REIMAGINE DUMBARTON In Partnership with
Atherton Transportation Commission
March 24, 2026
Agenda
• Study Overview
• Why this Project
• Community Engagement
2 Project Overview
Project Background
• The Dumbarton Rail Corridor (DRC) (Peninsula
side) is a 5-mile inactive rail corridor that
currently creates a barrier between
communities in Southeast San Mateo County
• Since its acquisition by the District in the early
1990s, the DRC has been the subject of
numerous studies to revive the corridor
• Previous studies and outreach consistently
highlighted the need for:
• Better local connectivity, including safer walking and biking
• Improved crossings
• Faster, more reliable transit for everyday trips
• Near-term, cost-effective solutions
4 DRC today near Chilco Way
Project Overview and Study Area
5 The Reimagine Dumbarton project
envisions converting the Dumbarton
rail corridor into a rapid bus line, with
additional walking & bicycle
connections along and across the
corridor.
Project purpose: • Assess feasibility and community
interest
• Refine the vision to address
community needs and technical
constraints
• Develop a project to move forward
into further design and
construction phases
Feasibility Study Schedule
6 We’re here
Project Objectives
Reimagine Dumbarton is guided by the following principles:
Fundable – rooted in realities of current funding landscape Implementable – delivering improvements in the near-term Responsive – building on what we have heard from the community Effective – able to meet current and future travel demand needs 7 Why this Project?
What is a Busway?
G Line (Los Angeles)
• 18 miles with 17 stations
• Uses part of Southern Pacific
Railroad's former Burbank
Branch Line
• Connects to other rail services
and includes parallel bike path
U of M Transitway
(Minneapolis)
• 2.6-mile busway between
University of Minnesota's
Minneapolis and St Paul
campuses
• Limited to buses, bicycles, and
emergency vehicles
SURF! (Monterey)
• In construction now: 6-mile, bus
only roadway along Monterey
Branch Line right-of-way
• Preserving tracks for future rail
use
• Expected to start service in early
2028
Wikipedia - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/G_Line_(Los_Angeles_Metro) MST - https://mst.org/2020-annual-report/surf-busway-plans/ flickr - https://www.flickr.com/photos/diversey/43898973432/in/photostream/ 9 Project Benefits
• Fast, reliable transit service
• Improved connections and advances equity
• Potential for near-term implementation
• Flexible and compatible with active transportation
• Supports environmental justice
• Cost-effective
• Funding and partnership readiness
• Does not preclude future regional rail service
10 Meets Travel Needs Today and in the Future
• High growth corridor
• Forecasts show both employment and
residential growth
• Increasing demand for more local
trips
• Average daily travel between
Redwood City and East Palo Alto
increased by more than 30% since
2019
• Efficient transit connections
• A dedicated busway could efficiently
serve these emerging travel markets
while improving connectivity to
regional destinations
11 Forecast Population and Employment Growth between 2020 and 2050 (C/CAG-VTA’s Travel Demand Model)
Integrate with Active Transportation and Recreation
19 Existing and Proposed Bikeway Network
Project has flexibility to
integrate more uses for
recreation and active
transportation
• Walking, biking and rolling
• Park spaces, picnic tables,
play areas
• Community spaces and small
retail led by community
Community Engagement
Outreach Activities
Phase Timing Purpose
Phase I – Broad
Engagement
Jan-Mar 2026 • Raise awareness and confirm community needs and priorities
• Use input to shape evaluation criteria and initial
alternatives
Phase II – Deep
Engagement
Summer –
Fall 2026
• Present draft design alternatives
• Gather detailed feedback on trade-offs and preferences Phase III – Information
Sharing
Winter 2027 • Share final Feasibility Study and preferred alternative • Close the loop with communities and decision-makers
13 Outreach Strategies
14 • Community meetings and pop-up events at community centers, transit hubs, and local gatherings
• Community-based organization (CBO) partnerships to co-lead outreach and host events
• “Roadshow” presentations to commissions and partner agencies • Social media and e-newsletter updates, FAQs and factsheets • Project webpage as the central information and feedback hub • Multilingual surveys (online and paper)
• Briefings to elected officials and stakeholders
• Outreach summaries after each round, showing how community input informed Project decisions
Thank You!
Contact us here
Website:
www.samtrans.com/dumbarton
Email Us:
[email protected]
This project is made possible by local transportation sales tax dollars from the San Mateo County Transportation Authority and Regional Measure 3 funds through the Metropolitan Transportation Commission.