Re: valley link aka HSR, aka direct access for commute and IC/HSR via Dumbarton to the Penninsula...
Valley Link recently made a nice video about how messed up the commute is across Altamont Pass. Worth watching.
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vimeo.com]
I am 100% with you; Altamont + Dumbarton is what Northern California should build next. Not Pacheco, and not (until later) a 2nd Transbay Tube. This remains as true today as it was in 2008 when the terribly ill-advised political decision was made to pursue the Pacheco mountain crossing.