Dear Editor, I went to the meeting that Margaret Okuzumi held to
prepare their
”
plan
”
as an alternative to BART.
Dear Editor,
I went to the meeting that Margaret Okuzumi held to prepare their “plan” as an alternative to BART.
While the small group of transit advocates seemed well-meaning, none of them had expertise, and simply were drawing lines on a map – completely without data or information to make informed decisions on a multi-billion dollar rail line.
I learned that the “Caltrain Metro East” project’s $1.5 billion price tag is a guesstimate that is based on old construction information!
Further, this plan would require an impossible level of synchronization between BART, Caltrain, and ACE. To call this “back-of-a-napkin” plan a real alternative to BART is an incredible stretch, and one that I certainly could not take seriously.
It underscores why Ms. Okuzumi’s plan has not been endorsed by a single objective and independent transportation professional at the US. Department of Transportation, CalTrans, the Metropolitan Transportation Commission, the VTA, or even Caltrain.
These are serious issues in difficult times, and we need serious plans – not smokescreens.
Andrew Papson,
San Mateo
