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Board affirms Central Subway supplemental EIR after lengthy hearing; opponents urged expanded alternatives study
Summary
After a multi-hour hearing, the Board of Supervisors voted to affirm the Planning Commission’s certification of the Central Subway Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Report, rejecting the remaining appeal and keeping the project in the federal New Starts process.
The Board of Supervisors held a public hearing on appeals to the Planning Commission’s August 7, 2008, certification of the Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Report (SEIR) for the Central Subway project and then voted to affirm the certification.
Appellants raised multiple technical objections. Transportation consultant Jerry Cawthon, a former Muni manager, argued the SEIR understated total trip times because it focused on “in‑vehicle” times rather than “total trip” times (which include walking and waiting). He said that omission made the subway appear faster than it would be for many riders and challenged Muni operating‑savings and ridership projections. Several appellants also urged the Board to examine alternatives the SEIR treated briefly or rejected, including bus rapid transit on Stockton, a bus‑and‑light‑rail shared tunnel, or a shallow tunnel that would connect more directly to Market Street.
Planning staff and…
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