Dear Menlo Park City Council,
   
  Several months ago, my friend Gable Watts & I attended an informational seminar on the Dumbarton Rail project, held at the Belle Haven community center. I must say, we came away rather nonplussed. Subsequently, he sent the following notes & observations to CalTrain.
   
  As Council will be considering the project as part of tonight's regular meeting, I'd like to forward you my friend's email on the topic (following), on which I'm in full agreement. I hope you'll consider these viewpoints in your deliberations.
   
  Thank you & best regards,
   
  Rich Mintz
  815 Bay Road #A
Menlo Park
   
   
  "C. G. Watts" <C.G.Watts@AppliedThought.com> wrote:
    Date: Thu, 16 Nov 2006 11:45:18 -0800
From: "C. G. Watts" <C.G.Watts@AppliedThought.com>
To: dumbarton_comments@caltrain.com
Subject: Comments: Proposed Dumbarton Rail

  
Although I'm a dedicated user of public transit, I'm not sure I support the Dumbarton Rail plan for the following reasons:

    
   The Dumbarton Express Bus already provides a perfectly acceptable public transit option for getting across the Dumbarton span. I haven't heard any reason why the Dumbarton Express Bus isn't already sufficient.
  
   Heavy rail trains employ extremely loud and annoying horns whenever they cross at-grade-level streets, and this seriously decreases the quality of life for anyone living within about 8 blocks of such an intersection. I know because I've lived within such a radius of such an intersection on two different occasions. Buses like the current DB Express, Light rail, or BART style transit create significantly less noise pollution.
   The fact that the Dumbarton rail train would only make 6 trips each day indicates that there isn't enough ridership to warrant a train across the Dumbarton span. Until there is enough ridership on the DB Express Bus to warrant buses every 20 minutes in each direction during daylight hours, then there really isn't enough ridership to support a train.
   Once there IS enough ridership for that route to warrant something more than a bus, I would think extending the east-bay BART line across that span to meet Caltrain on the peninsula (using the existing right of way and bridge that the Dumbarton Rail would have used) would seem to me to be a much more convenient option. At some point in the future the BART will probably be extended from Daly City down through San Mateo County and then we would have a BART ring around the SF Bay which would undoubtedly be of significant convenience for commuters.
  
   For only 6 trains a day in each direction, I have a hard time seeing the expense of Dumbarton Rail being cost effective. What is the projected cost per passenger, amortized over time, to construct and run this Dumbarton Rail line? I have a hard time imagining that this would be an efficient use of funds for public transportation.
   In this age of Global Warming and other environmental concerns, not only must we consider the cost / benefit analysis of constructing and operating such publically funded works in terms of actual dollar expense, but also in terms of environmental impact. Noise pollution, air pollution, fossil fuel consumption, carbon emissions, disruption to natural habitats, &etc., must all be considered. Especially given the indicated inefficiencies in ridership levels, I feel strongly that the proposed Dumbarton Rail project is environmentally senseless (even destructive), in lieu of current bus transportation or possible light rail or BART substitution.
  Well, that is my two cents.
   
  Thank you for your consideration.
  
Carl Watts
  Former Menlo resident, and
  current houseguest of Rich Mintz
815A Bay Road
Menlo Park, CA 94025
Received on Tue May 22 14:39:25 2007