Hopefully a done deal will make the following table little more than trivial:
Not pretty, is it? It's actually a simplified version of something I was working on in case of a BART strike. As I started looking at train, rail, and ferry schedules provided by various transit agencies, palpable dread came over me. Not only would it be inconvenient and time-consuming to even attempt to use many of the alternatives listed above, some like Capitol Corridor are a good deal more expensive.
When we talk about transit to the Coliseum, bus service is never mentioned. Ever wonder why that is? Maybe it's because buses don't have as varnished an image as rail. Maybe it's because of a bus's lack of perceived permanence. From looking at AC Transit's maps and schedules, it may largely be a routing issue.
AC Transit has a series of backbone lines, 72/1/99. Line 72 runs from Richmond to Downtown Oakland, #1 from Downtown Oakland to Bay Fair, #99 from Bay Fair to Fremont. These lines make fairly long distance trips possible without numerous transfers, while routing in many cases within a few blocks of a BART station. However, one major exception is Line 1, which runs along International Blvd/E. 14th for most of its route. In doing this, it makes its closest stop to the Coliseum Complex nearly 3/4 mile away. Local loop buses have to provide feeder service. Not exactly convenient. While it makes more sense for local residents since the current routing serves more of the local population, it doesn't make things easier for event goers.
Amazingly, it seems to be easier if you're coming from San Francisco. That alternative to BART includes one transfer. The trip would take 75 minutes, but at least it's straightforward. I looked for a clean ferry-based route but it didn't exist. The Oakland and Alameda Ferry Terminals don't link directly to buses that run near the Coliseum, forcing additional transfers or a lengthy walk to Downtown. Alameda's Harbor Bay Ferry looks like a good route since it actually connects to a bus (Line 50) that runs to the Coliseum. Unfortunately the ferry itself only runs during weekday commute hours, making it incompatible with baseball crowds.
It stands to reason that the major value propositions for affected fans either would be to choose to drive or simply not attend because of heavier traffic, estimated to be at least 30 minutes in additional travel time when going to the game. Still, I wanted to put this post up to show how bad the backup system is. Of course, if you chose to drive during a BART strike, you might feel perfectly entitled to park at the Coliseum BART parking lot, since there wouldn't be BART users parked there. Then again, many already park there without needing an excuse...
31 comments:
Lew & Co. breathe a sigh of relief; here comes their yearly cash infusion from Yankee fans.
A's will end up in Oakland. They belong there. 41 years. We ought to take over the team. Lew Wolff is a liar. The A's belong in Oakland. It is their history. And I am a San Jose resident.
Anon 8:05--using your logic the A's belong in Philly--or KC---start counting your pennies---might get your wish on new ownership---because ain't no way that LW is going to build a privately financed ballpark in Oakland--and who can blame him?
Btw--kinda liked the retro jersies from the other day---maybe time to take the A's back to their true roots and use the blue and white color combo when they move--wherever that may be--
Anon 10:45- I would like a move to Phily or KC. But those won't happen because there are already teams there. Oakland can work because there are no teams there. The Giants are in the West Bay, and the A's would be in the East Bay. Then they could get fans from Vegas, and Eastern California. That is why I support the city of Oakland.
It is my understanding that municipalities are not allowed to own MLB teams via MLB rules. Is that what you are trying to encourage by saying "We ought to take over the team?" Or perhaps you are referring to your city of residence?
Additionally...
What the Hell does that rambling post have to do with trains and buses?
At this rate no new stadium will be built any time in the near future for the A's.
Anon 10:45,
I have to agree with you on the blue jerseys. When they move to SJ I hope LW&Co consider it. That would keep the A's color palette more in-line with the Earthquakes and Sharks.
it would be sad to see the green and gold color scheme go.
at least keep the WHITE cleats!!!
BOOOO to blue uniforms... Green and Gold and unique is the way to go.
I can't believe that with the Yankee's in town--the best team in baseball--Oakland gets 24,000---and that's with the A's playing well lately--
Guess it is because the upper deck is tarped--of course an additional 10,000 seats would have made a diff--damn LW--its all his fault
Would be interesting to see what the gate receipts are for a team playing in Oakland, compared to what the A's get when they travel--
bet it is getting hard to cover travel expenses when playing in Oakland
I like the blue uni's---gotta have the 3-stripe socks--they were classic
Hey anon 2:26,
First of all the A's aren't going anywhere. Second of all the blue uniforms suck!! Green and gold forever for the A's. The best and most traditional baseball color uniforms in the entire league. You wanna look like every other team that wears blue?? And finally the Sharks and the Earthquake uniform colors suck as well. Why would you want every team in your city to wear the same color scheme?? Are you some frickin' girl who only cares about how pretty you can look??
I agree...Sharks uniform colors do suck! Teal?? Looks a little too sissy for me for an NHL team color scheme. The Earthquake colors are OK I suppose, but not great. It's almost half way between blue and purple. Actually come to think of it, what is it with San Jose colors being in between two normal looking colors??
Green and gold looks so perfect for the A's. I can't even believe any of you would even consider changing the team colors. You don't sound like real A's fans to me if you don't like our current color scheme that's been something that's distinguished us from the rest of the league. About half the teams in the league uses blue for at least their alternate colors.
Yeah there is no guarantee that there moving to San Jose. It's annoying when people talk like there already building there, and it's a done deal. The only guarantee right now is that the A's are staying in the coliseum for a long while, because as far as we know nothing is happening about the situation.
Green and gold all the way.
Anon 4:30,
I assume you were being ironic. Obviously 10,000 additional seats would make no difference when the A's can't even come close to selling the ones they've already got.
Our "anonymous friend" who shills for the A's staying where neither most of the residents of Oakland nor a little matter like the ownership wish them to stay is reflecting the same nonsense posted regularly on OAFC.
Readers of this site might be amused by the following: some OAFC'ers are ranting that Wolff actually likes how horrible the field looks after it is converted back to baseball following a Raider game. They maintain that Wolff can therefore argue that with the field appearing so terrible, he has no choice but to move. They further opine that Wolff therefore he does nothing to make the field more playable (as if after the football behemoths get through with it, anything could be done).
For your further amusement, I offer the following post on OAFC to give you a sense of the literacy attendant to those who post on the site. The following is from the inimitable sactodavey:
this was my reaction (typ os n all)to the holliday trade in Nov
gonzalves hit #7 tonight
i dont like this trade unless holiday signs a long term beofore its official, why would we if we went to this youth movement give up so many promising players for a 1 yr lease this does not make any sense to me.
Bean has gone mad holliday plays in colo so the air is thin in oak he bats >289 with 15 hr my god and we give up a bumdle to get this guy we just gave away our future people!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
we are the montreal expos calif style this is the biggest shit trade , smith is a promising young talent and carlo G a guy with toms of talent what the hell are we doing with a guy who will want 15 mill a yr? Boras is his agent wake fools!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! worst trade beane has ever made
I THINK IN NOV I WAS RIGHT ON ABOUT THE HOLLIDAY TRADE
the fact that marine layer allows the above post to happen really brings down the legitimacy of this site.
its stooped so low to allow obvious troll posts to be posted, because they have a pro sj argument. pathetic. rhamesis you should take off the veil and just call this "baseball san jose"
Was anything in that comment inflammatory? I didn't see anything other than standard drivel.
it's funny that there's already a "baseball san jose" blog that no one ever comments on. in fact it hasn't even been updated since june. i can't say how many people actually read it, but based on the number of commments that's been posted...it's obvious that most of the die hard "san jose" a's fans only come to this site.
A's baseball will fail in san jose and needs to stay in oakland!!! just build the damn thing in oakland lew, quit hating on our great city and the fans will come to a new ballpark that will very much rival ATT. show some real commitment and they will come for sure!
R.M. can back me on this one:
Prior to this blog, the original "Baseball San Jose" site was booming; posts, comments, information overload! Marinelayer, myself and many others were frequent posters/commenters on that site. For some strange reason, it died out and ceased to exist after the Bud Selig SJ speach of August 05.
This blog carried the torch and is now the place to be for all news related to a new a's ballpark (hence the name of the site). While the author of the "new" Baseball San Jose blog means well and is a true SJ Partisan like myself, the site isn't really necessary now that Rhamesis has the "market" for all news A's, ballpark and San Jose. Who knows, maybe the other site will have more importance once the action really gets going in San Jose; I'll remain on this site.
In closing..."Baseball will fail in San Jose, A's will end up in Oakland" blah blah blah, yeah yeah yeah! OK, we get it!
Great logic anon 4:43---Oakland has proven what an incredible baseball town it is when it averages 25,000 when the the best team in baseball is in town--oh--forgot its LW fault for tarping off the 3rd deck--
If Oakland residents will pay for a publically funded ballpark than by all means put it in Oakland--remains a small market team--A's will continue to be subsidized by other MLB teams--would make business sense-
But don't expect private investment to fund a new ballpark in Oakland--a $20M annual mortgage payment in a small market would not make business sense to anyone who has an ounce of business sense-
I second that anon 4:43 but prepare to catch flack for what you said. They don't take kindly to that keep the A's in Oakland stuff on this here site.
Those who believe the A's should remain in Oakland fail to mention either the terrible attendance the team has garnered from the very beginning (even during the Haas years with the sole exceptions being the seasons when the A's had an All Star at nearly every position) as well as polls taken by the Trib which indicate that Oakland residents don't really care about whether the team stays or leaves.
These sorry rationalizers should show to us that they are sufficently proud of their stance that they are willing to remove their "Anonymous" masks.
Come on now--we know you are OAFC'ers who goosestep to the beat of Queen Lil's drum. Just let us know who you are by name and we will be happy to cite some of the hilarious nonsense you are spouting at your mothership.
Yes, when it comes to idiocy at OAFC, sactodavey is far from the only one...
It personally doesn't even matter what all you San Jose partisans think. In the end they will stay in Oakland whether any of you like it or not for what ever reasons you may have.
I know for a fact that Bud Selig has recently met with Oakland Officials regarding the new ballpark plan and was very impressed with what they had presented.
I've been saying it over and over and over again on this blog that the A's aren't going anywhere and that it's only a matter of time before the decision is made to remain in Oakland.
reztips you can use the facts from the past attendance all you want. But if you used your brain you would figure out "hey maybe because we are in modern times, a new ballpark will make more fans come for that simple fact". Other things come in to play too. Like the fact that the A's have been in Oakland for over 40 years now, they aren't a new team in the area anymore, generations of "Oakland" A's fans now fallow. If a new team moved here now, do you really think the attendance would be that great? No, because most people in the area are already fans of teams they have liked for years. So your old attendance evidence is invalid. So if your trying to bag on staying in Oakland, why dont you actually think of a good reason next time. Your just another idiot who doesnt use logical sense, and thinks San Jose is the promise land. Nevermind, the facts your using are valid, but out of date. If you think the same result would happen after the team has been in the area for 40+ years, then you really are an idiot. Also, whats to say that they will magically have great attendance when they move to a less central area, which is considered Giants territory. Which would then make it a longer trip for east bay fans to get there. Costing more money of course. Ignorant is such a common word on here, but perfect to describe people like you.
Anon 9:16 writes:
"which would then make it a longer trip for east bay fans to get there (SJ)."
If "all" those Giants fans in SJ/SCCo and the peninsula are willing to make the "long trip" into SF to see "their" team, then true A's fans in the east bay won't have a problem going south to SJ to see "their" team.
And about that "central location" crap! Hasn't stopped thousands of east bay residents from commuting to SJ/SCCo for work now hasn't it!
Hundreds of high-tech/Fortune 500 company's find SJ/SCCo to be perfectly located in the Bay Area; the SJ A's will to!
Besides...Lew Wolff and the South Bay can't even get the Earthquakes a new stadium due to insufficient sponsorships which would cost only a fraction of a new ballpark for the A's.
The "Anonymous" OAFC'er wrote: "Like the fact that the A's have been in Oakland for over 40 years now, they aren't a new team in the area anymore, generations of 'Oakland' A's fans now fallow."
"Now fallow." My dear OAFC'er--you have been afflicted by reading too many of your fellow illiterates' posts.
According to you, the A's historically lousy attendance doesn't count for anything when it comes to determining where the team will play in the future. Have you eliminated the telling element of history because it doesn't jibe with your scenario of the team staying in a place where neither the owners nor most of the city's residents wish them to play? Or have you jettisoned history because your Queen Lil has boasted about burning her professors' books and in line with her, you don't place much credence in either literacy or history?
Also, most OAFC'ers have said they would rather the team move out of the Bay Area than relocate to San Jose. In sum, that should tell true A's fans all they need to know about the drones of the OAFC queen and their stance on the A's.
Anon 11:06,
Apples and oranges idiot! Are you really trying to compare MLS to MLB?
Enough said on that one.
I give up, you people don't even listen, and are you retarded "people don't have a problem commuting to SJ for work!!" no shit fuckhead they need to make money. Also, I said in regards to the attendance when the A's where new to the bay area. I don't really care what you say about "OAF'ers" don't even try to say "true A's fans" this and that. I don't even know how you could say "lets go oakland" at a game, considering you dont give a fuck about the city. Guess what, the A's aren't moving for a long time, since this stadium deal is taking so long, and I can't wait till the San Jose idea is trashed.
Yet another pathetic exchange. The subject of the original post was BART alternatives! Do you people (OAK and SJ partisans) have no ability to think outside of your ridiculously myopic worldview? Thread closed.
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