ucdtim17

From the median East Bay location, as mentioned above, best case scenario SFO is only 15-20 min further than OAK (plus bridge toll if driving). On BART, generally 20-30 min further. I guess it's "easier" from some places (at some times) because it can be a one seat BART ride, but in most every other circumstance, it's not easier or faster.

garykung

As an example on how this won't work - do you know that that PANYNJ does not advertise EWR as a NYC airport, even it is commonly accepted as a NYC airport?

Not true at all.

1. The State of California controls most aspects of transportation in the Bay Area. To name a few, transportation infrastructure falls under either the MTC or Caltrans or both.

2. All public water transportation in the Bay Area is managed as a regional level.

3. Your perfect world does not exist because the demand would be way too low.

There is ferry service between SSF and Alameda Harbor Bay, which has only 1 scheduled service per day. If the demand is high enough to justify inter-airport transportation. The ferry piers would have been built/moved near both airports with significant increase in service.

It is not a standalone problem in the Bay Area.

In fact, many airport connections are not run by the airports themselves.

ucdtim17

Freeways yes, but cities and counties are responsible for most roads and just about every public transit agency is operated at the regional or municipal level, not state

garykung

I am actually responding to this:

Eastbay1K

Almost all of our public transit agencies are separate governments, not related to the municipal / county jurisdictions/governance in which they serve. This is why it takes 3 fares on 3 different systems to go approximately 13 miles, should I travel to an area of SF where I need to take MUNI. AC Transit (own government) to BART (own government) to MUNI (run by SF, not its own government). BART is even more complicated, because the counties that aren't part of the original BART district that BART now serves had to "buy in" and if anyone wants a great lesson in how not to build efficient mass transit, just look at how the Santa Clara County extension is going (essentially built by an agency other than BART (which just happens to be another Special District government), to be delivered to BART). But hey, what do you expect from an agency (not BART) that decided to call their light rail service SCAT (Santa Clara Area Transit) until the poopoodoodookaka was about to hit the train.

dhuey

Palal

There's little coordination in land use and transportation planning and too much of it is left to the municipalities, which are tribalist in their nature.

I think you mean mismanaged.

Yup, the demand curve picks up when you have service every 15-30 mins. Look at HKG for a good example of an airport with a well-functioning private ferry system.

garykung

Specifically?

I don't see how...

HKG is totally different. Because HKG wants to become the regional airport among 3 different borders, so HKG has to work with different providers to enhance its transportation network.

On the other hand, SFO and OAK is within 1 single border. If the demand was there, we should be able to see frequent coach service in lieu of BART.

PotomacApproach

I never use SFO for west coast flights. Today was a great example, few drops of rain, and the SoCal-SFO flights are delayed all over the place, while SJC/OAK are operating normally.

That said, the flight choices east of the Rockies are much, much better than OAK/SJC. It's also the only spot for premium flights like P.S., AA 321T, and Mint.

SFO is also a nice airport inside the terminal, way less chaotic than LAX.

Visconti

For me, on TCONs, don't really have much of a choice. SJC is too far, and no way I'm sitting on WN on anything longer than 90 min. So, it's SFO or bust on TCONs. Now, on shorter flights to LAX/LAS, definitely prefer WN out of OAK, especially now that the BART connection is finished sparing us from that Bus ride from the station.

kale73

Eastbay1K

On the one hand, the runways may suffer from likwa fakshen. On the other hand, maybe 28R will just drift several hundred feet further northeast, and provide decent separation from 28R, so after repairs, we won't suffer from such chronic delays.

garykung

Maybe because there was no rain near SJC/OAK?

Eastbay1K

If there's rain near SFO, there's rain near OAK. It is all about parallel runways @ SFO being too close together for simultaneous usage during all but the loveliest of visibility and the calmest of winds.

garykung

Really wrong assumption.

For the last few days, I have been driving around the Bay Area. The rain was definitely localized to an area.