Transbay Terminal: The Final Hour

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In the early morning hours of August 7, a relatively small but devoted group of transit advocates gathered at First and Mission to participate in the historic final closure of the Transbay Terminal.  We were joined by many others — including AC Transit Director Chris Peeples, TJPA Executive Director Maria Ayerdi-Kaplan, as well as photographers and terminal transition staff who were documenting the event.  An old GM coach, Muni #3287, was parked in the front driveway and attracted attention at the Terminal’s entryway.  Meanwhile, on the bus deck, the stars of the night were the buses assembled for AC Transit’s last three departures (on the F, NL, and O lines) after midnight.

A smaller group of us had the privilege of riding the final transit trip ever to depart from the Terminal, in its more than seventy years of history as a transit hub.  The O line to Alameda was scheduled to depart at 12:15, but didn’t actually make its way toward the Bay Bridge until shortly after 12:20.  We can cut it some slack, though — the delay provided a good opportunity to crack open a bottle of champagne, which made a few rounds through the bus.

Here are some photos to recognize the first major milestone in the construction of the new Transit Center.  (I’m no photographer, least of all at nighttime, so please pardon the glare from lights.)  This short slideshow includes photos of AC Transit and Muni buses at the Terminal, as well as the final bus ride on the O line.  There is also one photo of the lucky operator who got to drive that bus.