San Francisco Transbay Terminal

San Francisco Transbay Terminal
Company type	Transit center
Industry	Public transportation
Founded	January 14, 1939; 87 years ago
Defunct	August 7, 2010
Headquarters	San Francisco, California, United States
Area served	San Francisco Bay Area
Products	Bus and train transit services

The San Francisco Transbay Terminal functioned as a major transit center in San Francisco, California, situated in the South of Market district between Minna and Natoma Streets, bordered by Beale and 2nd Streets. Initially inaugurated as a train station on January 14, 1939, it was converted into a bus terminal in 1959. This facility mainly catered to downtown San Francisco and the Financial District, facilitating connections from Bay Area transit providers such as Golden Gate Transit serving Marin County, AC Transit from the East Bay, and SamTrans from San Mateo County. It also accommodated long-distance bus lines including Greyhound and Amtrak Thruway, alongside multiple routes operated by the San Francisco Municipal Railway.

Operations at the terminal ceased on August 7, 2010, to allow for the development of its successor, the Salesforce Transit Center, along with nearby commercial high-rises. Subsequently, all bus services were shifted to a Temporary Transbay Terminal located close by at Main, Folsom, Beale, and Howard Streets.

Construction began for the Salesforce Transit Center on August 11, 2010, with prominent figures such as US Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood, US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom present. The new transit facility opened its doors to the public on August 12, 2018.

Bridge railway

The Transbay Terminal acted as the endpoint in San Francisco for electric commuter rail lines operated by the Interurban Electric (Southern Pacific), Key System, and Sacramento Northern (Western Pacific) railroads. These trains ran along the southern portion of the lower deck of the Bay Bridge. Additionally, bus operators such as Greyhound and local Muni streetcar routes served stops at the terminal’s main entrance.

History

Conceived in the Art Moderne architectural style by designers Timothy L. Pflueger, Arthur Brown Jr., and John Donovan, construction bids were solicited in June 1937. Excavation commenced on July 29, 1937; steel framework was erected beginning January 12, 1938; and structural concrete work was finalized by May of that year. The building, officially named the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge Electric Railway Terminal Building, was dedicated on . Frank W. Clark, State Director of Public Works, handed over control to Lieutenant Governor Ellis E. Patterson, who then entrusted management to the three electric rail companies. State dignitaries and guests traveled via electric trains to attend the inauguration event.

The combined cost for rail infrastructure—including bridge tracks and the new terminal—was approximately , with an additional invested in rolling stock leased to the railroads. The terminal building alone cost around , designed to accommodate more than 60,000 passengers daily.

Train service

On September 23, 1938, Governor Frank Merriam drove the inaugural electric train across the bridge ceremonially; regular passenger operations started in January 1939 following completion of the terminal. Trains were controlled through a dedicated electric switchboard system that was less complex than contemporary mechanical lever controls. A turnaround loop enabled trains to reverse direction for return trips across the bridge; this same loop was later utilized by buses operated by AC Transit, Amtrak Thruway, and Greyhound until terminal closure. Notably absent was a rail connection linking to Southern Pacific’s Third and Townsend Depot, which served routes further south. The facility contained six tracks in total. Beginning January 15, 1939, half of all Market Street Railway trains were rerouted through a loop situated in front of the terminal; this arrangement expanded so that by 1941 all Market Street Railway services used this path.

By November 1940, Interurban Electric Company sought permission to discontinue East Bay service across the bridge, prompting discussions about potential state takeover of these train operations. Both Southern Pacific and Sacramento Northern ended their bridge services in 1941—just two years after commencement—citing declining ridership and revenues alongside an unsuccessful merger attempt with Key System. Despite efforts aimed at cost reductions and consolidations, financial losses mounted due to increased automobile competition and toll decreases.

In addition, Sacramento Northern applied for service termination in 1941; its share of rail passengers crossing the Bay Bridge was under one percent and likely unprofitable. Passenger numbers peaked at 37.334 million during 1945 amid wartime gasoline rationing but plummeted sharply to just over six million by 1957. The Key System initially petitioned unsuccessfully in 1953 to end bridge service but succeeded two years later due to sustained revenue declines and ridership drops linked to repeated service reductions and fare hikes.

The last train traversed the Bay Bridge on April 20, 1958—less than twenty years after service began. Since then, multiple attempts to reinstate rail transit across the bridge have been unsuccessful.

Converted for bus operations

In the year following its original use, the Transbay Terminal underwent a transformation into a bus station. The rail tracks were dismantled and replaced with paved surfaces to facilitate bus traffic, primarily managed by AC Transit, which succeeded the Key System as the public transit provider. By July 12, 1959, all bus routes were operating from the revamped terminal, with Greyhound services commencing on February 1, 1960. In 1971, Amtrak introduced bus connections to the terminal from Southern Pacific's 16th Street Station. Bus transit remained robust until late 1974, coinciding with the inauguration of BART’s Transbay Tube. Although BART gained significant ridership, it did not directly serve the terminal, contributing to its decline and increased occupation by homeless populations.

With Muni Metro's establishment, streetcars were phased out in favor of light rail vehicles running through the Market Street subway. Rail operations briefly returned to the station via the F Market line during historic streetcar events and became a regular service by 1995. The extension of this line to Fisherman’s Wharf in March 2000 marked the end of rail service at the terminal. The final F-line departure occurred on March 3, 2000; tracks were abandoned by August that year following a commemorative run using a work car built in 1916. Track removal along Fremont Street commenced shortly thereafter.

Up until the 1990s, the Transbay Terminal housed several businesses including a cocktail lounge, a diner, a newsstand, and a state police office. These establishments vacated due to eviction notices or non-compliance with safety regulations. The terminal’s expansive overpasses and lobby areas became informal shelter for many homeless individuals. Even as demolition began, some occupants resisted relocation efforts and remained among the demolition debris.

Demolition and reconstruction

The City and County of San Francisco, together with Alameda–Contra Costa Transit District (AC Transit) and Peninsula Corridor Joint Powers Board (Caltrain), proposed replacing the aging and underutilized original Transbay Terminal with a modernized facility situated nearly on the same site. The final Environmental Impact Report (EIR) was published in 2004, leading to construction commencement in August 2010 for Phase 1—the new Transbay Transit Center (TTC). During construction, commuters used a temporary outdoor terminal.

The final bus departed from the Transbay Terminal early on , shortly after ownership transferred from Caltrans to TJPA. Demolition using wrecking balls started in December 2010 and was completed by .

In March 2011, plans were announced to install a sculpture by Tim Hawkinson—crafted from salvaged materials from the old terminal—at Mission and Fremont Streets upon completion of the TTC. Nevertheless, this project was cancelled on June 7, 2017 due to budgetary and engineering challenges.

Interim Transbay Terminal

From August 2010 until August 2018, the Temporary Transbay Terminal functioned as San Francisco’s hub for Transbay and regional bus services before the opening of the new Salesforce Transit Center. It resumed service between September 2018 and August 2019 during the Transit Center’s temporary closure. The facility occupied the block bordered by Howard, Main, Folsom, and Beale Streets.

Closure and Resumption of Services

Operations halted on August 12, 2018, coinciding with the inauguration of the Salesforce Transit Center. However, service recommenced on September 25, 2018, following the detection of cracks in support beams at the new facility. Due to the continued closure, Clipper card kiosks were reinstated at the temporary terminal by December 2018. Investigations completed in April 2019 determined that omitted welding procedures led to micro-cracks, which progressively worsened over time. After thorough repairs and safety evaluations, the Transit Center officially reopened on August 11, 2019, nearly a year after its initial shutdown.

Prospective Developments

In 2018, plans were introduced to dismantle the Temporary Terminal to facilitate the construction of affordable housing alongside a public park. Nonetheless, with ongoing repairs to the permanent Transit Center at that time, the realization of this project remained uncertain.

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