$9 Million Approved for Rail Station in Fairfield, CA

Sept. 28, 2010

The Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC), a nine-county San Francisco Bay Area transportation planning, coordinating and financing agency, will commit $9 million of regional bridge toll funds to complete the financing package for a new passenger rail station to be built at the corner of Peabody and Vanden roads in northeast Fairfield, CA.

The Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC), a nine-county San Francisco Bay Area transportation planning, coordinating and financing agency, will commit $9 million of regional bridge toll funds to complete the financing package for a new passenger rail station to be built at the corner of Peabody and Vanden roads in northeast Fairfield, CA.

The remainder of the funds for the $40 million Fairfield-Vacaville rail station project will come from a mix of voter-approved Regional Measure 2 bridge toll revenues, state and federal grants, developer fees, and contributions from the cities of Fairfield and Vacaville.

"The commitment from MTC moves this project from vision to reality," noted Solano County Supervisor and MTC Commissioner Jim Spering. "With Amtrak's Capitol Corridor running up to 32 trains through Solano County each day, the addition of a new stop will provide thousands of people a very attractive option to battling the congestion on I-80 and I-680."

The new Fairfield-Vacaville station already has been approved as a stop for Capitol Corridor trains running between Auburn and San Jose. In addition to the passenger platform, the rail station project will include parking, a transfer area for bus passengers, an overpass to carry Peabody Road over the railroad tracks, and an underpass for bicyclists and pedestrians. The Fairfield City Council is scheduled to award a management services contract for the project at its December 16 meeting. Environmental reports are slated for completion in March 2009, with construction beginning in 2011 and the first passengers boarding trains in November 2013.

"We're excited to get started on this project," said Fairfield Mayor Harry Price. "MTC, and Jim Spering in particular, deserve a lot of credit for making it happen. Jim has been at the forefront of transportation improvements in Solano County for a long time, and he was really able to put his experience and his regional perspective to work delivering a big boost for both Fairfield and Vacaville."

MTC's allocation for the Fairfield-Vacaville rail station project is part of an estimated $20 million reserve remaining after the Commission's agreement last week to channel $80 million in bridge toll funds to help finance reconstruction of Doyle Drive, the seismically fragile viaduct connecting San Francisco city streets with the Golden Gate Bridge.

Frank Raczon, Construction Equipment
Mark Pentz, Calvin Group/IEDA
Mark Pentz, Calvin Group/IEDA
Mark Pentz, Calvin Group/IEDA
Mark Pentz, Calvin Group/IEDA
Mark Pentz, Calvin Group/IEDA
ID 9194607 © Arak7 | Dreamstime.com
ID 9194607 © Arak7 | Dreamstime.com