Valley Link Project Delivery Strategy
City of Mountain House
June 11, 2025
2 Valley Link Project Goals
Connect
Communities
Improve connectivity
within the Northern
California
Megaregion,
connecting housing,
people, and jobs
New Rail
Connections to
the Valley
Establish rail
connectivity between
BART’s rapid transit
system and the
Northern San
Joaquin Valley
Cost
Effectiveness
Pursue project
implementation that is
fast, cost-effective, and
responsive to the goals
and objectives of the
communities it will
serve
Model
Sustainability
Be a model of
sustainability in
the design,
construction, and
operation of the
system
Support CA
State Rail Plan
Support the vision of
the California State
Rail Plan to connect
the Northern
California Megaregion
to the State rail
system
3 Megaregional Project Need and Benefits
Addresses California’s Crises:
Climate
• Reduces Greenhouse Gas Emissions
• Brings new riders to existing transit • Provides resiliency in the transportation system Housing Affordability • Connects affordable housing in Northern San Joaquin Valley to higher paying jobs in Bay Area
Racial Inequity and Income Inequality
• Serves one of the State’s most significant areas
of California Climate Investments Priority
Populations for both State designated
disadvantage and low-income communities
• Creates new jobs and promotes economic
recovery
4 Serving the Megaregion’s Economic Growth
Regional Housing Needs Allocation
(2023-2031)
Dublin 3,719
Pleasanton 5,965
Livermore 4,450
Unincorporated SJ County 5,965
Tracy 8,830
Lathrop 8,402
Manteca 8,306
Stockton 12,673
Total = 58,310
City of Livermore Isabel Neighborhood Specific Plan
5 Promoting the Megaregion’s Growth Policies
6 Supporting the Transition to Zero Emission Vehicles
Redlands Arrow Zero Emissions Multiple Unit (ZEMU)
7 Delivering Megaregional Project Performance
8 Ultimate Project Overview
• 42-mile Alignment per Board
Approved 2021 CEQA EIR
• 2 Delivery Phases
• Phase 1 – D/P to MH
• Phase 2 – MH to North Lathrop
• New track and 7 stations
• Mega-Regional Connectivity
9 Phase 1 – Dublin/Pleasanton to Mountain House
• Board Approved Locally
Preferred Alternative (LPA) in
2023
• 22-miles of new track
• 4 Stations
• 15-min peak/ 30-min + offpeak period service
• Layover & Operations,
Maintenance Facilities
• ZEMU Vehicle Technology
10 Project Delivery Status – Phase 1
FTA Project Development (PD)
Approved entry into PD by FTA - May 2022
Adopted D/P to Mountain House as Locally Preferred Alternative - April 2023 Approved as NEPA Environmental Assessment (EA) Class of Action by FTA - September 2023 30% design completed - December 2024
Draft EA circulation completed - January 2025
Caltrans Project Approval and Environmental Document (PAED) PAED Cooperative Agreement signed - August 2022
CEQA Subsequent EIR approved - October 2024
Engineering technical studies completed - March 2025
Draft of Project Report submitted to Caltrans - April 2025 CM/GC Cooperative Agreement (PSE, ROW, Con) - Under development 11 Project Cost Update – Phase 1
Cost Increase Drivers:
• Escalation – 46% increase in San
Francisco capital construction costs
due to materials, labor and equipment
price increases between 2018 and
2024 (source: CA Dept. of General Services)
• Contingencies – 10% unallocated
contingency added
• Design Updates – 30% design, ROW,
vehicles and soft costs
• Estimation Methodology – Heavy bid
contractor based
12 Additional Funding Opportunities and Constraints
• Additional Regional, State and Federal Funding
New Bay Area regional measure
New San Joaquin County revenue initiative
Cap and Trade Program extension
FTA CIG Program project funding shares
• Demand on Funding Resources
Continued funding gaps on other major capital transit projects Continued need for existing transit operations funding subsidies 13 Value Engineering and Project Optimization
~$500M in potential
Value Engineering cost
savings identified * Total project cost excludes rail vehicles planned as annualized lease D/P to Mountain House
(10 vehicles)
D/P to Vasco
Direct ACE Connection
(6 vehicles)
D/P to Southfront
Bus ACE Connection
(5 vehicles)
$3,794 - $4,465 $2,025 - $2,186 $2,161 - $2,305
40% $1,518 - $1,786 $810 - $875 $928 - $990
49.4% $1,874 - $2,206 $1,000 - $1,080 $1,068 - $1,139
$635 $635 $635
FTA @ 40% $1,641 - $2,044 $580 - $677 $598 - $680
FTA @ 49.4% $1,285 - $1,624 $390 - $471 $459 - $531
4,384/9,965 TBD 2,360/5,040
Existing Local Funding Match
Additional
Funding Need
Ridership
(Weekday, YR 2025/2045)
Phasing Alternatives
Total Project Cost
($M, YOE)
FTA Share
14 Phasing to Mountain House
15 Valley Link Phase 1A to Vasco Road
Project Goals:
Connect Communities
New Rail Connections
to the Valley
Cost Effectiveness
Model of Sustainability
Support CA State Rail
Plan
16 Valley Link Megaregional Connectivity with ACE
17 Valley Link Phase 1B to Mountain House
Opportunities to Advance
Phase 1B to Mountain House
Support for additional local
funding – New SJ County
revenue initiative, land value
capture, etc.
Support for TOD planning –
FTA grants, etc.
Advance the Mountain House
Regional Mobility Hub – BUILD
grant application, other
regional funding, etc.
18 Valley Link Board Action
1. Approve consideration of a phased construction delivery strategy of the Valley Link – Dublin/Pleasanton to Mountain House (Phase 1) project with the initial phase from Dublin/Pleasanton to Vasco Road (Phase 1A) and the subsequent phase from Vasco Road to Mountain House (Phase 1B);
2. Approve consideration of the adoption of battery electric multiple unit (BEMU) rail vehicle technology to operate the Dublin/Pleasanton to Vasco Road (Phase 1A) project;
3. Direct staff to seek Federal Railroad Authority (FRA) jurisdiction determination for the Dublin/Pleasanton to Vasco Road (Phase 1A) project as an urban mass transit train control system; and
4. Direct staff to pursue opportunities to advance the Vasco Road to Mountain House (Phase 1B) project.
19 SJCOG SB 125 Funding Request
Near-Term
$5 million
Mobility Hub
Full MH Regional
Mobility Hub
Questions?