Caltrain crossing cash in peril

State funding is especially necessary for the project to fill remaining funding gaps with federal money, Becker said. 

“Obviously we have to make difficult trade-offs,” he said of an upcoming $28 billion state deficit causing program cuts across California. “But we’re trying to communicate that this is necessary for federal matching funds.” 

Two other high-priority grade separation projects in Palo Alto and Mountain View lost $23.79 million and $20 million in funding, respectively, in the revised state budget. 

Burlingame has already committed $2 million to the project, which has an estimated price tag of around $316 million and serious financial commitments from municipal entities, Burlingame Vice Mayor Emily Beach said. 

The city is ready to add an additional $15 million for the grade separation — which could alleviate serious safety concerns and slowdowns at the troubled intersection, the subject of a recent lawsuit alleging Burlingame and Caltrain failed to mitigate risks that caused a 2021 death. 

But local officials are seriously concerned that the removal of state funding could mire the project, which has been in the works for around 25 years, in further uncertainty and interminable delays. 

“It’s devastating to the project,” Beach said. “A year ago, the governor and the state committed that funding … It is part of our capital stack to get this project built. To learn that money was taken back in the May revise is absolutely devastating.” 

U.S. Rep. Kevin Mullin, D-South San Francisco, echoed these concerns and called the grade separation a “critical safety improvement” in a statement. 

“I fully understand California’s state budget challenges, but I’m very disappointed to hear they’re considering rescinding state funding from this absolutely critical project,” he said. “Having local and state matching funds makes a project much more competitive for federal support, and I plan to continue my advocacy on behalf of my constituents in Burlingame and throughout my district that travel this route.” 

Project funding is currently relying on an approximately $160 million commitment from the San Mateo County Transportation Authority and another $15 million from the California Public Utilities Commission once shovel-ready, Beach said. 

If $70 million from the state is successfully obtained, federal funds will more likely follow. But the proposition is made less likely by the exclusion of a grade separation from the state budget, catalyzing recent advocacy efforts. 

“We’ve seen what happened in other places. This could be another 10 years until there’s more federal money or the state fortunes improve,” Becker said. 

Making the intersection — which has seen seven train and automobile collisions since August 2021 — safer for the community is one of Burlingame’s first concerns, Mayor Donna Colson said. 

Not only is it dangerous for drivers, bicyclists and pedestrians, but an influx of housing construction in Burlingame and neighboring cities means more people trying to get back and forth, Colson said — and Caltrain’s electrification project, slated for September, will eventually increase speed and frequency of trains through the Broadway crossing. 

“It’s just got to be the council’s number one top priority,” Colson said. “Our goal is to have all this funding in place by the end of the year.” 

holly@smdailyjournal.com

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