Merced City Council wants more transparency from CA’s High-Speed Rail Authority
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- Merced City Council approved a Letter of Comment to the High‑Speed Rail Authority.
- Letter addresses proposed station relocation to a site south of Highway 99.
- Public comment period runs from February 28 to April 29, 2026.
This week the Merced City Council approved a Letter of Comment to the High-Speed Rail Authority in response to the Authority’s 2026 draft business plan.
In the letter draft, the city laid out its questions and concerns about a number of aspects of the business plan.
These included a request for specifics about the proposed location of the new station and the city’s apprehension about handing land-use control over to the Rail Authority.
It also criticized the lack of direct engagement with the city stating that communication “between the Authority and the City has increased,” but the “transparency of that communication remains insufficient.”
Before discussing the issue, the council heard a presentation about the latest draft of the letter from Deputy City Manager Frank Quintero, as well as comments from the public.
Key points from the comment letter
In his presentation, Quintero highlighted a number of key points from the letter. The first was the proposed station relocation, from the original downtown station plan to a proposed station just outside of town, south of Highway 99.
Other key points were the downsized station at the newly proposed location, updates to the law that requires the station to be built in downtown Merced, tax increment financing, land-use control, the encroachment permit process and shared benefit costs.
The Rail Authority’s plan for tax capture and land-use control has been contentious, drawing criticism from elected officials in Merced and Fresno. According to Quintero, the comment letter emphasizes the city’s concern about having that tax increment and land control taken away from local jurisdictions.
Quintero said that while recognizing the need to move quickly through the encroachment permitting process, the city and Merced County need to make sure that particular right of ways are protected.
Additionally, he shared that the city is hoping to use the remainder of the grant it received to create a downtown station plan to create a “Downtown Vision Plan,” instead.
Public comment shows skepticism
After Quintero’s presentation, three members of the public spoke, sharing their concerns with the City Council.
Alex Carillo, a District 5 resident, said he wants to make sure that Merced “gets its share” of the billions of dollars invested in this project. He urged the City Council to oppose Senate Bill 1411, which would allow the Rail Authority to spend money from the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund outside of the Merced-to-Bakersfield segment.
A woman who identified herself only as Blanca, expressed confusion as to why the city would support moving the station location outside of downtown and said “I don’t think this is actually doing a favor to Merced.”
The last speaker said he does not think Merced needs a High-Speed Rail station at all and said he thought the funds would be better spent addressing existing issues across the city.
Discussion about the tone of response
The City Council’s discussion of the letter focused primarily on its tone. Multiple councilmembers noted that the tone reflected their own frustration over communication issues with the High-Speed Rail Authority.
Councilmember Shane Smith said the letter was not meant to sound “unprofessional or strident” but that it also communicates to the community that “we’re not just backing down.” Mayor Pro Tem Sarah Boyle echoed the frustration and emphasized the need for clear and open channels of communication with the Rail Authority.
Mike Harris was the only council member who did not vote in support of the letter, saying he supported its contents but not its tone and suggested it be revised and brought back to council.
Councilmember Darin DuPont defended the tone of the letter, reiterating that he “does not trust” the High-Speed Rail Authority “one bit.” Turning to page 51 of the technical report, he criticized the “shared financing” plan, describing it as “our citizens will be paying for this project.”
“I represent the city of Merced and I cannot put that burden on my residents,” DuPont said.
Councilmember Fue Xiong said he supported the letter in its contents and tone, and that he wants to see the High-Speed Rail Authority solicit more community input for the project.
In addition to the comment letter from the City Council, members of the public also have an opportunity to share concerns and questions with the Rail Authority directly during the public comment period for the draft plan, which began on Feb. 28 and will end on April 29, 2026.
