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Comment by physcab | Hacker News Reader

This is true. My sister is a civil engineer on the SMART train - supposed to have been light rail from Fishermans Wharf all the way to Santa Rosa. The Golden Gate Bridge actually has a railway line below it that hasn't been used. But the train will only go to Larkspur ferry because Marin disallowed it.

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Even then, it's not going to make it to Larkspur until later, phase 1 only makes it to downtown San Rafael (but there's supposed to be a free bus from there to take you to the ferry).

As someone who lives in Santa Rosa, having something that connected directly to SF or BART from up here would be awesome (even if not really feasible). My brother lives here as well and he commutes to the Embarcadero for work. I'm not jealous, I already have no time. An extended commute would be the end of me.

From Santa Rosa? That's, like, Morgan Hill to SF commute levels of craziness.

Yeah, about the same total distance, but I think there's generally less traffic coming from the north. In any case, he just has to make it to Larkspur, as the ferry takes him directly to work. Needless to say, he's eagerly awaiting the SMART train.

Oh, my bad, thought he was crossing the bridge. My BIL goes from Corte Madera to San Bruno and I think it's just eye-poppingly insane to have to cross the bridge AND drive through SF. The traffic north of CM on the way up to Santa Rosa is simply insane, so adding the bridge to that would be killer. The ferry makes it work.

Would love to read more about this un-used railway line. Big fan of the GGB and its history

It doesn't exist.

> The Golden Gate Bridge actually has a railway line below it that hasn't been used.

No it doesn't. You might have some memories crossed, but there's definitely no railway.

The Bay Bridge OTOH did have a railway(Key System rail) for some time after it opened. Ripped up in the mid-century turn away from streetcars, thus we now have only car traffic on both decks.

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