How are transportation services in the Gulf region preparing for the next big earthquake

Public transportation proved resilient in the aftermath of the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake when BART operated a 24-hour service to compensate for the extensive damage to the Bay Bridge.

BART passengers who were traveling through the underwater Transbay tube when the earthquake hit were able to get through safely – with some turbulence. No one was hurt, and the BART system survived without any major damage, although its tracks cross several fault lines.

Transportation operators in the region have been preparing for the next big earthquake in the Bay Area and say they have contingency plans in place.

BART’s Earthquake Early Warning System alerts the system to pending earthquakes and automatically directs trains to slow down at high earthquake intensity. The regional rail agency has “three basic levels of response,” based on earthquake severity and damage, according to agency spokesperson James Allison. He said operators and front-line staff undergo several emergency response and evacuation drills each year.

Allison said passengers on BART during the earthquake “should listen to the instructions of BART’s staff.” After an earthquake, he said, BART trains (excluding trains in the Transbay Metro and Berkeley Hills Tunnel) will stop until it is determined that it is safe to take the train to the nearest station, where passengers will disembark. The trains move in the tube or tunnel to the nearest station and then stop.

During this waiting period, BART personnel assess the damage and determine the level of response. If the magnitude of the earthquake is high, for example, trains will slowly stop or head to the nearest station for track checks.

Mooney’s earthquake preparedness plan includes guidelines similar to BART’s.

After an earthquake, passengers must stay in their Muni bus or train and wait for operator instructions. Buses will stop above ground to the nearest and safest place. Trains on the subway will “stop immediately,” according to Mooney’s latest emergency plan, and riders stuck underground during the earthquake must stay on the train unless the operator requests an evacuation.

Like BART, Muni personnel will assess damages and inspect system infrastructure to determine how quickly Muni’s service can continue. Motorized buses will replace electric trolleybuses and trams if the earthquake damages the system’s power lines.

The impact of the earthquake on the Caltrain service depends on its severity. An earthquake with a magnitude greater than 5.0 would limit train speeds to 20 mph on the peninsula’s passenger rail system, if it fell within a 50 mile radius.

Earthquakes of magnitude 5.8 or higher and within the same radius lead to more stringent protocols. Any strong earthquake will require trains in service to come to a complete standstill until inspection crews check the condition of the tracks and infrastructure for Caltrain and identify any potential hazards, according to Caltrain.

The agency that operates the San Francisco Bay Ferry also doubles as the area’s water transportation response coordinator.

When a major earthquake strikes, the Emergency Water Transit Agency will activate its Emergency Operations Center, and staff will perform “windshield” checks on ferries and terminals to determine what can be safely operated in place,” said ferry spokesman Thomas Hall. The ferries will also be used In transporting evacuees and first responders.

“We practice this plan with training exercises a few times a year,” Hall said. “We hope we will never have to use them, but we are confident in our ability to provide emergency water transit on demand.”

Ricardo Cano is a writer for the San Francisco Chronicle. Email: [email protected] Twitter: ByRicardoCano

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