Salesforce Transit Center is open, operational, and the toast of San Francisco, Oakland, and the SF Bay Area. The Salesforce Transit Center Roof-Top City Park, in 2014 mentioned as possibly not being built at all, is a massive hit today, and used by many thousands of people to date. In fact, “Salesforce Park” is used so much that, already, cracks and potholes are forming in the walkway’s pavement material.
That brings up this question: is the Salesforce Transit Center Roof-Top Park walkway decomposition problem of today due to cost-cutting efforts of the last two years?
A Thursday, August 31, 2017 Transbay Joint Powers Authority (TJPA) “Cost Review Commitee” meeting has a schedule which shows that much of the cost and matertials and even event planning for the roof-top park occurred in 2017.
So, it looks like the responsibility for the Salesforce Transit Center Roof-Top Park walkway problem is squarely due to cost-cutting efforts that, considering the impact of the money from Mello-Roos Financing, were not entirely necessary. Indeed, it looks like the cheapest option was selected.
Salesforce Transit Center Park’s Decomposed Granite Pathways Considered “Cheapest Option”
From research, it seems that the decision to use decomposed granite pathways was more of a cost-cutting move. For example, Landscaping Network reports that “Gravel or decomposed granite is the cheapest driveway paving option. However, it can pose maintenance problems especially in areas with large amounts of rainfall. A stabilizer can be added to keep your driveway from washing away, but this will increase the cost.”
And Landscaping Network offers that asphalt is more expensive than decomposed granite: “Asphalt provides an incredibly durable and strong driveway for a reasonable price. However, many homeowners don’t like the way it looks. You can opt for a decorative asphalt driveway that is stamped and colored, but the cost will increase considerably.”
Again, Landscaping Network informs us that “Decomposed granite or gravel is usually the cheapest paving option.” That is what was used in the construction of the pathways for the Salesforce Transit Center Roof-Top Park.
In 2017 Braen Stone, a supplier of construction materials in the New York / New Jersey region, compared asphalt driveways to crushed stone (which is another term for “decomposed granite”) and reports that “Crushed stone is growing in popularity as a surface material for driveways. Although it is often used in the construction of country driveways, more and more homeowners in the city are realizing the beauty, value, and benefit of a crushed stone driveway…Homeowners with crushed stone driveways should also understand the maintenance required. Should dips, holes, or gaps appear, rock from other areas of the driveway cannot simply be raked over to fill in the gap. This will create a new weak spot in the driveway and not solve the problem.”
Hopefully, the TJPA has budgeted for repaving of the walkways.
Stay tuned.
And make sure you read the Zennie62Media series on Maria Ayerdi Kaplan, the Developer of Salesforce Transit Center and the creator and now former Executive Director of The Transbay Joint Powers Authority. Here are the links:
Maria Ayerdi-Kaplan, Developer Of Salesforce Transit Center: Her Story as told to Zennie62Media. > Part One > Part two. > Part three > Part Four, > Part Five > Part Six > Part Seven.