By Eliyahu Kamisher, The Mercury News, January 23, 2023
“Preparations for the final 1.3-mile leg — pushing trains to the city’s Salesforce Tower — are finally picking up speed after decades of on-and-off planning. But there’s one major hurdle: a new $6.7 billion price tag.
“At $5.15 billion per mile of new track, the Caltrain undertaking is now runner-up for the world’s most costly transit project, behind New York’s notoriously pricey East Side Access project, according to a database at New York University.
“The escalating figure is not holding back transit planners. They have set an ambitious 2032 completion date, allocated over $1.7 million toward lobbying the state and federal government for funds, and rebranded the extension with a new name: ‘The Portal’
“ ‘This is a generational investment in our climate, mobility and economic future for California. This is not extending a commuter rail one mile,’ said Adam Van De Water, executive director of the [Transbay Joint Powers Authority]. Instead, he said, Bay Area residents should view the mega project as a linchpin for a climate-friendly future by uniting high-speed rail, bus and BART at San Francisco’s Salesforce Transit Center.
“The majority of the Caltrain project’s costs come from building the new underground station and underground tunnel that extends the tracks from Caltrain’s current terminus near Oracle Park at 4th and King to the basement of the Salesforce Transit Center.
“For Caltrain and The Portal, the other issue is convincing the federal government that it is worthwhile to invest in a transit service and downtown area that is oriented around commuters who have shifted to working from home.
“Tom Radulovich, a former BART board president and long-time advocate for the extension, said the region needs to think past high sticker prices and fund infrastructure that will be used for generations to come.
“ ‘This one is truly transformative,’ he said. ‘We have an obligation to be a good ancestor.’ ”