Plenary and Facebook to explore Dumbarton improvements

Today, the San Mateo County Transit District Board of Directors approved entering into an agreement with a development team composed of Facebook, Inc. and Plenary, an infrastructure developer specializing in public-private partnerships, to explore the feasibility of  advancing  the Dumbarton Transportation Corridor, which could mean potentially reopening the Dumbarton Rail Bridge for passenger service.

Over the last several years, east-west commutes have become significantly more challenging as an increasing number of workers commute from growing East Bay residential communities to jobs-rich areas on the Peninsula.

The agreement is an opportunity to address this growing traffic congestion by advancing improvements recommended in the Dumbarton Transportation Corridor Study, which was funded by Facebook in January 2016 and adopted by the Transit District Board of Directors in December 2017.

The study’s recommendations include: establishing new rail service along a rebuilt Dumbarton Rail Bridge with connections to existing commuter and intercity rail services; enhancing and expanding bus and shared-ride commute options on the Dumbarton Highway Bridge; and further exploration of complementary bicycle and pedestrian connections.

The District has been exploring the concept of a potential public-private partnership for several months since the adoption of the Dumbarton Transportation Corridor Study.

The agreement is the product of those discussions and facilitates a path for Facebook and Plenary Group to invest resources in a full evaluation of the potential for a public-private partnership that could deliver transportation improvements to relieve congestion along the corridor, by providing more transportation commute options. 

“As the local economy continues to boom, the unfortunate side effect is that traffic congestion has become one of the top issues facing our residents,” said Charles Stone, Chair of the Transit District Board of Directors. “We are very fortunate to have private sector partners like these that are actively engaged in developing solutions and are also willing to explore investing directly in those solutions.”

“This is one of many projects we are looking at to ease congestion in the Bay Area,” said John Tenanes, Vice President, Global Facilities and Real Estate at Facebook. “Being able to get around easily is important for people’s quality of life and the local economy. We’re excited to be working with SamTrans and Plenary Group.”

“This is a unique partnership opportunity,” said Dale Bonner, Executive Chairman, Plenary Concessions. “At this very early stage, the team’s first task will be to work closely with SamTrans and regional stakeholders to evaluate the technical and financial feasibility of delivering this much needed mobility solution for Bay Area commuters.”

In approving the agreement, the Board also outlined a set of goals that they expect will be accomplished through any future public-private partnership. The goals include:

• Enhance mobility and alleviation of congestion
• Facilitate cost-effective improvements with a return on investment
• Minimize environmental impacts and maximize safety
• Ensure that local communities benefit and are protected from adverse impacts

The agreement comes on the heels of Tuesday’s voter approval of Regional Measure 3, a bridge toll increase that provides $130 million toward Dumbarton Corridor improvements.

In February 2016, the Transit District initiated the Dumbarton Transportation Corridor Study with the purpose of identifying improvements to enhance mobility in the Dumbarton Corridor between Alameda, San Mateo, and Santa Clara counties.

Working collaboratively with project partners, including Facebook, the San Mateo County Transportation Authority (TA), Alameda County Transportation Commission (ACTC), and AC Transit, the study evaluated a variety of transportation alternatives on the Dumbarton Bridge (Highway 84) and its approaches, as well as examined how to rehabilitate and repurpose the Dumbarton rail bridge for transit purposes.

SamTrans media contact: Tasha Bartholomew, 650-508-7927

Facebook media contact: Anthony Harrison, 650-521-7071