Livingston positioning for stop from proposed train
The City Council publicly expressed its support for the Altamont Corridor Express during its regular meeting Tuesday during an attempt, at least in part, to give the city a better shot at getting a stop here.
With a unanimous vote, the council threw its support behind the train’s proposed expansion to Merced by 2025. The council made it clear it hoped the train would stop in Livingston, which is about halfway between proposed stops in Merced and Turlock.
Mayor Rodrigo Espinoza said he believes the train could help bring Bay Area dollars to the San Joaquin Valley.
“I think that’s the future,” he said.
And I think it only helps low-income communities, because they’ll be able to seek other jobs and bring back our local economy.
Livingston Mayor Rodrigo Espinoza
on proposed expansion of the Altamont Corridor ExpressModesto could get service as early as 2018 and Merced by 2022, with Turlock somewhere in between. Planners do not know how to cover the capital cost, estimated at a few hundred million dollars.
Long-term plans call for stations in Atwater or Livingston and in Ripon.
ACE, formerly known as the Altamont Commuter Express, started in 1998 as an alternative for some of the many Northern San Joaquin Valley residents who drive to jobs in the East Bay and Silicon Valley. The commuter train has 1.3 million riders a year, according to officials.
Former Riverbank Mayor Virginia Madueño, who works in public relations, gave a presentation on the plans to City Council at the meeting. She said the train currently only offers weekend travel on Sundays when the San Francisco 49ers play home games, but the service would expand weekend offerings with more trains.
The extension to Modesto would include an estimated $102.8 million in track and other work in San Joaquin County and $96.2 million worth in Stanislaus. Continuing on to Turlock is projected to cost an additional $122.5 million. The last stretch to Merced would be $227.2 million.
The project faces challenges in funding. Along with getting dollars from state and federal officials, the train’s advocates must convince voters throughout Modesto and Merced counties to approve a higher sales tax.
The Merced segment would tie in with an early phase of the state’s high-speed rail system, which eventually would link Southern California with the Bay Area and Sacramento.
The Modesto Bee contributed to this report.
Thaddeus Miller: 209-385-2453, @thaddeusmiller
This story was originally published July 8, 2015 at 5:54 PM with the headline "Livingston positioning for stop from proposed train."