From the Napa Valley Registrar:

Napa Pipe developers propose mass transit for Napa
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Save and Share Share
Email
Print
Comment
By JILLIAN JONES
Register Staff Writer
Developers at Napa Pipe proposed a major new mode of transportation Tuesday as part of their efforts to promote a new kind of urban planning in south Napa County.

Under the proposed vision, Napa County residents could hop a shuttle as far south as American Canyon and ride the rail to work in north Napa.
Napa Pipe would serve as the central station along the route, allowing residents of the proposed 3,200-townhome development an alternative method of transportation and theoretically mitigating traffic concerns tied up in the project.

Developer Keith Rogal of Napa Redevelopment Partners said the shuttle would drop passengers off in one of six highly concentrated job areas. The route would follow an already existing railway from Green Island Road in American Canyon to Redwood and Trancas in Napa. Proposed stops include Green Island Road, Airport Boulevard, Napa Pipe, South Napa Marketplace, downtown Napa, and the intersection of Redwood and Trancas in north Napa.
Each of the proposed stops is located within 15 minutes walking distance from 50 percent of Napa County jobs, Rogal said.

“We’re going to need to make investments in infrastructure related to traffic” at Napa Pipe, he said.
Rogal suggests the rail will also benefit the community at large.

“A project wil be approved if the benefits to the community are significant and broad,” he added.

Rogal said he envisions two three-car shuttles leaving every 20-30 minutes. The shuttles could seat up to 245, he said, with room for standing passengers and bicycles. Tickets, he said, would cost “a modest fee.” Rogal likened the shuttle to a streetcar, “only more comfortable and faster.”

Rogal stresses that the proposed shuttle would be a private venture and would not require local taxpayer money. Napa Redevelopment Partners would serve as a “catalyst and funding source” for the shuttle, Rogal said. He added that he would also seek funding from the state and federal government, businesses, and possibly homeowners associations.

Napa Redevelopment Partners is already in discussion with representatives from the Wine Train, owner of the northernmost half of the railway; as well as Union Pacific Freight, owner of the southernmost stretch.

Wine Train CEO Greg McManus said discussions are preliminary, but that he is open to exploring a partnership with Napa Redevelopment Partners. The Wine Train’s cooperation could entail day-to-day operation of the shuttle, McManus said, as well as the obvious use of the rail.

Rogal acknowledges that the feasibility of the project could hinge on Union Pacific’s willingness to lease or sell their portion of the rail, which it rents to CalNorthern for use. Rogal expressed optimism over those negotiations, citing diminished freight traffic along the route since Napa Pipe moved its operations to Oregon.

Representatives from Union Pacific did not return calls for comment.

Specific costs of operating a passenger shuttle are still unclear, Rogal said. While Rogal did not speculate about the cost of leasing or purchasing the rail, nor the cost of operation, he did say that he estimates the cost of improvements to the tracks and the purchase of shuttles and platforms at $40 to $50 million.

Rogal has not yet discussed the proposal with surrounding business owners, he said, but he stressed that community cooperation would be vital to the success of the plans.

“If some substantial business park owner doesn’t want that there, it doesn’t make any sense to push it,” he said.

“We would also need to know from the county that they would want that looked into,” Rogal said. Responding to Rogal’s announcement at the Napa County Board of Supervisors meeting Tuesday, Supervisor Bill Dodd said he not only supports the idea of maintaining the existing rail but added that one day he would like to see it extend all the way to the ferry terminal in Vallejo.

Rogal has not formally announced the proposal to city officials, but said he is engaged in discussions with the cities in an “informal capacity.”

“We will test whether people are interested,” Rogal said.