Valley Link Legislation Heading To Governor For Signature

Press release from the Tri-Valley – San Joaquin Valley Regional Rail Authority:

This week the State Assembly approved SB 548 (Eggman) by a vote of 74-0, sending the legislation to the Governor for his signature. The legislation designates the Tri-Valley – San Joaquin Valley Regional Rail Authority (Authority) as a Rail Transit District, empowering the Authority with tools that will expedite project delivery of the Valley Link passenger rail project planned to operate between the Northern San Joaquin Valley and the Bay Area.

Speaking about the legislation, Tracy Mayor Pro Tem Veronica Vargas, who serves as Chair of the Authority Board noted “The legislation will enable fast and efficient advancement of the Valley Link passenger rail project – delivering an urgently needed project in late 2027 or early 2028 that will support the economy, environment, social equity and quality of life in the Northern California Megaregion.”

Mayor Melissa Hernandez of Dublin, who serves as Vice Chair of the Authority, remarked “Valley Link is a transformational project that will carry more than 33,000 riders a day on zero emission vehicles. I’m very excited about the bi-partisan support and believe an end to the difficult super-commute is in sight with Valley Link.”

Valley Link is a passenger rail project that will close a critical gap by connecting the BART rapid transit system and ACE commuter service - linking nearly 500 miles of commuter and intercity rail with more than 130 stations throughout the Northern California Megaregion. The project will meet an urgent need to connect housing and people to high paying, prevailing wage jobs throughout the Bay Area. More than 98,500 Bay Area workers are now commuting daily through this corridor - commuting an average of more than 78-minutes each way. The project will provide access to jobs and job training sites but will also create more than 22,000 jobs with an economic impact of $3.5 billion. The project's 74 daily round trips will serve an estimated 33,000 daily riders in 2040 - a reduction of 141 million vehicle miles traveled per year and up to 42,650 metric tons of GHG emissions.

The Tri-Valley – San Joaquin Valley Regional Rail Authority was created by California Legislature in 2017 with the passage of Assembly Bill 758, co-authored by Assemblywoman Catharine Baker, R-San Ramon and Assemblywoman Susan Eggman, D-Stockton. The authority’s primary purpose is to plan, develop and deliver cost-effective transit connectivity between the San Joaquin Valley and the Bay Area.

The Authority is governed by a Board of Directors appointed by its 15-member agencies, including: the Town of Danville, the cities of San Ramon, Dublin, Pleasanton, Livermore, Tracy, Manteca, Lathrop and Stockton, the Mountain House Community Services District, the counties of Alameda and San Joaquin, the Livermore Amador Valley Transit Authority (LAVTA), the San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) and the Altamont Corridor Express (ACE).

The proposed Valley Link project includes seven stations along 42 miles of track, connecting the existing Dublin/Pleasanton BART Station to the proposed ACE North Lathrop Station. Trains would be scheduled to allow for convenient transfers to BART.The first Valley Link trains could be placed into service in 2028.

Valley Link will carry more than 33,000 passengers a day in 2040, reducing vehicle miles travelledby 141 million each year, and eliminating between 33,000 to 42,000 metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) per year depending on the vehicle technology selected. Currently, the Regional Rail Authority is considering four technologies that include two zero emission technologies; battery/electric and hydrogen.

The passenger rail project will have a significant impact on the regional economy. A recent Economic Impact Study performed by PGH Wong found that during construction Valley Link will create 22,000 jobs with an economic impact on the region of $3.5 billion.

Additionally, during service, Valley Link will create 400 jobs and an economic impact of $69 million per year.

Additional information on the Tri-Valley – San Joaquin Valley Regional Rail Authority, is available on the Regional Rail Authority’s website at www.valleylinkrail.com.

This press release was produced by the Tri-Valley – San Joaquin Valley Regional Rail Authority. The views expressed here are the author's own.