Niles Community Unity

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Update on Dumbarton Rail Policy Committee Meeting, Nov 15
At the Dumbarton Rail Policy Committed meeting of Tuesday Nov 15, Fremont was able to have "Alternative A" added to the Dumbarton Rail Staff recommendation, which was to only study "Alternative B" for future environmental analysis. However, Alternative A is not feasible unless Union City makes major revisions to the plans for the Union City Intermodal Station (BART/Passenger Rail/Bus). Alternative A would allow the potential removal of all Union Pacific Rail Traffic from the Niles Sub (old town Niles), and put both passenger and freight rail traffic on the Oakland Sub (along the BART tracks). Ironically, the closing of the Niles Sub to commercial rail traffic is currently in the Union City Gerneral Plan. Union City and Fremont have experienced a number of deaths on the Niles Sub in recent years. Alternative B will eventually result in a dual track, freight only on the Niles Sub (old town Niles), new bridge over Alameda Creek next to Mission Boulevard, and upgrading of the Niles Sub with full fencing and grade separations as part of the higher security corridor from the Port of Oakland to the sorting and screeing facilities for cargo containers to be build in the San Juanquin Valley. Up until about 5 years ago there was an opportunity to have the Dumbarton Rail use the Niles Sub, with a transit stop in Old Town Niles. This woudl have required a "ladder track" at the Pacific States Steel site, allowing the Dumbarton Rail to connect directly into the Union City Intermodal Station. With the housing development now being completed at the Pacific States Steel site, this opportunity has been lost. A question for our political leadership: If Fremont were to agree to the entire historic Route 84 alignment from I-880 to Mission Boulevard, would Union Ciity consider supporting Alternative A of the Dumbarton Rail? This would in all probability require modifying the Union City Intermodal Station design, and significantly reduce the amount of land adjacent to the Intermodal Station available for private development, due to the need for at least one more rail line. John WeedNiles Blvd.
Posted - 12/03/05 11:37am by Lynn R Slater

For Niles, Alternative A is by far the best option.
At the 2 PM, Tuesday, Nov 15, 2005 Dumbarton Rail Policy Committee Meeting at Union City - City Hall, it is proposed to identify Alternative B as the recommended rail project Plan. There are four Alternatives presented in the Report. For Niles, Alternative A is by far the best option. Alternatives B, C, and D would build a "NILES CONNECTION", which is new curved dual track railroad bridge over Alameda Creek, immediately west of Mission Boulevard. The new railraod bridge would connect the Niles Sub to the Union Pacific line on the south side of Niles Canyon. A significant amount of increased freight-only rail traffic will be placed on the Niles Sub (through historic Niles), with the recognized potential of a double track through Niles. Alternatives B, C, and D would greatly reduce the non-passenger rail traffic passing past the Union City Intermodal BART /Rail Station. The Niles Sub will experience trains running 24 hours per day at frequent intervals with cargo containers from the Port of Oakland to a sorting and security screening facilities, including a screening and distribution yard near Bakersfield. Once sorted, cargo destined for the Bay Area could be brought back and delivered in the Bay Area. The existing Niles Sub at-grade road crossings at Nursery and proposed pedestrian undercrossing in Niles are not identified in the report. Alternative A would allow the abandonment of the Niles Sub and greatly enhance the livability of Niles, with little additional impact on other neighborhoods is in Fremont. The Historic Train of the Pacific Locomotive Association would be all alone in Historic Niles. Notes: 1. Cost of Alternative B is $306.1 million, to be funded primarily with the third dollar on bridge tolls. 2. The Dumbarton Rail will be a passenger train using the Dumbarton railroad bridge across the San Francisco Bay, and run from Palo Alto to Uniion City BART. Union City prefers to have nearly all passenger rail traffic at the Union City Intermodal BART/Rail station. The proposal described above would take all passenger rail traffic, including AMTRAK, away from old town Niles (Niles Sub) and have it run along the BART tracks . 2. The Niles Sub is the Union Pacific rail line which goes through old town Niles. 3. The Oakland Sub is the Union Pacific rail line which goes along the BART tracks. John WeedNiles Boulevard
Posted - 12/03/05 11:51am by Lynn R Slater