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The Secretary for Transport and Housing, Ms Eva Cheng, continued her visit to San Francisco today (September 12, San Francisco time) for the 7th Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation (APEC) Transportation Ministerial Meeting and APEC Transport and Energy Ministerial Conference.
Ms Cheng's three-day APEC programmes started with the Welcome Reception for Transportation and Energy Ministers where she met the US Secretary of Energy, Dr Steven Chu and Mayor of San Francisco, Mr Ed Lee. She also had friendly chats with ministers and senior officials from the other 20 APEC member economies.
While in San Francisco today, Ms Cheng took the opportunity to visit two local transport authorities, the Transbay Joint Project Authority and San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency.
At the Transbay Joint Project Authority (TJPA), Ms Cheng shared experience in transport infrastructure construction with the Authority's Executive Director Ms Maria Ayerdi-Kaplan and Senior Programme Manager Mr Robert Beck.
TJPA is responsible for the Transbay Transit Centre Project which will transform downtown San Francisco by replacing the current transit terminal with a new multi-modal transportation centre that will serve 11 transportation systems, including High Speed Rail travelling between San Francisco and Los Angeles. Briefing Ms Cheng on the Project, Ms Ayerdi-Kaplan explained that the idea of accommodating the High Speed Rail in San Francisco town centre was conceived as early as 1998, while later studies confirmed the Transbay Transit Centre as the preferred location.
Two other main components of the Project include extending the Caltrain commuter rail by 1.3 miles into the new transit centre and redeveloping the surrounding area.
The whole Transbay Project, to be carried out in two phases, will cost about US$4.2 billion. Construction cost for the 1.3 miles extension line on its own will cost some US$1.4 billion. Ms Cheng noted that the financing arrangement for the Project would be similar to the Rail-plus-Property model in Hong Kong, as an 80-storey Transit Tower and 2 600 residential units will be constructed to help fund the Project.
In the afternoon, Ms Cheng visited San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency. She was briefed on a pilot parking management system "SFpark Project" that combines new technologies and policies to improve parking and congestion in San Francisco.
Wireless sensors are embedded in pavement, entrance and exit gates to detect availability of on-street parking spaces and parking garages. The real-time parking data is made available to the public via smart phone application, text message and telephone system.
Parking pricing is based on demand. Prices of the high-demand areas and time will gradually increase whereas prices of low-demand areas and times will decrease.
Ends/Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Issued at HKT 21:31
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