This letter from the City of Union City to SamTrans provides comments on the Dumbarton Transportation Corridor Study Draft Final Report. The key points made are: 1) The final report should document prior engineering work completed for connecting Dumbarton Rail to Union City BART via the Centerville Line and Oakland Subdivision. 2) The report should clarify that the ACEforward Alternative CNS-1a, if selected, would provide sufficient capacity on the Centerville Line for Dumbarton Rail, ACE and Capitol Corridor trains to connect at Centerville Station. 3) The report should recognize funding opportunities through ACTC Measure BB and the ability for Dumbarton

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AUGUST 24, 2017
MELISSA REGGIARDO
SAN MATEO COUNTY TRANSPORTATION DISTRICT
P.O. BOX 3006
SAN CARLOS, CA 94070
REGGIARDOM@SAMTRANS.COM
RE: Comments on Dumbarton Transportation Corridor Study Draft Final Report
Dear Ms. Reggiardo:
Thank you for the opportunity to comment on the Dumbarton Transportation Corridor
Study Draft Final Report.
The Dumbarton Transportation Corridor Study Final Report should document that
significant engineering and environmental work has been completed on the rail lines in
the East Bay that document how Dumbarton Rail, ACE, and Capitol Corridor can connect
to the Union City BART Station.
• The Dumbarton Transportation Corridor Study Final Report should document that
the Alameda County Transportation Commission Measure BB, TEP 22, has $75
million identified to construct track improvements for the Union City Intermodal
Station. This is sufficient to construct the Shinn Connection, a passenger rail
platform at Union City BART, and the Industrial Connection. The improvements
received environmental clearance on March 1, 2006. SamTrans and Facebook
partnering with ACTC and Union City can create the opportunity to bring $75
million to pay for track improvements that would enable Dumbarton Rail to
connect to Union City BART. The Union City BART Station has been remodeled
and created a new east entrance that would enable Dumbarton Rail passengers
to walk directly into the Union City BART paid area after debarking from the train.
• The Dumbarton Transportation Corridor Study Final Report should document that
ACEforward has issued a Draft Environmental Impact Report for its service
expansion. ACEforward Alternative CNS - 1a includes track improvements that
would benefit Dumbarton Rail in the East Bay and facilitate connectivity to Union
City BART by creating more passenger rail capacity on the Centerville Line and

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the Coast Subdivision. ACEforward is scheduled to construct its improvements
before the Dumbarton Rail Bridge retrofit and thereby facilitate Dumbarton Rail
connectivity to Union City BART before the rail bridge is retrofitted. Dumbarton
Rail partnering with ACEforward provides the opportunity to share construction
costs on rail improvements that could reduce the cost of the Dumbarton Rail
project.
The Dumbarton Transportation Corridor Study Draft Final Report correctly identifies the
opportunity for Dumbarton Rail to connect to Union City BART, ACE, and Capitol Corridor.
The final report should clarify that if ACEforward Alternative CNS - 1a with Centerville Line
improvements is selected and constructed as the preferred alternative, Dumbarton Rail
will be able to connect to ACE and Capitol Corridor at the Centerville Station when the
Dumbarton Rail Bridge retrofit is completed. See Exhibit 1, ACEforward Draft EIR, Figure
2-5.
• The Alameda Creek Bridge and Centerville Line improvements identified in
ACEforward Alternative CNS - 1a are similar to the track improvements identified
in the Dumbarton Rail Corridor Project Study Report; prepared for San Mateo
County Transportation Authority, Alameda County Transportation Improvement
Authority, Metropolitan Transportation Commission, Santa Valley Transportation
Authority (VTA), and Silicon Valley Leadership Group; prepared by HNTB and
EarthTech; May 2004. Union City has a printed copy of the Dumbarton Rail
Corridor Project Study Report. AECOM has a digital copy of the Dumbarton Rail
Corridor Project Study Report.
• ACEforward Alternative CNS - 1a includes: adding a third track to the Centerville
Line between the Centerville Station and Niles Canyon; removal of freight from
the Coast Subdivision and the Centerville Line that is destined for the Central
Valley and instead placing freight on the Niles Subdivision with a connection to
the Oakland Subdivision in Niles Canyon via a new Alameda Creek Bridge;
double tracking of the Oakland Subdivision east of Sunol; and construction of a
rail siding at Hearst. The net effect of Alternative CNS - 1a is to create more
capacity for passenger rail on the Centerville Line and on the Oakland
Subdivision in Niles Canyon. The ACEforward track improvements would benefit
Dumbarton Rail. See Exhibit 2, ACEforward Draft EIR Figure 2-6, Figure 2-7,
and Figure 2-8.
• The Dumbarton Transportation Corridor Study Draft Final Report, Appendix C
identifies Capitol Corridor increasing the number of round trip trains from 7 to 11
daily trains, and ACE increasing from 4 to 10 round trip trains. SamTrans is
requested to verify if ACEforward Alternative CNS - 1a is constructed there will
be sufficient capacity for Dumbarton Rail, Capitol Corridor, and ACE trains on the
Centerville Line and the Coast Subdivision. SamTrans is requested to place this
information in the body of the Dumbarton Corridor Study Final Report in addition
to Appendix C.

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• SamTrans is requested to verify that the ACEforward Alternative CNS - 1a would
create capacity for Dumbarton Rail on the Centerville Line. SamTrans is
requested to articulate that there is an opportunity for Dumbarton Rail and
ACEforward to partner on sharing the construction costs of CNS - 1a. The
current legislative allocation for Regional Measure 3 is more than sufficient to
construct ACEforward Alternative CNS - 1a. The estimated cost of Alternative
CNS – 1a with the Centerville Line expansion is estimated to be $94 million.
Dumbarton Rail will be able to connect to Union City BART if ACEforward Alternative P-
UC -1b is selected. Alternative P-UC-1b includes construction of the Shinn Connection
that would enable Dumbarton Rail to connect from the Centerville Line to the Oakland
Subdivision in the vicinity of the Shinn Yard and continue to the Union City BART Station.
Dumbarton Rail passengers would be able to cross the passenger rail platform and walk
directly into the BART paid area after debarking the Dumbarton Rail train. See Exhibit 3,
ACEforward Draft EIR, Figure 3-8.
• ACEforward Alternative P-UC-1b was identified in the Dumbarton Rail Corridor
Project Study Report; prepared for San Mateo County Transportation Authority,
Alameda County Transportation Improvement Authority, Metropolitan
Transportation Commission, Valley Transportation Authority, and Silicon Valley
Leadership Group; prepared by HNTB, and EarthTech; May 2004.
• The Shinn Connection was evaluated in the Union City Intermodal Station
Passenger Rail Project Final EIR, certified by the City Council of Union City. A
Notice of Determination was filed the Alameda County Clerk March 1, 2006. See
Exhibit 4.
• An illustration of the Shinn Connection is shown in Exhibit 5.
• The Alameda County Transportation Commission Measure BB Union City
Intermodal Station Project has $75 million to fund track improvements to
construct the Shinn Connection, an at-grade passenger rail platform at Union
City BART, and the Industrial Connection (a track improvement that would
enable Capitol Corridor to stop at Union City BART.) The City of Union City
submitted a Scoping Analysis Report for Measure BB Project Allocation, Union
City Intermodal Station Project, Union City California, Measure BB TEP 22 to the
Alameda Transportation Commission that documents all the previous technical
studies and environmental reviews, and requests ACTC to release the funds for
construction. See Exhibit 6.
• The City Council adopted Resolution 5102-17 on July 11, 2017 that pledged its
Measure BB, TEP 22 funds to ACEforward if it would like to construct the Shinn
Connection, an at-grade passenger rail platform, and the Industrial Connection.
See Exhibit 7.

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• Union City and BART have completed the retrofit of the Union City BART Station
that created a new east entrance to the station which will enable Dumbarton Rail,
ACE, and Capitol Corridor passengers to walk immediately into the paid entrance
of BART after debarking from the train. See Exhibit 8.
• Buildout of the Union City Station District is nearing completion. Approximately
1,500 residential units have been constructed within ¼ mile of the future
passenger rail platform. An additional 440 residential units and 1.2 million square
feet of office are seeking planning entitlements within the ¼ mile radius. The
housing and job centers have easy sidewalk access to BART and passenger rail.
An additional 2,000 residential units are within ¼ mile to ½ mile of the BART
Station all with sidewalk access. See Exhibit 7 for an aerial map showing the
location of jobs and housing. Union City, BART, Dumbarton Rail, VTA, Alameda
County Transportation Authority, San Mateo County Transportation Authority,
ACE, Caltrain, AC Transit, Arup, and Fehr and Peers participated in the creation
of the Station District Plan adopted in 2001. See Exhibit 9. The Union City
Station District will be a major Dumbarton Rail boarding and debarking location
for housing, job centers, transfers to BART, transfers to ACE, and transfers to
Capitol Corridor.
SamTrans staff is requested to respond to and to clarify the following questions:
1. Figure 1-4 incorrectly labels the Centerville Line ‘the Shinn Subdivision.” Please
relabel Figure 1-4 the “Centerville Line” in the final report.
2. Table 4-9 incorrectly identifies 1,155 parking spaces at Union City BART. The
correct number of parking spaces at Union City BART is 976 stalls. There are
117 additional public parking stalls owned by Union City in the Station Center
parking structure. Station Center is located across the plaza and 11th
Street from
the future passenger rail platform.
3. What is the SamTrans proposal for crossing the Coast Subdivision from the
Dumbarton Line to the Centerville Line of the Niles Subdivision as stated on page
8-12? If ACEforward completes improvements to the Centerville Line and the
Coast Subdivision as stated in the ACEforward EIR, will there be a need to make
the improvement.
4. What are the assumptions on calculating operating costs of $91.07 per train mile
for diesel and $1,372 per train mile for electrification as stated on pages 9-2 and
9-3? Why is electrification more expensive to operate than diesel? How does
this compare with actual Caltrain diesel, ACE, and Capitol Corridor operating
costs? Please provide an explanation on how operating costs are calculated in
Appendix H, page 8.

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5. How was BART ridership projected on Table 10-9? What are the ridership
projections for each station: Union City and Fremont? What are the current
BART ridership for the two stations and BART’s projections for each of the
stations in 2020 and 2040?
6. Table 10-10 should be expanded to include the number of people boarding
Dumbarton Express and the Centerville Station and include the number of riders
debarking the ACE train at Centerville before the departure of Dumbarton
Express. The intent is to project how many ACE riders have destinations on the
Peninsula. Please expand the table to include daily passenger boarding for
Dumbarton Express at Union City BART.
7. The statement on Chapter 12, page 7, “Implementing Rail Shuttle service
between Redwood City and Newark until unknowns related to regional freight rail
and connections to Union City BART are resolved” should be clarified to identify
the specific remaining unknowns if ACEforward constructs Alternative CNS – 1a;
the Shinn Connection, the passenger rail platform at Union City BART; and
identified improvements to the Coast Subdivision.
8. How were the cost calculated in Appendix M for the Shinn Connection, a Union
City passenger rail platform, the Centerville Line improvements, and a new
Alameda Creek Rail Bridge connecting from the Niles Subdivision to the Oakland
Subdivision in Niles Canyon? How do they compare with the cost estimates
articulated in the Union City Scoping Analysis Report for Measure BB Project
Allocation, Union City Intermodal Station Project, Union City California, Measure
BB TEP 22compare to the SamTrans cost estimates and the ACEforward
Alternative CNS -1a and ACEforward Alternative P-UC-2b?
9. The Draft Final report makes reference to a “Niles Connection.” What is the
definition/scope of the Niles Connection?
10. What is the specific location for the layover yard and wye for turnaround in the
City of Hayward as described in Chapter 8 -12? Is there sufficient Union Pacific
Railroad right-of-way to construct the facility? Alvarado-Niles Boulevard as
stated on page 8-12 does not exist. The draft study identifies new track being
laid 700 feet south of Alvarado-Niles Boulevard. What is the specific location the
study referring too? There is an Alvarado-Niles Road. The overpasses on
Alvarado-Niles Road overhead with Oakland Subdivision and BART tracks
running below and south of the Union City Intermodal Station. Why was the
Shinn Yard not identified as a train storage facility as defined in early Dumbarton
Rail studies?

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11. Union City requests that SamTrans reevaluate the matrix that scores the
alternatives in Chapter 11 and recognize and score the rail alternative in light of
all the prior engineering and environmental work that has been completed in the
East Bay along the Dumbarton Rail Corridor; recognize and score the existing
funding opportunities to construct the Shinn Connection and improvements to the
Oakland Subdivision utilizing Alameda County Transportation Commission
Measure BB TEP 22 funds; and partnering with ACEforward to construct a third
rail track on the Centerville Line, construct an Alameda Creek Bridge to remove
freight from the Centerville Line and the Coast Subdivision, construct a double
track on the Oakland Subdivision east of Sunol, and to construct the Hearst
siding -- all of which will reduce construction costs for Dumbarton Rail.
The City of Union City looks forward to participating in a partnership with the private
sector, and public agencies on the Peninsula, South Bay, East Bay, the Central Valley
and the California Legislature to fund, construct and operate Dumbarton Rail service to
Union City BART.
Sincerely,
MARK EVANOFF
Deputy City Manager, City of Union City