to SFO was going to cost $590 million and attract lots of riders. Instead, we got a $1.5 billion project that is not attracting riders. How could this be? Are we just that bad at planning and cost analysis or is there, perhaps, another reason? More...

Bay CrossingsJournal

San Ciriaco and The Promise Land More...

New Look for BART Heralds Sweet Summer Deal for Commuters

It’s not an illusion. BART really does look different this summer. For the first time ever, BART cars are sporting something other than the traditional silver brushed-aluminum with blue trim. Seven cars, deployed primarily on the Pittsburg/Bay Point and Dublin/Pleasanton lines, are venturing out in a playful wrap that makes a bold statement: “Spare the Air.” More...

The Hungry Gourmet

An Inside Look at the Market not on Saturday More...

Port of Oakland Board of Commissioners Approve Renewable Energy Package

The Port of Oakland’s Board of Commissioners approved the Renewable Portfolio Standard for the Port of Oakland’s Wholesale Electric Power Procurement on July 6, 2004. The Board reaffirmed its commitment to environmental responsibility, part of the Port’s triple bottom line--economic vitality, social equity, and environmental responsibility. More...

Libations

What is this Thing Called Wine Tasting? We Listened... More...

Ferry Building Marketplace Directory

01 Peet’s Coffee and Tea Move over Starbucks, this is the Bay Area. Peet’s serves wonderfully strong coffee, as well as a variety of coffee drinks, teas and pastries. (P.R.) More...

Vallejo – Affordable Waterfront Living

By Mary Swift-Swan More...

The Classic Craftsman Tour: Visit Homes of Natural Charm

Theatrical Producer Billy Rose once said, “Never invest in anything that eats or needs repair. More...

A Little Bit of Boating

New Record Set - West Marine Pacific Cup More...

Music Music Music

Music is great on those Hot Summer Nights in August More...

What’s Going On In there?

Check out what is going on at the Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco, inside is the Exploratorium. The Exploratorium’s summer is devoted to tinkering! Through October 3, 2004 More...

Vallejo Artist Shines in the Sun

Internationally respected artist Benbow Bullock created the sculpture that brightens the front of the Vallejo Ferry Building. More...

Ferry For Sale

Launched as the Fresno in 1927, the Willapa started life as a San Francisco Bay company for the Southern Pacific Railroad ferry system. More...

Gearheads Go Gaga Over FasTrak

Forget TiVo, iPod, or the Treo 600—the hottest electronic gizmo in the Bay Area this summer is the FasTrak™ electronic toll collection transponder. And best of all, it’s free. More...

Bay CrossingsOn the Cover

San Francisco native Cindy Salans Rosenheim is an illustrator whose clients include Marcel Schurman, Time-Life Books for Children, MacMillan Publishing, Warner Bros. and The New York Times. She began her career as a greeting card artist at Hallmark in Kansas City. Subsequently, she worked for the Jack O’Grady Graphics studio in Chicago, before returning to the Bay Area in 1985. More...

Bay CrossingsBay Round Up

Skoda Ostrov, an Eastern European trolley bus manufacturer, has liquidated its business after a bankruptcy proceeding. This would not be news except that MUNI bought 250 electric trolley busses from them in 1997 for $52 million dollars. More...