Flooding damage at Van Ness Station set for repair

Wiring inside an equipment room located at the Muni Metro Van Ness Station will soon get repaired after a 2014 rainstorm flooded the room and caused damage.

The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency’s Board of Directors last Tuesday approved a contract with Phoenix Electric Company for approximately $1.9 million to make the repairs to an equipment room on the mezzanine level. Flooding at Van Ness station was documented during rainstorms in 2014 and 2009.

A SFMTA report said the equipment room plays an important function in the subway. Wiring from the automatic train control system, signals and track switches all connect to the equipment room from different locations throughout the subway to equipment installed next to the trackway:

“These wires provide power, communication and control for cable loops, axle counters, signals, switch machines and other equipment which control train movements in the Muni Metro Subway.”

The contractor’s work will include replacing track switch power and communication wiring, signal head wiring, and wiring related to the train control system, which controls the train movements inside subway.

SFMTA spokesperson Paul Rose said an equipment room at Embarcadero Station has had similar water damage and that the transit agency is working on a request for proposals to repair damage in that equipment room.

Damage to any of the wiring in the subway could lead to delays, but Rose said the transit agency is closely monitoring the situation especially with recent storms in The City:

“It could lead to subway delays, but we monitor it closely to ensure the room is well-protected during the wet weather.”

Rose said the transit agency understands the severity of the situation:

“We understand this is a serious issue that needs a permanent solution and this is why we are taking steps to address vulnerabilities now.”

Jerold Chinn

Jerold Chinn is the San Francisco Bureau Chief of SFBay. He covers transportation and City Hall. He has spent over a decade covering transportation in San Francisco. Jerold is a native in the city and frequently takes public transit everywhere he goes. Email tips to [email protected]