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The Living Force
Massive power outage hits San Francisco, shuts down businesses, BART station, cable cars, traffic lights
http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/
Friday, April 21, 2017 - A massive blackout likely caused by a fire at a PG&E substation swept through San Francisco on Friday, darkening homes and businesses for hours, shutting down a subway station and all the cable cars, and knocking out streetlights across a wide swath of the city.
The power outage, which at its height affected 88,000 customers, struck just after 9 a.m. when a fire erupted at a Pacific Gas and Electric Co. depot at Larkin and Eddy streets.
A catastrophic failure of a circuit breaker ignited insulation, causing a fire and explosion, said Barry Anderson, a PG&E vice president. The substation was already scheduled for an overhaul, he said, which is expected to be completed by the fall of 2018.
The outage was “from old equipment,” Anderson said. “The equipment failed before we could get to the upgrade.”
Mayor Ed Lee said no major injuries or traffic collisions were caused by the outage. Hospitals in the blackout areas were operating on backup power, with surgeries and other procedures continuing without issue, he said.
By 2 p.m., the utility had restored power to 23,000 customers and hoped to have the power back on for everyone by 5 p.m.
The San Francisco Fire Department responded to more than 100 calls for service in the Financial District and beyond, including 20 elevators with people stuck inside, reported no injuries. Everywhere, sirens blared as engines maneuvered along streets jammed with traffic.
About 300 traffic lights were out — about a quarter of those across the city — and as a result cars backed up on downtown streets as drivers stewed and honked at each other. More than 100 parking control officers as well as police officers were deployed to control traffic through intersections.
BART’s Montgomery Station was closed for more than two hours, with trains running through the station without stopping, before the agency reopened by using generators just after 11:30 a.m. Still, elevators and escalators weren’t working.
All cable cars were down, as were several Muni bus lines that typically run on electricity from overhead wires, including the 30, 45, 22, and 24. Shuttles were put in place to provide service, according to the Municipal Transportation Agency.
Muni trains, however, were still running both underground and above ground, though delays were expected due to the extensive problems with traffic lights. The subway stop at Montgomery Street was closed, with Muni trains — like BART trains — running through without stopping.
Nineteen schools in San Francisco were struck by the outage, including Spring Valley Science School, Sutro Elementary, Civic Center Secondary School, Alamo Elementary, Galileo Academy of Science and Technology and Cobb Elementary.
The district “continues to monitor the situation,” said spokeswoman Gentle Blythe. “School site power outages are currently affecting utilities, including Internet. Student and staff safety is our priority. All schools remain open and are adjusting their instruction as needed. Families will be notified if something changes at their child’s school.”
The Phillip Burton Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse at 450 Golden Gate Ave. was among the many buildings closed down by the outage.
Firefighters reported that the substation fire was extinguished at 11 a.m. All PG&E employees who work at the site were safe, said utility spokesman Paul Doherty.
All around Union Square, the lights were out in the boutiques and restaurants, and rows of shuttered businesses extended into the Tenderloin and Chinatown. Workers stood outside, waiting, or in some cases they stood inside, with the doors closed.
Many hotels and some stores, including Neiman Marcus on Stockton Street, continued on as usual thanks to generators. “The money is stuck in the drawer,” said Italo Amaral, an employee with the Sutter Street cafe Bread and Cocoa, after his cash register and credit card machine lost power. “ “We’ll see what’s going to happen.”
Some businesses gave up and closed for the day. A lot of people just milled about, drinking coffee or staring at their phones.
NIGHTMARE COMMUTE: Power Problems Strand New York Subway Riders, Create Major Delays Systemwide
http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2017/04/21/power-problem-subway-delays/
Friday April 21, 2017 - As CBS2’s Alice Gainer reported, the B, D and E train station at 53rd Street and Seventh Avenue was still closed late Friday afternoon, and trains were bypassing the station as crews made repairs. Temporary generators have restored signal power, but the initial problem had not been fixed.
Not only were commuters frustrated, but Gov. Andrew Cuomo has ordered an investigation into it all.
On Friday morning, platforms were packed and some riders were stuck underground in the dark as the outage backed up trains all over the city.
Hundreds of riders were packed inside a D train when it got stuck in a tunnel just short of the subway stop at Seventh Avenue and 53rd Street after the signals lost power around 7:30 a.m.
[...] An E train had one car already in at the station platform when the outage happened. Riders were able to get out through that car.
One man from Brooklyn told 1010 WINS that his 30-minute commute took two hours and a woman from Queens who was on the stuck E train said her ride was 90 minutes.
Commuters posted pictures and video on Twitter of crowded subway platforms and dark trains.
Police officers redirected subway riders while the power was out, until Con Edison brought in the temporary generator to restore signal power around 11:30 a.m., 1010 WINS’ Roger Stern reported.
Elsewhere, people crowded onto platforms – as the outage cut power to signals, escalators, communication, and station lighting. The outage had a ripple effect throughout the system, with at least 11 lines affected.
Cuomo was furious about the situation. He has called on the state’s Department of Public Service and the MTA to conduct an investigation.
http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/
Friday, April 21, 2017 - A massive blackout likely caused by a fire at a PG&E substation swept through San Francisco on Friday, darkening homes and businesses for hours, shutting down a subway station and all the cable cars, and knocking out streetlights across a wide swath of the city.
The power outage, which at its height affected 88,000 customers, struck just after 9 a.m. when a fire erupted at a Pacific Gas and Electric Co. depot at Larkin and Eddy streets.
A catastrophic failure of a circuit breaker ignited insulation, causing a fire and explosion, said Barry Anderson, a PG&E vice president. The substation was already scheduled for an overhaul, he said, which is expected to be completed by the fall of 2018.
The outage was “from old equipment,” Anderson said. “The equipment failed before we could get to the upgrade.”
Mayor Ed Lee said no major injuries or traffic collisions were caused by the outage. Hospitals in the blackout areas were operating on backup power, with surgeries and other procedures continuing without issue, he said.
By 2 p.m., the utility had restored power to 23,000 customers and hoped to have the power back on for everyone by 5 p.m.
The San Francisco Fire Department responded to more than 100 calls for service in the Financial District and beyond, including 20 elevators with people stuck inside, reported no injuries. Everywhere, sirens blared as engines maneuvered along streets jammed with traffic.
About 300 traffic lights were out — about a quarter of those across the city — and as a result cars backed up on downtown streets as drivers stewed and honked at each other. More than 100 parking control officers as well as police officers were deployed to control traffic through intersections.
BART’s Montgomery Station was closed for more than two hours, with trains running through the station without stopping, before the agency reopened by using generators just after 11:30 a.m. Still, elevators and escalators weren’t working.
All cable cars were down, as were several Muni bus lines that typically run on electricity from overhead wires, including the 30, 45, 22, and 24. Shuttles were put in place to provide service, according to the Municipal Transportation Agency.
Muni trains, however, were still running both underground and above ground, though delays were expected due to the extensive problems with traffic lights. The subway stop at Montgomery Street was closed, with Muni trains — like BART trains — running through without stopping.
Nineteen schools in San Francisco were struck by the outage, including Spring Valley Science School, Sutro Elementary, Civic Center Secondary School, Alamo Elementary, Galileo Academy of Science and Technology and Cobb Elementary.
The district “continues to monitor the situation,” said spokeswoman Gentle Blythe. “School site power outages are currently affecting utilities, including Internet. Student and staff safety is our priority. All schools remain open and are adjusting their instruction as needed. Families will be notified if something changes at their child’s school.”
The Phillip Burton Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse at 450 Golden Gate Ave. was among the many buildings closed down by the outage.
Firefighters reported that the substation fire was extinguished at 11 a.m. All PG&E employees who work at the site were safe, said utility spokesman Paul Doherty.
All around Union Square, the lights were out in the boutiques and restaurants, and rows of shuttered businesses extended into the Tenderloin and Chinatown. Workers stood outside, waiting, or in some cases they stood inside, with the doors closed.
Many hotels and some stores, including Neiman Marcus on Stockton Street, continued on as usual thanks to generators. “The money is stuck in the drawer,” said Italo Amaral, an employee with the Sutter Street cafe Bread and Cocoa, after his cash register and credit card machine lost power. “ “We’ll see what’s going to happen.”
Some businesses gave up and closed for the day. A lot of people just milled about, drinking coffee or staring at their phones.
NIGHTMARE COMMUTE: Power Problems Strand New York Subway Riders, Create Major Delays Systemwide
http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2017/04/21/power-problem-subway-delays/
Friday April 21, 2017 - As CBS2’s Alice Gainer reported, the B, D and E train station at 53rd Street and Seventh Avenue was still closed late Friday afternoon, and trains were bypassing the station as crews made repairs. Temporary generators have restored signal power, but the initial problem had not been fixed.
Not only were commuters frustrated, but Gov. Andrew Cuomo has ordered an investigation into it all.
On Friday morning, platforms were packed and some riders were stuck underground in the dark as the outage backed up trains all over the city.
Hundreds of riders were packed inside a D train when it got stuck in a tunnel just short of the subway stop at Seventh Avenue and 53rd Street after the signals lost power around 7:30 a.m.
[...] An E train had one car already in at the station platform when the outage happened. Riders were able to get out through that car.
One man from Brooklyn told 1010 WINS that his 30-minute commute took two hours and a woman from Queens who was on the stuck E train said her ride was 90 minutes.
Commuters posted pictures and video on Twitter of crowded subway platforms and dark trains.
Police officers redirected subway riders while the power was out, until Con Edison brought in the temporary generator to restore signal power around 11:30 a.m., 1010 WINS’ Roger Stern reported.
Elsewhere, people crowded onto platforms – as the outage cut power to signals, escalators, communication, and station lighting. The outage had a ripple effect throughout the system, with at least 11 lines affected.
Cuomo was furious about the situation. He has called on the state’s Department of Public Service and the MTA to conduct an investigation.
