Muni Metro East Light Rail Maintenance Facility

This state-of-the-art 180,000-square-foot Light Rail Vehicle (LRV) maintenance building included 16 storage tracks capable of holding 80 LRVs, a parking lot for a complete operations and maintenance staff, and a meet-and-greet building, all in a land parcel approximately two-thirds of what would typically be required. The 13 acre site includes five miles of track with 75 turnouts, and included infrastructure for a full automation of the switches. It provides storage area for SFMTA's modern LRVs and historic cars, and loop tracks for queuing and distributing trains to the shop or to be returned to service.

The 150,000 square foot shop area includes daily servicing bays, heavy running repair areas, and a pantograph repair shop, as well as a jacking carriage that utilizes the rail base as a guideway to allow the jack to move to any position under a car. The 30,000 square foot administrative space includes areas for rail operations and maintenance offices; training areas; and exercise, shower, and changing facilities for the anticipated workforce. The warehouse area provides secured storage of parts on pallet racks, and dock lifts for receiving materials. Plans to mitigate the effects were also put in place, with the entire site expected to settle and subside up to 15” during a major seismic event; all utilities entering the building have significant joints to accommodate this movement.

Significant challenges were overcome to deliver this project without impacts to cost, schedule, or the surrounding urban community. The team coordinated with over 80 subcontractors, including 25 different craft trades, and exceeded the targeted 23% DBE goal. Nature provided a significant obstacle as well during an record breaking wet winter that caused the project to be submerged during the entire season. Despite this, the team was able to make up time and went from fully submerged to a building and yard within a year.