Yesterday, 20 regional leaders from Bay Area counties including myself sent a letter to the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC). We urged MTC to focus attention and consider more options along the Dumbarton Corridor, to ensure that it is a regional transportation priority.
I am proud to have initiated this coalition of regional leaders. The Dumbarton Corridor is a key component of our transportation network. Its vitality and strength will be crucial to creating high functioning system.
The movement is growing. Read press coverage here.
Our letter, with the list of signers, is below.
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October 24, 2017
Metropolitan Transportation Commission 375 Beale Street San Francisco, CA 94105
Dear Metropolitan Transportation Commissioners:
Next year offers a once-in-a-generation opportunity for major changes in our region’s transportation network. With the passage of SB1, as well as the prospective votes on Regional Measure 3 and local and multiple county sales tax measures, we will have the opportunity to leverage these dollars to move forward with a series of major capital projects that will relieve congestion, improve mobility and build a solid foundation for the future.
We believe one of the high priority projects that should move forward is highway management, bus, and rail improvements to the Dumbarton Corridor, this project has been discussed for decades but until now not been given serious attention. On August 15, the San Mateo County Transit District (SamTrans) released the results of a long-awaited feasibility study—and it is clear from those results that things have changed. The time for action is now. The new study reflects the impact of our region’s economic strength and the stunning job growth in the heart of Silicon Valley. As a result, traffic congestion on the Peninsula and between the East Bay and Peninsula has become a nightmare—and it is only projected to get much worse.
The Dumbarton Corridor study recommends several phases of Dumbarton Corridor highway management, bus and rail projects that are projected to serve 32,900 daily transit riders across the Bay, combined on the upgraded highway bridge and on a new rail bridge by 2035. In addition, the strong transit ridership numbers produced by connecting Caltrain with BART, ACE and Capitol Corridor in the East Bay, open up new opportunities to connect beyond the Bay Area to the larger “mega-region,” including Sacramento and the San Joaquin Valley. A truly significant Dumbarton Corridor program enables us to address this question: How do we move people within and beyond the Bay Area to the jobs in Silicon Valley in a reliable and timely manner? Under this scenario, the Dumbarton Corridor upgrades become the missing mid-Bay link to exciting new possibilities.
Like any major project, it will need to develop funding from a variety of sources, including local, regional, state and federal dollars. The Dumbarton Corridor plan has the additional advantage of the opportunity to create a funding model for a true public-private partnership and land value capture.
Many transportation leaders from throughout the Bay Area have previously viewed the Dumbarton Corridor based on assumptions that may have been valid in the past. But times have changed and the Dumbarton Corridor is now at the epicenter of growth. We urge decision makers to review the Study through a new lens and consider the opportunities it creates.
Sincerely,
Jerry Hill California State Senate, District 13
Marc Berman, California State Assembly, District 24
Kevin Mullin California State Assembly, District 22
Bill Quirk California State Assembly, District 20
Don Horsley President, San Mateo County Board of Supervisors/Vice-Chair, San Mateo County Transportation Authority
Warren Slocum San Mateo County Board of Supervisors/MTC Commissioner
Richard Valle Alameda County Board of Supervisors /Vice-Chair, Alameda County Transportation Commission
Carol Dutra-Vernaci Mayor, City of Union City/MTC Commissioner
Barbara Halliday Mayor, City of Hayward
Kirsten Keith Mayor, City of Menlo Park
Larry Moody Mayor, City of East Palo Alto
Alan Nagy Mayor, City of Newark
John Seybert Mayor, City of Redwood City
Alicia Aguirre Councilmember, City of Redwood City/MTC Commissioner
Anne Halsted Vice-Chair, Bay Conservation & Development Commission/MTC Commissioner
Nick Josefowitz BART Board of Directors/MTC Commissioner
Rosanne Foust President & CEO, San Mateo County Economic Development Association
Carl Guardino President & CEO, Silicon Valley Leadership Group
Jim Wunderman President & CEO, Bay Area Council
Gabriel Metcalf President & CEO, San Francisco Planning & Urban Research