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Home My WebLink AboutAgenda Report - August 3, 1994 (42)r o. CITY OF LODI COUNCIL COMMUNICATION AGENDA TITLE: High Speed Rail in San Joaquin Valley (Council of Governments) MEETING DATE: August 3, 1994 PREPARED BY: City Manager RECOMMENDED ACTION: That the City Council express its support of the, construction and implementation of high speed rail service through the San Joaquin Valley. BACKGROUND INFORMATION: ,At its regular meeting in May, the Board of Directors of the Coincil of Governments adopted a resolution in support of high speed rail through the San Joaquin Valley. The Board is requesting that cities also express support of this project. The purpose of this support is to urge the State of California to choose the Central Valley rather than the coastal route for planning and construction of a very high speed ground transportation from northern to southern California. The valley corridor is considered a superior route in terms of environmental impacts and service to the greatest number of people. However, coastal counties have begun organizing to gain support for the Coast Rail Corridor. FUNDING: None required Respectfully submitted, Thomas A. Peterson City Manager TAP:br CCOM-075/TXTA.07A APPROVED THOMAS A F 7TERSON .ecvuec Pace, City Mannger cc CITY COUNCIL JACK A. SrE�1.0CK. Mayor STEPHtN J A4ANN Mayor -> Tempore mpore RAY G DAVENPORT PHILLIP A. PENNING JOHN R. ER,,,ndy) SNIDER CITY OF LODI CITY HALL. 221 WEST PINE STREET P O sox 3006 tOUI. CALIFORNIA 95241-1910 JM) 334.5614 IAX(JW) 1J1016 August 11, 1994 Mr. Dean Dumphy, Chairman Intercity High Speed Ground Transportation Commission 801 K Street, Suite 1918 Sacramento, CA 95814-3520 THOMAS A. PETIRSON ` L ity NIaliat et IENNIItR M PtRRIN City Clerk NOH MCNAIT City Atturney Dear Mr. Dumphy: This letter is to urge your support and the support of the Commission for a high speed rail line through the San Joaquin Valley linking the cities of Sacramento, San Francisco and Los Angeles. At its last regular meeting, the Lodi City Council took action unanimously supporting this project. We believe such a corridor is not only environmentally sound, but would produce a ridership greater than any other alternative. This latter point has been borne out in a study by the University of California on such a high speed rail facility. We urge the Commissiods support of this program. 'Nith best regards. Sincerely, ack A. Stgbck Mayor JAWAP/jlt ec: Council of Gove•mments Idumphy.doc CITY COUNCIL THOMAS A PETERSON C,ManaKer JACK A SIECLOCK Mayor CITY OF L O D I IENNIrER M PERRIN Clty STEPHEN J MANN ,tv Clerk Mavor Pro Tempore RAY C. DAVENPORT CtT? HALL. WEST PINE STREET 808McNATT PHILLIP A PENNINO P O BOX 300b C,IY Attornev JOHN R. (Randy) SNIDER LODI. CALIFORNIA 95:41.1910 1_09)333.5634 F 14 111 e'YS August 31, 1994 Ms. Octavia Diener, Chairperson California Transportation Commission 1120 N Street, Suite 2225 Sacramento, CA 95814 SUBJECT: Lodi Multimodal Station The City of Lodi is fully supportive and very appreciative of your efforts and those of San Joaquin County and the San Joaquin County Council of Govemments (COG) to complete passenger rail service in the Central Valley with Stockton/Sacramento service. Thus, we support efforts to keep the County's Local Multimodal Stations Program moving toward actual construction. Details of these efforts are contained in other letters from San Joaquin County and the COG and we won't repeat them here. However, we do wish to explain the importance of the Lodi Station. The City has embarked on a 'Central City Revitalization' program which includes beautification of Cherokee Lane, old State Highway 99 in Lodi, and beautification and economic development programs in downtown Lodi. We are nearing completion of a $100,000 planning and economic study on the project. Our consultant, Michael Freedman of Freedman, Tung & Bottomley, has conducted six community workshops, each attended by over 150 citizens. The downtown plan coming out of this process fully embraces and integrates the Lodi Multimodal Station into both short-term improvement plans and the long-term vision for downtown Lodi. The station will be the transfer hub for Lodi's fixed - route bus system and Dial -A -Ride program and the County's regional bus system. We have positive indications from the local Greyhound bus station that they would be willing to relocate to the site. And, hopefully, the station will be Lodi's train stop for Central Valley passenger service. (Even if that service runs on the Union Pacific Tracks west of Lodi, the station would serve as our end of local shuttle service to the nearest stop.) The last thing we want is for the station project to become a costly, isolated public works project. We have gone to great lengths, usi,,,g local funds, to prevent this from happening. To help you see our vision of this facility, we have enclosed a copy of a portion of the downtown perspective drawing showing the station. If you, other Commission members or staff, would like to learn more about the station and other aspects of our downtown revitalization, such as the economic development programs, please contact me, or Janet Keeler at (209) 333-6700. Again, we thank you for your support and ask that the Commission cooperate with the efforts of San Joaquin County and the COG to make this station a reality. omas A. Peters4_ City Manager TAP/RCPnm Enclosure cc: City Council Sam Joaquin County Councd of Governments San Joaquin County Pu bisc Works Department