Old Broadway train station in peril in Burlingame

More than 70,000 vehicles, pedestrians and bicyclists use Broadway daily. The average traffic delay during the weekday afternoon peak was recorded around 5 1/2 minutes.

The old train station was reviewed by an environmental clearance process and is not considered a historical landmark because it has been modified for several times over the years.

Jennifer Pfaff, president of the Burlingame Historical Society, feels the building deserves a memorial tribute when the new Broadway Station is completed.

“Changes to our city, including loss of foundational structures we’ve known for many decades, often feels like losing an old friend; it is not only sad, but can be quite disorienting,” Pfaff said.

When the time comes, which isn’t any time soon, Pfaff would like to be involved in the commemoration.

“If it happens in my lifetime, until there is a project, that’s the thing, they talk about this stuff for decades, it’s not going to be tomorrow, it’s probably not going to be next year,” Pfaff said.

One idea is to have historical information with pictures in the new station that pays tribute to the town of Easton that used to be here, she said.

The station, originally only a shelter, was built in 1907 by Ansel Easton to assist in the development of his community.

Easton built a store at the corner of Chula Vista and Buri Buri [Broadway] and, as the town expanded, established a public school at Cortez Avenue and Easton Drive in 1908. A train stop, originally called Easton, was later renamed Broadway. In an attempt to attract settlers, he established his own streetcar service, which began operation in 1913, running from Carmelita Avenue and California Drive to Hillside Drive and Alvarado Avenue.

The town of Easton was absorbed by Burlingame in 1910, according to the Burlingame Historical Society website.

The Southern Pacific Co. built a new station by 1916, which cost $1,393, according to a report in the Redwood City Democrat in August of 1916.

The station closed in 1989 and has been occupied by several restaurants. Maverick’s Jack owner Michael Mallie said he could not comment at this time due to uncertainties.

The city still needs close to $300 million in funding to complete the $316 million project. The San Mateo County Transportation Authority awarded Burlingame $18.3 million in grant money for the project in 2019. The city plans to fund 50% of the project’s total costs through Measure A, a half-cent countywide sales tax for transportation improvements. The city is also eligible for multiple other state and federal funding sources.

nick@smdailyjournal.com

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