Bus-only lane could give new life to long-vacant Dumbarton rail corridor

San Mateo County’s section of the Dumbarton railroad corridor last saw use in 1982. Now, more than 40 years later, SamTrans is reviving efforts to make this unused infrastructure functional again. 

The transit agency’s project, Reimagine Dumbarton, plans to convert the 5-mile corridor on the Midpeninsula into a dedicated bus lane that connects from University Avenue in East Palo Alto to the downtown Redwood City Transit Center. 

Busways are typically car-free lanes limited to buses, bicycles and emergency vehicles. SamTrans has prioritized the busway because it can be implemented faster and at a lower cost than a regional rail project, which would likely require several billion dollars, according to Millie Tolleson, Reimagine Dumbarton project manager. “We want to be really rooted in the realities of our current funding landscape,” Tolleson said. “We really want a project that is implementable in the near term.”

SamTrans’ goal is to install pedestrian and bike infrastructure along the proposed busway to create a rapid regional transit connection in southeast San Mateo County. 

The Mipeninsula has seen an increase in traffic congestion in recent years. According to SamTrans, daily travel between Redwood City and East Palo Alto has increased by 30% since 2020. 

“People are making more and more local trips, and that travel pattern has really stayed in effect since the pandemic,” Tolleson said during a Menlo Park Complete Streets Commission meeting in February. “We’re excited about the potential, not only for a local transit service, but possibly for regional buses to use the busway … and providing a service all the way into the East Bay,” she said.

Menlo Park Complete Streets Commissioner Jacqui Cebrian, who lives in the Belle Haven neighborhood, said she is “super excited” about this project because bike and pedestrian connectivity is a “critical need for this little isolated area,” she said. 

Commissioner Kevin Rennie agreed. “Biking to transit is on the rise, and most people want that,” he said. “People would use transit more if they could get that support.” 

Rennie said the project should focus on integrating pedestrian and bike paths to get people to transit, rather than putting in bus stops and “hoping people will come.” 

The busway will connect residents with employment centers and regional transportation hubs, according to Tolleson. SamTrans has already coordinated with Meta, and plans for the route to “go very close” to Menlo Park’s largest employer. 

For now, the project doesn’t include revitalizing the derelict Dumbarton rail bridge, which opened in 1910 but fell into disrepair and was heavily damaged in a fire in 1998. SamTrans acquired the rail right-of-way in 1994 but attempts to restore a rail connection to the East Bay have floundered over the years, due to the high price and lack of funding.

SamTrans project managers stressed that Reimagine Dumbarton’s busway project on the Peninsula won’t impede any future railway projects. 

Before designing alternatives for the corridor, SamTrans has asked community members about their experiences travelling in the region. SamTrans held two public meetings in Redwood City and East Palo Alto, conducted 11 pop-up outreach events across San Mateo and solicited input in a survey that closed March 6. Residents were asked about their commuting habits, transportation challenges along the railroad line and travel priorities. 

Survey findings and Dumbarton design options will likely be publicized this summer, according to SamTrans spokesperson Randol White.

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