After rescinding financial support for the Dumbarton rail project roughly six months ago, Facebook is still involved in the effort, though for a limited period of time, and the project is still moving forward, SamTrans officials announced Wednesday.
The technology giant in 2019 entered into a partnership with Plenary Group, a developer of public infrastructure projects, and SamTrans to rebuild the defunct Dumbarton rail corridor, long seen as a vital commuter link between the East Bay and Peninsula.
Facebook agreed to fund studies for the project, but in May of this year the company changed course and announced it would no longer make the investment, citing the economic impacts of the pandemic.
Instead of pulling out of the project entirely, Facebook is now proposing to end the above partnership, but will “continue to financially support and continue for a limited duration its participation in a process that entails additional technical analysis and public outreach,” said Carter Mao, SamTrans’ deputy general manager, during Wednesday’s regular board meeting.
The process will eventually result in developing a preferred alternative for the corridor that can proceed through the environmental process in the future if funding is identified, Mao added.
“Although the district is disappointed Facebook’s revised proposal does not take us through the more comprehensive process initially envisioned in the exclusive negotiating agreement, we are poised to accept this new offer and work with Facebook and Transbay Partners on what I’m calling a pre environmental process over the next six to eight months,” Mao said.
Facebook will continue to provide financial support for the new revised effort, including much of SamTrans’ staff time, Mao added.
SamTrans board members also expressed disappointment that Facebook didn’t follow through with its initial proposal, but were glad it’s still participating in the effort.
“I’m pleased we’re going to continue even if it’s a slower or different process,” said Board Member Carole Groom, also a San Mateo County supervisor. “While it may not be the same level we were working on I’m glad to keep it going because I just think there’s great potential here for both sides of the Bay and especially for SamTrans.”
Mao said Plenary Group remains on board with the project and is searching for new private partners, but has yet to find one.
“It’s very much a transitional period we’re in right now,” Mao said. “We’ll see what happens going forward with travel patterns and commute patterns in the future, but hopefully the region and indeed the state will see a need for this corridor and we’ll find some partners to move forward with us to pursue this project.”
The corridor would run from Newark to Redwood City on a rebuilt rail bridge estimated to cost roughly $3 billion.
“I’m going to remain optimistic that we can find our way to this game-changing South Bay crossing that is a fraction of the cost of another BART tunnel someday,” said Board Member Charles Stone, also Belmont’s vice mayor.
In other business, SamTrans officials during the meeting discussed plans to rebuild the agency’s San Carlos headquarters. Built in the 1970s, the existing building needs a “slew” of capital improvements and an upgrade is long overdue, officials agreed, but the project wouldn’t break ground for at least three-plus years.
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