Transbay Transit Center

Buro Happold
  • Transbay Transit Center daytime aerial view
  • Transbay Transit Center cross-section
  • Transbay Transit Center Natoma Street
  • Transbay Transit Center night-time aerial view

1 / Introduction

San Francisco’s Transbay Transit Center will sit as a multi-modal transit hub linking bus, rail and light rail systems within the west coast state of California. It will provide the terminus for the future California High Speed Rail Link.

Key facts

  • 5.4 acre rooftop park 
  • 100,000 passengers each weekday 
  • 45 million passengers per year
  • Over 120,000 jobs will be created

Related Disciplines

The Project Details

  • Client:
    Transbay Joint Powers Authority
  • Architect:
    Pelli Clarke Pelli
  • Buro Happold services:
    Sustainability, Building Services/MEP Engineering
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2 / Challenge

San Francisco’s Transbay Transit Center will sit as a multi-modal transit hub linking bus, rail and light rail systems within the west coast state of California. It will provide the terminus for the future California High Speed Rail Link.

The interchange will also incorporate retail and entertainment functions as well as a 5.4 acre rooftop park. The first phase of the project is to create a new five storey Transit Center with one above grade bus level, ground-floor, concourse and two below grade rail levels.

3 / Solution

Buro Happold is providing an array of services to meet the client’s demands with mechanical, electrical and plumbing engineering as well as energy modelling services at the forefront.

To achieve the sustainability goals, Buro Happold has used a whole host of modelling programmes that range from fluid dynamics, thermal analysis, and daylight modelling to truly engineer a passive building capable of being naturally ventilated and day lit for the majority of the year.

The building carbon footprint is further reduced by a ground coupled heating and cooling system. This comprises of circa 50,000ft² of pipe-work which is incorporated into the train box below grade slab.

4 / Value

The Transit Center will aim to serve up to 45 million people per year and to also reduce carbon dioxide by more than 36,000 tons each year. The reduction will come from commuters opting to take public transport as opposed to driving into the city from the peninsula. This should also save passengers almost an hour a day in travel time. 33,000 rail trips are estimated to the Transbay Transit Center from the Peninsula each weekday.