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Walter Scott

Walter Scott

:For the first Premier of Saskatchewan see Thomas Walter Scott :For the first Lord Scott of Buccleuch see Walter Scott, 1st Lord Scott of Buccleuch :For the Australian rules footballer with Norwood, see Walter Scott (footballer). Walter Scott (footballer)]] Sir Walter Scott, Bart (August 14, 1771 – September 21, 1832) was a prolific Scottish historical novelist and poet popular throughout Europe during his time. In some ways Scott was the first author to have a truly international career in his lifetime, with many contemporary readers all over Great Britain, Ireland, Europe, Australia, and North America. His novels and (to a lesser extent) his poetry are still read, but he is far less popular nowadays than he was at the height of his fame. Nevertheless many of his works remain classics of English literature. Famous titles include Ivanhoe, Rob Roy, Lady of the Lake, Waverley and The Heart of Midlothian.

Early days

Born in Edinburgh, Scotland in 1771, the son of a Scottish solicitor of limited means, the young Walter Scott survived a childhood bout of polio that would leave him lame in his right leg for the rest of his life. To restore his health he was sent to live for some years in the rural Scottish Borders region at his grandparents' farm at Sandyknowe. Here he learned the speech patterns and many of the tales and legends which characterized much of his work. Also, for his health, he spent a year in Bath, England. He also learned by heart James Macpherson's Ossian poems, which it was claimed at the time were translations dating back to the Middle Ages, but later discredited when this was found to be untrue. After studying law at Edinburgh University, he followed in his father's footsteps and became a lawyer in Edinburgh. As a lawyer's clerk he made his first visit to the Scottish Highlands directing an eviction. He was admitted advocate in 1792. He had an unsuccessful love suit with Williamina Belsches of Fettercairn, who married Sir William Forbes.

Literary career launched

At the age of 25 he began dabbling in writing, translating works from German, his first publication being rhymed versions of ballads by Bürger in 1796. He then published a three-volume set of collected Scottish ballads, The Minstrelsy of the Scottish Border. This was the first sign of his interest in Scotland and history from a literary standpoint. Scott then became an ardent volunteer in the yeomanry and on one of his "raids" he met at Gilsland Spa Margaret Charlotte Charpentier (or Charpenter), daughter of Jean Charpentier of Lyon in France who he married in 1797. They had five children. In 1799 he was appointed sheriff deputy of the county of Selkirkshire, based in the town of Selkirk. In his earlier married days, Scott had a decent living from the monies he earned at the law, his salary as deputy sheriff, his wife's income, some revenue from his writing, and his share of his father's rather meagre estate. After Scott had founded a printing press, his poetry, beginning with The Lay of the Last Minstrel in 1805, brought him fame. He published a number of other poems over the next ten years, including in 1810 the popular Lady of the Lake set in the Trossachs, portions of which (translated into German) were set to music by Franz Schubert. One of these songs, Ellens dritter Gesang, is popularly called "Schubert's Ave Maria". Another work from this time period, Marmion, produced some of his most quoted (and most often mis-attributed) lines. Canto VI. Stanza 17 reads: :Yet Clare's sharp questions must I shun, :Must separate Constance from the nun :Oh! what a tangled web we weave :When first we practise to deceive! :A Palmer too! No wonder why :I felt rebuked beneath his eye; In 1809 his Tory sympathies led him to become a co-founder of the Quarterly Review, a review journal to which he made several anonymous contributions.

The novels

When the press became embroiled in pecuniary difficulties, Scott set out, in 1814, to write a cash-cow. The result was Waverley, a novel which did not name its author. It was a tale of the "Forty-Five" Jacobite rising in the United Kingdom with its English protagonist Edward Waverley, by his Tory upbringing sympathetic to Jacobitism, becoming enmeshed in events but eventually choosing Hanoverian respectability. The novel met with considerable success. There followed a large set of novels in next five years, each the same general vein. Mindful of his reputation as a poet, he maintained the anonymous habit he had begun with Waverley, always publishing the novels under the name "Author of Waverley" or attributed as "Tales of..." with no author. Even when it was clear that there would be no harm in coming out into the open he maintained the façade, apparently out of a sense of fun. During this time the nickname "The Wizard of the North" was popularly applied to the mysterious best-selling writer. His identity as the author of the novels was widely rumoured, and in 1815 Scott was given the honour of dining with George, Prince Regent, who wanted to meet "the author of Waverley". George, Prince Regent
Alternate View]] In 1820 he broke away from writing about Scotland with Ivanhoe, a historical romance set in 12th-century England. It too was a runaway success and, as he did with his first novel, he unleashed a slew of books along the same lines. As his fame grew during this phase of his career, he was granted the title of baronet, becoming Sir Walter Scott. At this time he organised the visit of King George IV to Scotland, and when the King visited Edinburgh in 1822 the spectacular pageantry Scott had concocted to portray George as a rather tubby reincarnation of Bonnie Prince Charlie made tartans and kilts fashionable and turned them into symbols of national identity.

Financial woes

Beginning in 1825 he went into dire financial straits again, as his company nearly collapsed. That he was the author of his novels became general knowledge at this time as well. Rather than declare bankruptcy he placed his home, Abbotsford House, and income into a trust belonging to his creditors, and proceeded to write his way out of debt. He kept up his prodigious output of fiction (as well as producing a non-fiction biography of Napoleon Bonaparte) until 1831. By then his health was failing, and he died at Abbotsford in 1832. Though not in the clear by then, his novels continued to sell, and he made good his debts from beyond the grave. He was buried in Dryburgh Abbey where nearby, fittingly, a large statue can be found of William Wallace—one of Scotland's most romantic historical figures.

Assessment

From being one of the most popular novelists of the 19th century, Scott suffered from a disastrous decline in popularity after the First World War. The tone was set early on in E.M. Forster's classic "Aspects of the Novel" (1927), where Scott was savaged as being a clumsy writer who wrote clumsy, badly plotted novels. Scott also suffered from the rising star of Jane Austen. Considered merely an entertaining "woman's novelist" in the 19th century, in the 20th Austen began to be seen as perhaps the major English novelist of the first few decades of the 19th century. As Austen's star rose, Scott's sank. Scott's many flaws (ponderousness, prolixity, lack of humour) were fundamentally out of step with Modernist sensibilities. Nevertheless, Scott was responsible for two major trends that carry on to this day. First, he essentially invented the modern historical novel; an enormous number of imitators (and imitators of imitators) would appear in the 19th century. It is a measure of Scott's influence that Edinburgh's central railway station, opened in 1854 for the North British Railway, is called the Waverley station, and two noted Rose Street pubs are the Waverley and the Ivanhoe bars, both named after his English characters. Second, his Scottish novels followed on from James Macpherson's Ossian cycle in rehabilitating the public perception of Highland culture after years in the shadows following southern distrust of hill bandits and the Jacobite rebellions. As enthusiastic chairman of the Celtic Society of Edinburgh he contributed to the reinvention of Scottish culture. It is worth noting, however, that Scott was a Lowland Scot, and that his re-creations of the Highlands were more than a little fanciful. His organisation of the visit of King George IV to Scotland in 1822 was a pivotal event, leading Edinburgh tailors to invent many "clan tartans" out of whole cloth, so to speak. After being essentially unread for many decades, a small revival of interest in Scott's work began in the 1970s and 1980s. Ironically, postmodern tastes (which favoured discontinuous narratives, and the introduction of the 'first person' into works of fiction) were more favourable to Scott's work than Modernist tastes. Despite all the flaws, Scott is now seen as an important innovator, and a key figure in the development of Scottish literature. Scott was also responsible, through a series of pseudonymous letters published in the Edinburgh Weekly News in 1826, for retaining the right of Scottish banks to issue their own banknotes, which is reflected to this day by his continued appearance on the front of all notes issued by the Bank of Scotland. Many of his works have been illustrated by his friend, William Allan.

Works

- The Chase (translator) (1796)
- William and Helen, Two Ballads from the German (translator) (1796)
- Goetz of Berlichingen (translator) (1799)
- The Minstrelsy of the Scottish Border (1802-1803)
- The Lay of the Last Minstrel (1805)
- Ballads and Lyrical Pieces (1806)
- Marmion (1808)
- The Lady of the Lake (1810)
- The Vision of Don Roderick (1811)
- The Bridal of Triermain (1813)
- Rokeby (1813)
- Introductory Essay to The Border Antiquities of England and Scotland (1814-1817)
- Waverley (1814)
- The Field of Waterloo (1815)
- Guy Mannering (1815)
- The Lord of the Isles (1815)
- The Antiquary (1816)
- Paul's Letters to his Kinsfolk (1816)
- Tales of my Landlord, 1st series, The Black Dwarf and Old Mortality (1816)
- Harold the Dauntless (1817)
- Rob Roy (1818)
- Tales of my Landlord, 2nd series, The Heart of Midlothian (1818)
- Provincial Antiquities of Scotland (1819-1826)
- Tales of my Landlord, 3rd series, The Bride of Lammermoor and A Legend of Montrose (1819)
- Ivanhoe (1819)
- Tales from Benedictine Sources, consisting of The Abbot and The Monastery (1820)
- Kenilworth (1821)
- Lives of the Novelists (1821-1824)
- The Fortunes of Nigel (1822)
- Halidon Hall (1822)
- Peveril of the Peak (1822)
- The Pirate (1822)
- Quentin Durward (1823)
- Redgauntlet (1824)
- St. Ronan's Well (1824)
- Tales of the Crusaders, consisting of The Betrothed and The Talisman (1825)
- Woodstock (1826)
- Chronicles of the Canongate, 1st series, The Highland Widow, The Two Drovers and The Surgeon's Daughter (1827)
- The Life of Napoleon Buonaparte (1827)
- Chronicles of the Canongate, 2nd series, The Fair Maid of Perth (1828)
- Religious Discourses (1828)
- Tales of a Grandfather, 1st series (1828)
- Anne of Geierstein (1829)
- History of Scotland, 2 vols. (1829-1830)
- Tales of a Grandfather, 2nd series (1829)
- The Doom of Devorgoil (1830)
- Essays on Ballad Poetry (1830)
- Tales of a Grandfather, 3rd series (1830)
- Letters on Demonology and Witchcraft (1831)
- Tales of my Landlord, 4th series, Count Robert of Paris and Castle Dangerous (1832)
- Young Lockinvar
- The Bishop of Tyre

Quote

Breathes there a man, with soul so dead, Who never to himself hath said, This is my own, my native land! from The Lay of the Last Minstrel by Walter Scott

Reference

- Sir Walter Scott, John Buchan, Coward-McCann Inc., New York, 1932

External links

- [http://www.eswsc.com The Edinburgh Sir Walter Scott Club]
- University of Pennsylvania [http://onlinebooks.library.upenn.edu/webbin/book/search?amode=start&author=Scott%2c%20Walter e-texts of some of Walter Scott's works]
-
- University of Edinburgh library's [http://www.walterscott.lib.ed.ac.uk/works/index.html digital archive of Scott's works and memorabilia] Scott, Walter Scott, Walter Scott, Walter Scott, Walter Scott, Walter Scott, Walter Scott, Walter Scott, Walter Scott, Walter Scott, Walter ja:ウォルター・スコット

Thomas Walter Scott

Thomas Walter Scott (known less formally as Walter Scott) (October 27, 1867-March 23, 1938) was the first Premier of the province of Saskatchewan in Canada. In his early adult life, Scott was a newspaper editor and publisher, becoming a partner in the Regina Standard from 1892 to 1893. From 1894 to 1895, he was the owner and editor of the Moose Jaw Times. Scott then bought the Regina Leader (known today as the Regina Leader-Post) in 1895, and was its editor until 1900. Politics lured Scott into joining the Liberal Party of Canada, and in 1900, he was elected in the riding of Assiniboia West to the Canadian House of Commons. Scott played a key role in the creation of the provinces of Saskatchewan and Alberta out of the North-West Territories in 1905. In August, 1905, Scott was named the leader of the Saskatchewan Liberal Party. When the federal parliament passed The Saskatchewan Act on September 1, 1905, creating the Province of Saskatchewan, Scott was named the first Premier of Saskatchewan by Lieutenant-Governor Forget. On December 13, 1905, the first general election was held. Scott's Liberal Party won 16 seats, while the Provincial Rights Party of former North-West territories Premier Frederick W. A. G. Haultain won the other 9 seats. Scott's government instituted wartime prohibition, closing all bars and clubs in 1915. His government also extended the voting franchise to women in 1916. This same year, his government was shaken by allegations of bribery and graft. Although Scott himself was not implicated, the scandal took a toll on his health, and he retired from politics that year. The Walter Scott Building on Albert Street in Regina was named in Scott's honour, and is the home of many provincial government agencies and departments. In 2001, Gordon Barnhart released a book called Peace, Progress and Prosperity (ISBN 0889771421), which provided the first detailed biography of T. Walter Scott.

External links

- [http://www.collectionscanada.ca/confederation/023001-2407-e.html Canadian Confederation biography] Scott, Thomas Walter Scott, Thomas Walter Scott, Thomas

Australian Rules

:Australian Rules and Aussie Rules redirect here. For the movie, see Australian Rules (film). Australian Rules (film) Australian football, which is also known as Australian rules football, or less formally as "Aussie rules" or "footy" is a code of football which originated in Melbourne, Australia. The game is played between two teams of 18 players (plus interchange players), on cricket ovals or similar-sized arenas which vary in size and may be up to 185 metres (200 yards) long; these are much larger than those used by other codes of football. The game is also distinguished from other games by the fast, relatively free movement of the ball (partly due to the absence of an offside rule) and the awarding of a free kick for any clean catch — known as a mark — of a ball which has been kicked more than 15 metres. Spectacular high marks, or "speccies", are regarded as one of the game's main attributes as a spectator sport. Australian football is a contact sport usually played with no padding. Although it is a winter sport, pre-season competitions usually begin in late February (that is, in the Australian summer); the football season proper is from March to August, with finals being held in September.

Popularity

winter sport, (Brisbane Lions, seen here in maroon and blue jumpers), is attempting to take a mark. A Collingwood (black and white jumpers) opponent trying to stop him.]] Australian football is the most highly attended spectator sport in Australia: government figures show that more than 2.5 million people (16.8% of the population) attended games in 1999 [http://www.abs.gov.au/Ausstats/abs@.nsf/0/e298cee24565c911ca256def007248ff?OpenDocument]. It also attracts more overall interest than any other winter sport.[http://www.sweeneyresearch.com.au/PDF/Interest.pdf] & [http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/05/22/1053196670542.html] In 2005, 6,761,952 people attended Australian Football League (AFL) matches, a record for the competition. The 2005 AFL Grand Final was watched by a television audience of more than 3.3 million people across five of Australia's most highly populated cities, including 1.2 million in Melbourne and 991,000 in Sydney.[http://www.oztam.com.au/documents/2005/E_20050918.pdf] By comparison, the National Rugby League Grand Final was watched by 2.5 million, including 1.1 million in Sydney and 506,000 in Melbourne;[http://www.oztam.com.au/documents/2005/E_20051002.pdf] 2.4 million watched the soccer match in which the Australian team qualified for the 2006 World Cup, including 924,000 in Sydney and 797,000 in Melbourne.[http://www.oztam.com.au/documents/2005/E_20051113.pdf] Australian rules is the most popular sport in the Northern Territory (NT), South Australia (SA), Tasmania, Victoria and Western Australia (WA). In New South Wales (NSW) and Queensland overall, rugby league is the predominant winter sport. In the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) rugby union is arguably more popular. However, in both the ACT and south-western NSW, Australian football has rivalled the two varieties of rugby in popularity over many decades. In addition, ongoing net migration from Victoria, SA and Tasmania to Queensland and NSW, the winning of AFL premierships by teams in those states and the consequent growth of amateur football, means that the demographics of Australian football are changing. In recent years Australian Football has seen large increases through out Brisbane. It is commonly accepted that these increases are linked to the recent success of the Brisbane Lions, who won three premierships in a row (2001-2003). In 2005, the Sydney Swans won their first premiership since relocating to Sydney in 1982, and the team's first since 1933. With more than 400,000 participants, Australian football is also one of the most-played team sports in Australia. [http://www.ausport.gov.au/scorsresearch/table8ERASS2003.pdf] South Australia is said to have the highest participation rate of people taking part in Australian football, with over 2.2% of the population aged 18 years and over participating in the sport [http://www.ausport.gov.au/fulltext/2000/ascpub/pdf/australian%20rules%20football%202.pdf]. Australian football is also now played as an amateur sport in more than 20 countries around the world. It is popular in two countries which are former Australian territories: Papua New Guinea and Nauru. Cricket is the most common summer spectator sport in Australia, and is usually played on the same grounds as Australian football. In the past, many elite-level footballers played representative cricket, but the increasingly professional nature of the game made this impossible by the 1980s.

Structure and competitions

The most powerful organisation and competition within the game is the elite, professional Australian Football League (AFL). There are also seven state (and/or territory)-based organisations: AFL NSW/ACT, Football Tasmania, the Northern Territory Football League, the South Australian National Football League (SANFL), the Queensland Australian Football League, the Victorian Football League (VFL), and the Western Australian Football League (WAFL). Most of these hold annual semi-professional club competitions, while the others oversee more than one league. Local semi-professional or amateur organisations and competitions are also affiliated to these state leagues. Unlike most soccer competitions, there is usually no separate "league" and "cup" trophies. In the AFL, The McClelland Trophy is awarded to the team that finishes the league in first position (sometimes called the minor premiership), but this is not afforded a high level of prestige as the major objective is the Premiership. The teams that occupy the highest positions (usually four in most amateur leagues, but eight in the AFL) play off in a "semi-knockout" finals series (in the AFL, the top four sides get a second chance if they lose their first final), with the two successful teams meeting in the Grand Final to contest the premiership. The winner is awarded the premiership cup.

Rules of the game

Grand Final brand is used for all official AFL matches, whilst Burley brand is also used for Australian football.]] Both the ball and the field of play are oval in shape. No more than 18 players of each team are permitted to be on the field at any time. Up to four interchange (reserve) players may be swapped for those on the field at any time during the game. There is no offside rule nor are there set positions in the rules - unlike Soccer players from both teams disperse across the whole field before the start of play. The ball can be propelled in any direction by way of a foot, clenched fist (called a handball or handpass) or open hand tap, but it cannot be thrown under any circumstances. (Throwing is defined in the rules quite broadly.) A player may run with the ball but it must be bounced or touched on the ground at least every 15 metres. Opposition players may bump or tackle the player to obtain the ball, and when tackled, the player must dispose of the ball cleanly or risk being penalised for holding the ball. If a player takes possession of the ball that has travelled more than 15 metres from another player's kick (often called a punt or drop punt) by way of a catch, it is claimed as a mark and that player may then have a free kick (meaning that that the game stops while he prepares to kick from the point at which he marked). Apart from free kicks, or when the ball is in the possession of umpires for a ball up or throw in, the ball is always in dispute and any player from either side can take possession of the ball.

Scoring

At each end of the field are four vertical posts. The middle two are the goal posts, and the two on either side, which are shorter, are the behind posts. A goal is scored when it is propelled through the goal posts at any height (including above the height of the posts) by way of a kick from the attacking team. It may fly through on the full or bounce through, as long as it is not touched by any player from either team. A goal cannot be scored from the foot of an opposition (defending) player. A behind is scored when the ball goes across the line between a goal post and a behind post, or if the ball hits a goal post or is touched (a rushed behind) before passing between the the goalposts. A goal is worth 6 points, whereas a behind is worth one. The team that scores the most points at the end of play wins the game. Thus a score of 10 goals and 10 behinds equals 70 points. A score of 9 goals and 18 behinds equals 72 points. The latter score would win the game despite the fact that that team scored one goal less. The result would usually be written as Team A 9.18 (72) def Team B 10.10 (70).

History

Origins of the game

Tom Wills began to devise Australian rules in Melbourne, in 1858. (H.C.A. Harrison, Wills's cousin, was also named much later as an official "father of the game", but his role does not now seem to have been significant at this very early stage.) A letter by Wills was published in Bell's Life in Victoria & Sporting Chronicle on July 10, 1858,[http://www.mcg.org.au/default.asp?pg=footballdisplay&articleid=37] calling for a "foot-ball club" with a "code of laws" to keep cricketers fit during winter. An experimental match, played by Wills and others at the Richmond Paddock (later known as Yarra Park, next to the MCG) on July 31, 1858, was probably the first game of Australian football. However, few details of the match have survived. On August 7, 1858, two significant events in the development of the game occurred: the Melbourne Football Club was founded, one of the world's first football clubs in any code, and a famous match between Melbourne Grammar School and Scotch College began, umpired by Wills. A second day of play took place on August 21, and a third and final day on September 4. The two schools have competed annually ever since. However, the rules used by the two teams in 1858 could not have had much in common with the eventual form of Australian football, since Wills had not yet begun to write them.. Scotch College. A pavilion at the MCG is on the left in the background. (A wood engraving made by Robert Bruce on July 27, 1866.)]] The Melbourne Football Club rules of 1859 are the oldest surviving set of laws for Australian football. They were drawn up at the Parade Hotel, East Melbourne on May 17, by Wills, W. J. Hammersley, J. B. Thompson and Thomas Smith (some sources include H. C. A. Harrison). The 1859 rules did not include some elements which soon became important to the game, such as the requirement to bounce the ball while running, and Melbourne's game was not immediately adopted by neighbouring clubs. Before each match, the rules had to be agreed by the two teams involved. By 1866, however, several other clubs had agreed to play by an updated version of Melbourne's rules. It is often said that the founders were partly inspired by the ball games of the local Aboriginal people in western Victoria. Aborigines did play a sport called Marn Grook, which used a ball made out of possum hide, and included play resembling the high marking ("speccie") in Australian football. There is considerable debate over the connection between the two. Wills did have a deep knowledge of Aboriginal culture, and Harrison had grown up in an area near present day Moyston, Victoria where he may have seen Marn Grook. Wills had been educated at Rugby School in England and had also, like W. J. Hammersley and J. B. Thompson, been to the University of Cambridge. The Cambridge Rules, drawn up in 1843, included some elements which are important in Australian football, such as the mark. Thomas Smith was Irish and had attended Trinity College, Dublin, where the Rugby School rules were popular at a very early stage. These men would have been familiar with other public school and university "football" games. They may also have been inspired by traditional games, played among the thousands of immigrants who poured into Victoria from the UK, Ireland and many other countries during the gold rushes of the 1850s.

Similarities to Gaelic football

While it is clear even to casual observers that Australian rules football is similar to Gaelic football, the exact relationship is unclear, as the Irish game was not codified by the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) until 1887. The historian B. W. O'Dwyer points out that Australian football has always been differentiated from rugby football by having no limitation on ball or player movement (in the absence of an offside rule), the need to bounce the ball (or toe-kick it, known as a solo in Gaelic football) while running, punching the ball (hand-passing) rather than throwing it, and other traditions. As O'Dwyer says: :These are all elements of Irish football. There were several variations of Irish football in existence, normally without the benefit of rulebooks, but the central tradition in Ireland was in the direction of the relatively new game [i.e. rugby]...adapted and shaped within the perimeters of the ancient Irish game of hurling... [These rules] later became embedded in Gaelic football. Their presence in Victorian football may be accounted for in terms of a formative influence being exerted by men familiar with and no doubt playing the Irish game. It is not that they were introduced into the game from that motive [i.e. emulating Irish games]; it was rather a case of particular needs being met... [B. W. O'Dwyer, March 1989, "The Shaping of Victorian Rules Football", Victorian Historical Journal, v.60, no.1.] After 1887, the two games developed in isolation from each other. A number of players, most notably Jim Stynes have successfully made the transition from Gaelic football to Australian rules.

International rules football

Since 1967, there have been many matches between Australian and Irish teams, under various sets of hybrid, compromise rules. In 1984, the first official representative matches of International Rules football were played, and these are now played annually each October. In 1999, a record Australian International Rules crowd of 65,000 at the MCG attended a game that saw Ireland defeat Australia but Australia win the series. In 2002, a record Irish International Rules crowd of 71,532 at Croke Park, Dublin witnessed a draw which also saw Australia win the series. The rules are a compromise between the two codes, using the round ball and the rectangular field of Gaelic football. The fierce tackling of the Australian code is allowed, although this has often caused controversy with the Irish players, who play a mostly non-contact game.

History of clubs and competitions

The modern day Australian Football League (AFL) has many teams dating back to the beginnings of the game: apart from the Melbourne Football Club, other early clubs still in existence include: Geelong (1860), Carlton (1864), North Melbourne (aka Hotham, now Kangaroos) (1869), Port Adelaide (1870), Essendon and St Kilda (1873), South Melbourne (now Sydney Swans) (1874) and Footscray (now the Western Bulldogs) (1877).

The first league

In 1877, the Victorian Football Association (VFA), the game's first league, was formed by 14 clubs: Albert Park, Ballarat, Barwon, Beechworth, Carlton, Castlemaine, East Melbourne, Essendon, Geelong, Hotham (later North Melbourne), Inglewood, Melbourne, Rochester and St Kilda. Six of these clubs were from the Victorian country. At the time, Essendon was regarded as a semi-junior club rather than a full member, and was allowed concessions such as fielding teams of 25 players, instead of the standard 20.

Leagues in other states

Gradually the game — known at first as "Melbourne Rules", "Victorian Rules or sometimes as "Australasian Rules" — spread from Victoria into other Australian colonies, especially South Australia (SA), Tasmania and Western Australia (WA). The first intercolonial match, between Victoria and SA, was held in 1879. Competitions also began in Queensland and New South Wales in the 1880s. In Newcastle, New South Wales the Black Diamond league was founded by Victorian goldminers and the Black Diamond Challenge Cup remains Australia's oldest sporting trophy. The precursors of the South Australian National Football League (SANFL) and the Western Australian Football League (WAFL) were strong, separate competitions by the 1890s.

Formation of the VFL

A rift in the VFA led to the formation of the Victorian Football League (VFL), which commenced play in 1897 as an eight-team breakaway of the stronger clubs in the VFA competition: Carlton, Collingwood, Essendon, Fitzroy, Geelong, Melbourne, St Kilda and South Melbourne. Another five VFA clubs joined the VFL later: Richmond and University joined the VFL in 1908, although University withdrew in 1915. Footscray, Hawthorn and North Melbourne joined in 1925, by which time VFL had become the most prominent league in the game.

Interstate competition

For most of the 20th century, the absence of a national club competition — and the inability of players to compete internationally — meant that matches between state representative teams were regarded with great importance. Because VFL clubs increasingly recruited the best players in other states, Victoria dominated these games. However, State of Origin rules were introduced in 1977, and in the first such game, at Subiaco Oval in Perth, Western Australia defeated Victoria, 23.13 (151) to 8.9 (57), a huge reversal of the results in most previous games. Western Australia and South Australia began to win many of their games against Victoria. However, during the 1990s, following the emergence of the Australian Football League, state of origin games declined in importance especially after an increasing number of withdrawals by AFL players, who were under increasing pressure from clubs concerned by the risk of injuries. Australian football State of Origin matches ceased in 1999. The second-tier state and territorial leagues still contest interstate matches.

A national league

In 1982, in a move which heralded big changes within the sport, one of the original VFL clubs, South Melbourne Football Club, relocated to the Rugby League stronghold of Sydney and became known as the Sydney Swans. In the late 1980s, strong interstate interest in the VFL led to a more national competition; two more non-Victorian clubs, the West Coast Eagles and the Brisbane Bears began playing in 1987. The league changed its name to the Australian Football League (AFL) following the 1989 season. In 1991, it gained its first South Australian team, Adelaide. West Coast's local derby rival Fremantle was admitted in 1995. Fitzroy merged with Brisbane after 1996 due to financial difficulties to form the Brisbane Lions and the proud old SANFL club, Port Adelaide joined in 1997, immediately becoming fierce local rivals to Adelaide. The AFL, currently with 16 member clubs, is the sport's elite competition.

Today's state leagues

For much of the 20th century the SANFL and the WAFL were considered peers of the VFL. Although the VFL was generally accepted as the strongest league, clubs from all three leagues frequently played each other on an even footing in challenge matches and occasional nationwide club competitions. With the introduction of the AFL, the SANFL, WAFL and other state leagues rapidly declined to a secondary status. Apart from these there are many semi-professional and amateur leagues around Australia, where they play a very important role in the community, and particularly so in rural areas. The VFA, still in existence a century after the original schism, merged with the former VFL reserves competition in 1998. The new entity adopted the VFL name. :See also: :
- [http://www.sanfl.com.au/ Official SANFL site] :
- [http://www.wafl.com.au/ Official WAFL site] :
- [http://www.vafa.asn.au/ Official Victorian Amateur Football Association (VAFA) site]

Traditions of the game

At the elite level, the game still retains some links to its suburban roots. AFL players run on to the field through a crêpe paper banner depicting some message (for instance, congratulating players on a milestone number of games) constructed by volunteer supporter groups. Games begin by tossing a coin, for the winning captain to select the end of the field of their goal for the first quarter. Unlike other forms of football, Australian football begins similarly to basketball. After the first siren, the umpire bounces the ball on the ground, and the two ruckmen (typically the tallest on the ground), battle for the ball in the air on its way back down. All AFL clubs also have a club song, most of which were composed during the early 20th century, or mimic the musical styles of that era. Some teams use club songs set to the tunes of well-known American marches. Both teams songs are played as they enter the ground, and the winners song is sung at the end of the game. The goal umpire signals a goal (or behind) with 2 hands (or one hand) raised at elbow height, and then confirms the signal with the other goal umpire by waving flags above his head. Some traditions change, however, and the goal umpire no longer wears a white coat and broad brimmed hat.

Australian football internationally

Australian football is a major spectator sport only in Australia, Papua New Guinea and Nauru, although occasional exhibition games are staged in other countries. However, amateur competition has grown in countries such as New Zealand, Ireland, United Kingdom, Denmark, the USA, Canada, Germany, Japan, Samoa, China, South Africa, Tonga and Indonesia, since the late 1980s. Many of these were initially established by Australian expatriates but collecting growing numbers of native players. The largest such competition is the Ontario Australian Football League, in Canada, with 12 teams scheduled to compete in 2006. There are now youth deveopment programs in several of these countries; since 1998, the Barassi International Australian Football Youth Tournament, endorsed by the AFL as part of its International Policy, has hosted several of junior teams from other countries. Australian football is not yet large enough internationally for a FIFA-style governing body, so the AFL is primarily responsible for funding and governance and provides around A$500,000 annually for international development, especially junior programs. The Arafura Games, held in Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia is a multisport competition for teams from northern Australia, South East Asia and the Pacific Islands. They have Australian football as a permanent competition sport, rather than a demonstration sport, as at other international events. Papua New Guinea won the gold medal and retained it in subsequent games. Other teams that have competed at Australian Rules in the games include Japan, Nauru and a Northern Territory indigenous team. The International Australian Football Council (IAFC) was formed after the 1995 Arafura Games. Following internal divisions in the IAFC, another organisation, Aussie Rules International was set up in London. Inspired by successful Arafura Games competitions, the inaugural Australian Football International Cup was held in Melbourne in 2002, an initiative of the newly formed IAFC. The 2002 cup was contested by 11 teams from around the world made up exclusively of non-Australians. Ireland won the 2002 cup, defeating Papua New Guinea in the final. :See also: List of Australian Football Leagues outside Australia

Australian Football Hall of Fame

For the centenary of the VFL/AFL in 1996, an Australian Football Hall of Fame was established. That year 136 identities were inducted, including 100 players, 10 coaches, 10 umpires, 10 administrators and 6 media representatives. The selections have caused some controversy, partly because of the predominance of VFL players at the expense of those who played in other leagues, in the years before there was a national competition. Gary Ablett's induction was deferred for several years until 2005 due to a controversy associated with the death of a young woman acquaintance shortly after his retirement, which was felt to be likely to bring the Hall into disrepute. The elite Legend status was bestowed on 12 members of the Hall of Fame in 1996; seven other football identities have subsequently received this honour. The original legends (in alphabetical order) are:
- Ron Barassi Junior
- Haydn Bunton Senior
- Roy Cazaly
- John Coleman
- Jack Dyer
- Graham "Polly" Farmer
- Leigh Matthews
- John Nicholls
- Bob Pratt
- Dick Reynolds
- Bob Skilton
- Ted Whitten Senior Later additions:
- Ian Stewart (later in 1997)
- Gordon Coventry (1998)
- Peter Hudson (1999)
- Kevin Bartlett (2000)
- Barrie Robran (2001)
- Bill Hutchison (2003)
- Jock McHale (2005)

Australian rules football attendance records

The record attendance for a single game was 121,696 at the 1970 VFL Grand Final, between Carlton and Collingwood, at the MCG. The record for a game outside Victoria was the 72,393 who attended a game between Sydney and Collingwood at Telstra Stadium, Sydney in 2003. The record attendance for a non AFL/VFL match is 66,897 at the 1976 SANFL Grand Final, played between Sturt and Port Adelaide at Football Park, Adelaide. The record for a game outside Australia was 32,789 at an exhibition match between Melbourne and Sydney at B.C. Place, Vancouver, Canada in 1987.

External links

Official sites:
- [http://www.afl.com.au/ Official AFL site]
- [http://www.iafc.com.au/ Official International Australian Football Council site]
- [http://afl.com.au/?pg=halloffame AFL Hall of Fame]
- [http://www.worldfooty.com Barassi International Australian Football Youth Tournament]
- [http://www.aussierulesinternational.com/ Aussie Rules International]
- [http://www.geocities.com/womensfootball/ Womens Football Australia]
- [http://www.footballaustralien.com The Official French Site] History-related sites:
- [http://www.footypedia.com/ Footypedia] - Covers local footy history
- [http://www.robertpascoe.net Robert Pascoe] - Author of The Winter Game
- [http://www.footyjumpers.com Footyjumpers.com - Every Football Jumper in VFL/AFL History]
- [http://www.convictcreations.com/football/index.htm Convict Creations] - information on the sport's role in shaping Australian culture
- [http://www.libcom.org/history/articles/radical-history-aussie-rules/index.php The Radical History of Aussie Rules Football]
- [http://www.fullpointsfooty.net/ Full Points Footy] - unofficial history site Fan sites:
- [http://www.FootySA.com/ FootySA.com - The Best Unofficial SANFL site]
- [http://www.bigfooty.com/ BigFooty.com] - Largest unofficial fan community site and forum
- [http://www.footynews.net/ Footynews] - unofficial news site
- [http://eteamz.active.com/sites/australianfootball/ The Best Game] Why Australian rules is the world's best game.
- [http://www.worldfootynews.com/ World Footy News] All the news and views from Australian football's global frontier
- [http://www.talkingfootball.net/ A medium sized AFL statistics and fan site]
- [http://aussierules.co.nr/ Daniel's Aussie Rules]- Footy scores, ladders, news and archives Category:Team sports Category:Ball games ja:オージーフットボール

BART

BART (in full, San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District) is a rapid transit electric train service that serves parts of the San Francisco Bay Area, including the cities of San Francisco, Oakland, Berkeley, Daly City, Richmond, Fremont, Hayward, Walnut Creek, and Concord. It also serves San Francisco International Airport and, via AirBART buses, Oakland International Airport. The BART acronym is pronounced as a single word, not as individual letters. Oakland International Airport The San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District is a special governmental agency created by the State of California in 1949[http://johnlowe.net/Teaching/Projects/Project3.htm] consisting of Alameda County, Contra Costa County, and San Francisco County. It is governed by an elected Board of Directors, and each of the nine directors represents a specific geographic area within the BART district. BART has its own police force. While the district includes all of the cities and communities in its jurisdiction, the BART system only has stations in many but not all of these cities. This has caused tensions in places like Byron and Livermore, which pay BART taxes but receive no BART service. In addition, in areas like Fremont, the majority of commuters do not commute in the direction that BART takes them (many Fremonters commute to San Jose, where BART does not go). This problem should be alleviated with the BART-to-San Jose extension project. However, some cities and towns are very near to cities with BART stations, so residents may commute via a bus or car, then BART. Emeryville, for instance, has no BART service, but has a free shuttle service (the Emery-Go-Round) that takes passengers to nearby MacArthur BART station.

BART system details

In 2004, ridership on BART averaged about 315,000 every weekday. [http://www.sfexaminer.com/articles/2005/10/10/news/20051010_ne02_bart.txt] [http://www.bart.gov/docs/station_exits_quarterly.pdf] [http://www.bart.gov/docs/station_exits_FY.pdf] As of the June 22, 2003, opening date of the extension to San Francisco International Airport and Millbrae, the BART system comprises 104 miles (167 km) of track and 43 stations. BART uses a non-standard 5 feet, 6 inch (1.676 m) rail gauge (broad gauge). This unusual gauge was selected to provide greater stability (including on a planned Golden Gate Bridge route) and a smoother ride for its relatively lightweight aluminum and fiberglass cars, as well as for political and economic reasons. Trains achieve a maximum speed of 80 mph (129 km/h), and provide a systemwide average speed of 33 mph (53 km/h) between stations, with 20-second station dwell times. Trains operate at a minimum length of three cars (per California Public Utility Commission guidelines) to a maximum length of 10 cars, spanning the entire 700-foot length of a platform. Trains in the BART system are also referred to as "consists"; both words are interchangeable. The BART system operates five lines, but most of the network consists of more than one line on the same track. Trains on each line typically run every 15 minutes on weekdays and 20 minutes during the evenings, weekends and holidays. As of August 2005, BART service begins around 4:00 a.m. on weekdays, 6:00 a.m. on Saturdays and 8:00 a.m. on Sundays. Service ends every day at Midnight or later (station closings timed to last train at station). [http://www.bart.gov/guide/overview/hours.asp]

Current lines

August 2005 Unlike most other rapid transit and rail systems around the world, BART lines are referred to by their final destination instead of the color that identifies them on official system maps. :as of September, 2005 :█ Richmond - Daly City (Red line) :█ Fremont - Daly City (Green line) :█ Richmond - Fremont (Orange line) :█ Pittsburg/Bay Point - Daly City (Yellow line) :█ Dublin/Pleasanton - SFO/Millbrae (Blue line)

Rolling stock

BART operates four types of cars:
- Rohr Industries BART A and B cars 1968-1971
- A Cars
- A cars have a fiberglass operator's cab with equipment to control the train and BART's two-way communication system. They are made to be leading or trailing cars only.
- A cars can comfortably seat 72 passengers, and under crush load can hold 150 passengers.
- Currently, BART operates 137 A Cars
- B Cars
- B cars have no operator's cab, and are used in the middle of trains to carry passengers.
- B cars have the same passenger capacity as A cars (72 comfortable/150 crush load)
- Currently, BART operates 303 B cars
- Alstom BART C cars 1987-1989
- C Cars
- C cars have the same fiberglass operator's cab and control and communications equipment as A cars, but unlike A cars, can act as a middle car as well. The dual purpose of the C cars allow train sizes to be changed without having to move a train to a switching yard.
- C cars can comfortably seat 64 passengers, and under crush load can fit 150 passengers.
- Currently, BART operates 150 C cars.
- C2 Cars
- C2 Cars are essentially the same as C cars, but have a newer, third-generation interior. They feature a blue/grey motif as compared to the older blue or brown colors. C2 cars feature flip-up seats near side exit/entry doors to accommodate passengers in wheelchairs. Red lights on posts near the door warn hearing-impaired passengers when doors are about to close.
- C2 cars can comfortably seat 68 passengers, and under crush load can carry 150 passengers.
- Currently, BART operates 82 C2 cars.

Cost and Budget

Bart's initial cost was 1.6 billion dollars, which includes the basic system and the Transbay Tube. But taking inflation into account, this would be valued at at 15 billion dollars today. Every year BART loses about 140 million dollars (after fares). About 63% of the operating costs go to labor, about 7.6% goes to "traction" and station power, and 17% goes to "Other non-labor". Only 52% of the budget comes from fares, 44% comes from taxes, and the other 4% comes from "Other revenue" - presumably advertising and leasing station space to vendors.

The automated system

BART was the first US system of any size to have substantial automated operations. The trains are computer-controlled via BART's Operations Control Center (OCC) at the Lake Merritt station and headquarters, and generally arrive with regular punctuality. Train operators are present to make announcements, close doors, and operate the train in case of unforeseen difficulties. A fairly common problem with the automation is the appearance of "ghost trains," trains that show on the computer system as being in a specific place, but don't physically exist. Under such circumstances, trains must be operated manually and are restricted to a speed of 25 mph (~40 km/h). Such system artifacts are usually cleared quickly enough to avoid significant delay, but occasionally some can cause an extended backup of manually operated trains in the system.[http://www.foxreno.com/news/4204326/detail.html] As a first generation system, BART's automation was plagued with numerous operational problems during its first years of service. Shortly before revenue service began an on-board electronics failure caused one empty 2-car test train, dubbed the "Fremont Flyer" to run off the end of the platform at its namesake station into a parking lot (there were no injuries). When revenue service began, “ghost trains” were common and real trains could at times disappear from the system, usually because of dew on the tracks. In addition, the fare card system was easily hackable with equipment commonly found in universities. During this shakedown period there were several episodes where trains had to be manually run and signaled via station agents communicating by phone. This caused a great outcry in the press and led to a flurry of litigation among some of the original controls contractors, and public battles between the state government (advised by University of California professor Dr. Bill Wattenburg), federal government, and the district, but in time these problems were resolved and BART became a reliable service. BART does not operate two-car trains for this reason, even though it is operationally feasible.

BART compared with other rail transit systems

Like many late-20th century transit systems, BART's primary goal was to connect outlying suburbs with job centers in Oakland and San Francisco by paralleling established commute routes on the region's freeway system. It was not intended to provide a dense level of service such as the New York City Subway or the London Underground. Muni does provide a local rail service in San Francisco, though, and is comparable to other urban areas. MuniMost suburban stations are park and rides spaced at distances of typically at least 2 miles (3 km) apart. Suburban stations generally offer free parking and therefore are often filled to capacity during the peak hours. To raise revenue, BART has begun charging for parking at selected stations. Urban stations are roughly one-half mile (800 m) apart and have combined 2.5 to 5 minute service intervals at peak times. As such, some sources consider BART to be more of a regional commuter service. However, BART does possess all of the features of a true metro system, including electrified third rail propulsion, exclusive (grade-separated) right-of-way, frequent headway service and pre-paid fare card access. Thus many consider it more of a hybrid metro-commuter system, functioning more as a metro in the central business districts of San Francisco, Oakland, and Berkeley, and as commuter rail in outlying areas.

Connecting rail and bus transit services

BART has direct connections to two regional rail services; Caltrain (which provides service between San Francisco, San José, and Gilroy) at the Millbrae Station, and Amtrak's Capitol Corridor trains (which runs from Sacramento to San José) at the Richmond and Oakland Coliseum/Airport stations. A third Capitol Corridor connection at the Union City station is being studied, as is a new rail service to connect that station to various Peninsula destinations via the Dumbarton rail bridge. (BART is also the managing agency for the Capital Corridor. [http://www.bart.gov/news/press/news20050228.asp]) In addition, BART connects to San Francisco's local light rail system, the Muni Metro. The upper track level of BART's Market Street subway, originally designed for the line to Marin County, was turned over to Muni and both share the Embarcadero, Montgomery Street, Powell and Civic Center stations. In addition, some Muni Metro lines connect with (or pass by) the BART system at the Balboa Park and Glen Park stations. There is fare coordination between Muni and BART in that Muni monthly pass holders are permitted to use BART for free within San Francisco city limits and BART passengers can purchase an add-on pass for a half month that allows unlimited rides on Muni. A number of bus services connect to BART, which, while managed by separate agencies, are integral to the successful functioning of the system. The primary providers include the San Francisco Municipal Railway (Muni), Alameda-Contra Costa Transit (AC Transit), San Mateo County Transit District (SamTrans), Central Contra Costa Transit Authority (County Connection), and the Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District (Golden Gate Transit). (Until the late 1990s, BART ran its own "BART Express" connector buses, which ran to eastern Alameda County and far eastern and western areas of Contra Costa County; these routes were later devolved to subregional transit agencies such as Tri-Delta Transit and the Livermore Amador Valley Transit Authority or, in the case of Dublin/Pleasanton service, replaced by a full BART extension.) BART is "connected" to Oakland International Airport via AirBART shuttle buses which connect travellers to the Coliseum/Oakland Airport BART station. Smaller services connect as well, including the Emery Go Round in Emeryville and WestCat in northwestern Contra Costa County, WHEELS (Livermore), Benicia Transit (Benicia), Union City Transit (Union City), Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA, in Silicon Valley), and TriDelta Transit (Eastern Contra Costa County). The bus service connecting the University of California, Berkeley to the Berkeley BART station was once called Humphrey Go BART. However, unlike most metropolitan areas, there is little fare coordination between BART and surrounding agencies. Some agencies accept the BART Plus pass, which at a fee of between $42 and $46 per month, permits pass holders to use BART and connecting buses. Most notably, AC Transit dropped out of the program due to the small amount of reimbursement they received from BART. Aside from that, there is only a token discount (25 to 50 cents) provided to passengers transferring to and from trains. Thus, many people drive to the stations when possible, and take advantage of the free parking.

History of BART

Humphrey Go BART A rapid transit system in the San Francisco Bay Area was first proposed in 1946 by Bay Area business leaders concerned with increased post-war migration and congestion in the region. An Army-Navy task force concluded that another trans-bay crossing would soon be needed to relieve congestion on the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge. The idea of an underwater electric rail tube was deemed the best solution in conjunction with a multiple-county rapid transit rail system. In fact, much of BART's current territory was earlier covered by the Key System, an electrified streetcar (light rail) network that had its origins in the 1900s and ran across the lower deck of the Bay Bridge when it first opened; however, this system was removed in the 1950s due to the combined pressures of declining ridership, the automotive industry and highway planners. However, it was not until the 1950s that the actual planning for a rapid transit system would begin. In 1951, California Legislature created the San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit Commission to study the Bay Area's long term transportation needs. The commission's 1957 final recommended that the cheapest solution to reduce traffic tie-ups was to form a rapid transit district, that would build and operate a high-speed rapid rail system linking the cities with the suburbs. Acting on the recommendations, the San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District was formed, comprising of the counties of Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, San Francisco and San Mateo. By 1961, a final plan for the new system was sent to the supervisors of the five counties within the BART district for approval. Each county approved the system except for San Mateo County. Instead, the San Mateo County supervisors voted to opt out of the district, citing the high costs and the already existing adequate service provided by Southern Pacific commuter trains. A year later, Marin County was also forced to withdraw because the engineering feasibility of carrying trains across the Golden Gate Bridge was under dispute. Plus, Marin County's tax base could not adequately pay for its share of BART's projected cost. BART construction officially began on June 19, 1964. President Lyndon Johnson presided over the ground-breaking ceremonies at a 4.4 mile (7.1 km) test track between Concord and Walnut Creek in Contra Costa County. Enormous construction tasks were at hand, including underground rail sections below downtown Oakland and Market Street in San Francisco, a 3.5 mile (5.6 km) tunnel through the Berkeley Hills, and the 3.6 mile (5.8 km) Transbay Tube between Oakland and San Francisco, which was lowered to the bottom of the San Francisco Bay by a small armada of construction vessels. The tube is the worlds longest and deepest immersed tunnel and was constructed in 57 sections. It was completed in August 1969 at a cost of $180 million. BART began regular passenger service on September 11, 1972. President Richard Nixon rode the system on September 27, 1972. The Transbay Tube opened nearly two years later on September 16, 1974. In January 1979, an electrical fire broke out on a train traveling in the Transbay Tube, killing one firefighter. Service was halted for over two months. The trains were more flammable than permitted by current code. Since then, BART holds regular fire drills and has used fire-resistant seating in its trains. In the aftermath of the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, most of the major freeways were too damaged for car travel, but the BART system was specially designed to withstand earthquakes. Six hours after the quake, the trains were operational, and BART became the sole form of transportation for most of the Bay Area, including the shipment of relief supplies to the more damaged areas of San Francisco and Oakland. Nonetheless, the trains are routinely halted for several hours following minor earthquakes while maintenance crews inspect tracks, over- and undercrossings and tunnels for damage before service is restored. BART has a highly unionized work force that went on strike for six days in 1997, causing great inconvenience to the public. In its 2001 negotiations, BART unions won 24 percent wage increases over four years, and continuing generous benefits for employees and retirees. Another threatened strike on July 6, 2005 was averted by a last-minute agreement between management and the unions.

The San Francisco International Airport extension

A $1.5 billion extension of BART southward to San Francisco International Airport's (SFO) Garage G, next to the International Terminal, was completed in June 2003. Ground was broken in November 1997, and the extension added four new stations in South San Francisco, San Bruno, Millbrae (with a cross-platform connection to Caltrain, the first of its kind west of the Mississippi River), and SFO. The project encompasses 8.7 miles (14 km) of new rail track, of which 6.1 miles (9.8 km) is subway, 1.2 miles (1.9 km) is aerial, and 1.4 miles (2.2 km) is at-grade. [http://www.bart.gov/news/features/news_8466.asp] [http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2003/04/18/MN89853.DTL] However, problems have plagued this extension since it opened. To date, it has drawn far fewer riders than anticipated. Many commuters find it faster to take Caltrain from Millbrae to downtown San Francisco instead because that system has a more direct route. Secondly, since the government of San Mateo County is still not officially part of the BART district, the San Mateo County Transit District has had to help fund its operation; SamTrans does not generate the amount of revenue that the county government does. Thus, service along the extension has been changed four times. [http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2005/08/12/BAGV9E6VFG1.DTL] Service has been reduced from eight trains per hour to four trains per hour on the extension. Critics contend that the SFO Airport Extension was merely a cover for the goal of BART Around the Bay, which they believe will result in the elimination of Caltrain.

System expansion and extensions of the BART system

Warm Springs extension

A 5.4-mile extension of BART southward past Fremont to the Warm Springs District in southern Fremont, with an optional station at Irvington between the Fremont and Warm Springs stations, is in the planning and engineering stage by BART planning staff. A further, controversial extension towards San Jose is also proposed by the transit district south of BART, the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority, but preliminary engineering remains to be completed and funding to be acquired. [http://www.bart.gov/about/projects/warmSprings.asp] [http://www.ebbc.org/rail/sjx.html]

Oakland Airport Connector

Procurement is currently underway for a people mover that would directly connect the Coliseum station to the terminal buildings at Oakland International Airport. This connection would physically resemble the AirTrain connection to New York City's JFK Airport, in that passengers would leave standard subway cars at a nearby station and enter a specialized people mover to reach the airport itself. However, unlike the AirTrain, the Oakland Airport Connector will be operated by BART, and integrated into the BART fare system, with standard BART ticket gates located at the entrance to the station at the Airport end of the people mover. Construction of this extension is expected to start in 2007, with revenue service expected by 2011. [http://www.bart.gov/about/projects/airport.asp]

eBART

eBART calls for DMU service to be implemented from the existing Pittsburg/Bay Point station (with cross-platform transfers) east along the Highway 4 corridor to the east Contra Costa town of Byron, with the future possibility of service to Tracy, in the San Joaquin Valley. New stations would be located in Pittsburg, Antioch, Oakley, Brentwood, and Byron. Another option would be that of having a Caltrain-like service on the existing Union Pacific right-of-way from North Concord to Brentwood and beyond to Tracy and Stockton. [http://www.ebartproject.org/] [http://www.bart.gov/docs/planning/ebart_summary.pdf]

I-580/Tri-Valley Corridor

The extension of either conventional BART or DMU tBART service from Dublin/Pleasanton station east to Livermore and over the Altamont Pass into Tracy and the Central Valley along I-580, or possibly north through Dublin, San Ramon, Danville, and Alamo to the existing Walnut Creek station via the I-680 corridor. The extension of BART rail to Tracy is considered unlikely, as San Joaquin County, where Tracy is located, is not part of the nine Bay Area counties, and does not pay into the regional BART tax. Additionally, an extension of third-rail BART over such a distance would be prohibitively expensive.

I-80/West Contra Costa Corridor

A corridor study of extending the service north from the Richmond BART & Amtrak Station. [http://www.bart.gov/docs/planning/I80_WEST_CONTRA_COSTA.pdf] Options include:
- Commuter rail service utilizing light-weight diesel multiple units (DMU) to operate on existing (or new) rail trackage. In order to operate on existing tracks with freight service, heavier-weight DMU vehicles adhering to Federal Railroad Administration regulations would need to be used. Known as wBART; similar to eBART.
- Create a commuter rail service running from the BART terminus along the Amtrak line to Hercules and possibly Fairfield in Solano County, similar to the Caltrain or ACE train.
- Extend BART to a North Richmond station near the Richmond Trainyard at 13th Street/Rumrill Avenue and Market Street, then tunnel under Rumrill to a San Pablo station adjacent to Contra Costa College and the International Marketplace (formerly El Portal) shopping center at San Pablo Avenue and Broadway, then continue to Interstate 80 until the Richmond Parkway to the proposed Hilltop station.

Infill stations

BART has either planned--or studied the idea of--infill stations for three locations within the system:
- 30th Street Mission: Planned for San Francisco between 24th Street Mission and Glen Park stations, the station was estimated to cost approximately $500 million to construct. [http://www.bart.gov/docs/planning/30th.a.pdf] [http://www.bart.gov/docs/planning/30th.b.pdf] [http://www.bart.gov/docs/planning/30th.c.pdf] [http://www.bart.gov/docs/planning/30th.d.pdf]
- Jack London Square: This infill station in Oakland was studied and rejected as being incompatible with existing track geometry. Also studied were a one-station stub line to Jack London Square at the foot of Broadway and the utilization of other transit modes. [http://www.bart.gov/docs/planning/JLSFeasibility1.pdf] [http://www.bart.gov/docs/planning/JLSFeasibility2.pdf]
- West Dublin/Pleasanton: Planned for the median of I-580 just west of I-680, between Castro Valley and Dublin/Pleasanton stations, this station is expected to cost $71.5 million, with funding coming from a unique public-private partnership and the proceeds of planned transit-oriented development (TOD) on adjacent BART-owned property. Originally planned as a third station on the Dublin-Pleasanton extension (DPX), which opened in May 1997, the station's foundation, along with some communication and train control facilities, already exist on-site; construction is expected to commence in January 2007.

Awards

In 2004 BART was named the #1 Transit System in America by the American Public Transportation Association. It beat out such systems as New York City's MTA, the 2001 winner, and Denver's Regional Transportation District, the 2003 winner.

External links

- [http://www.bart.gov/ BART - Bay Area Rapid Transit District]
- [http://www.transit-rider.com/hrt/alsthorn.cfm Alsthorn Type C Cars]
- [http://www.transit-rider.com/hrt/rohr.cfm Rohr Type A and B Cars]
- [http://worrydream.com/bartwidget BART widget]. Self-contained trip planner for Mac OS X Dashboard.
- [http://www.craigtheguru.com/bartwidget.php BARTsmart BART Widget], featuring real-time BART schedules and news
- [http://bart.gov/stations/quickPlanner/ipod.asp BART QuickPlanner for iPod]

References

- [http://www.publictransit.us/ptlibrary/specialreports/Railopenings.pdf U.S. Urban Rail Transit Lines Opened From 1980] (PDF)
- Category:Rapid transit in the United States ja:バート (鉄道)

August 14

August 14 is the 226th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (227th in leap years), with 139 days remaining.

Events

- 1040 - King Duncan I of Scotland is killed in battle against his cousin and successor Macbeth
- 1183 - Taira no Munemori and the Taira clan take the young Emperor Antoku and the three sacred treasures and flee to western Japan to escape pursuit by the Minamoto clan. (Traditional Japanese date: Twenty-fifth Day of the Seventh Month of the Second Year of Juei).
- 1385 - 1383-1385 Crisis: Castilians are defeated by Portuguese at the Battle of Aljubarrota.
- 1598 - Irish under Hugh O'Neill, Earl of Tyrone, destroy English force at the Battle of the Yellow Ford.
- 1842 - Indian Wars: Second Seminole War ends, with the Seminoles forced from Florida to Oklahoma
- 1846 - The Cape Girardeau meteorite, a 2.3 kg chondrite-type meteorite strikes near the town of Cape Girardeau in Cape Girardeau County, Missouri.
- 1848 - Oregon Territory organized by Act of U.S. Congress
- 1880 - Cologne Cathedral, the most famous landmark in Cologne, Germany, completed
- 1885 - Japan's first patent is issued to the inventor of a rust-proof paint.
- 1893 - France introduces motor vehicle registration
- 1900 - A joint European-Japanese-United States force occupies Beijing, in campaign to end the Boxer Rebellion in China.
- 1901 - The first claimed powered flight, by Gustave Whitehead in his Number 21.
- 1908 - First beauty contest held in Folkestone, England
- 1911 - United States Senate leaders agree to rotate the office of Presdent pro tempore of the Senate among leading candidates to fill the vacancy left by William P. Frye's death.
- 1912 - United States Marines invade Nicaragua to support the U.S.-backed government installed there after José Santos Zelaya resigned three years earlier
- 1933 - Loggers cause a forest fire in the Coast Range of Oregon, later known as the first forest fire of the Tillamook Burn. It is extinguished on September 5, after destroying 240,000 acres (970 km²).
- 1936 - Rainey Bethea is hanged in Owensboro, Kentucky in the last public execution in the United States
- 1935 - United States Social Security Act passes, creating a government pension system for the retired
- 1941 - World War II - Winston Churchill and Franklin D. Roosevelt sign the Atlantic Charter of war stating postwar aims
- 1945 - Japan accepts the Allied terms of surrender in World War II and the Emperor records the Imperial Rescript on Surrender (August 15 in Japan standard time).
- 1947 - Pakistan gains independence from the United Kingdom
- 1967 - UK Marine Broadcasting Offences Act declares participation in offshore pirate radio illegal.
- 1969 - United Kingdom troops deploy in Northern Ireland
- 1971 - Bahrain declares its independence from United Kingdom
- 1972 - An East German Ilyushin Il-62 crashes during takeoff from East Berlin, killing 156
- 1976 - The Senegalese political party PAI-Rénovation is legally recognized. PAI-Rénovation thus becomes the third legal party in the country.
- 1980 - Lech Wałęsa leads strikes at Gdańsk, Poland shipyards.
- 1994 - Ilich Ramírez Sánchez, the terrorist known as "Carlos the Jackal", is captured.
- 2003 - Widescale power blackout in the northeast United States and Canada.
- 2004 - Sales tax holiday in Massachusetts. All sales taxes are suspended on purchases of $2500 or less.
- 2005 - Helios Airways Flight 522 crashes north of Athens, killing the 121 on board.

Births

- 1297 - Emperor Hanazono, Emperor of Japan (d. 1348)
- 1473 - Margaret Pole, 8th Countess of Salisbury, daughter of George, Duke of Clarence (d. 1541)
- 1575 - Robert Hayman, English-born poet (d. 1629)
- 1586 - William Hutchinson, Rhode Island colonist (d. 1642)
- 1599 - Méric Casaubon, English classical scholar (d. 1671)
- 1625 - François de Harlay de Champvallon, Archbishop of Paris (d. 1695)
- 1642 - Cosimo III de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany (d. 1723)
- 1653 - Christopher Monck, 2nd Duke of Albemarle, English statesman (d. 1688)
- 1688 - Frederick William I of Prussia (d. 1740)
- 1714 - Claude Joseph Vernet, French painter (d. 1789)
- 1740 - Pope Pius VII (d. 1823)
- 1771 - Sir Walter Scott, Scottish historical novelist and poet (d. 1832)
- 1777 - King Francis I of the Two Sicilies (d. 1830)
- 1840 - Richard von Krafft-Ebing, German psychologist (d. 1902)
- 1851 - Doc Holliday, American gambler and gunfighter (d. 1887)
- 1861 - Herbert Putnam, Librarian of Congress (d. 1955)
- 1863 - Ernest Thayer, American poet (d. 1940)
- 1865 - Guido Castelnuovo, Italian mathematician (d. 1952)
- 1867 - John Galsworthy, English writer, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1933)
- 1876 - Aleksandar Obrenović, King of Serbia
- 1882 - Gisela Richter, English art historian (d. 1972)
- 1910 - Pierre Schaeffer, French composer (d. 1955)
- 1911 - Shri Vethathiri Maharishi, Indian yogi
- 1916 - Wellington Mara, Co-Owner of the New York Football Giants
- 1925 - Russell Baker, American columnist
- 1926 - René Goscinny, French comic-strip author (d. 1977)
- 1926 - Lina Wertmüller, Italian film director
- 1930 - Earl Weaver, baseball manager
- 1933 - Richard R. Ernst, Swiss chemist, Nobel Prize laureate
- 1935 - John Brodie, American football player
- 1940 - Dash Crofts, American musician (Seals and Crofts)
- 1941 - David Crosby, American guitarist and songwriter
- 1943 - Jimmy Johnson, American football player and broadcaster
- 1945 - Steve Martin, American comedian and actor
- 1945 - Wim Wenders, German-born film director
- 1946 - Antonio Fargas, American actor
- 1946 - Susan Saint James, American actress
- 1947 - Danielle Steel, American novelist
- 1950 - Bob Backlund, American professional wrestler
- 1950 -