Dear Members of the Merced County Board of Supervisors,
Merced County is approaching a decision that will shape our region for generations.
For years, we have been shown plans for a high-speed rail station in downtown Merced, where passengers could connect with Amtrak, ACE, local and regional buses, nearby businesses, housing, and the heart of our city.
Now, because the California High-Speed Rail Authority is under financial pressure, a station southeast of Merced is being presented as a less expensive alternative.
But less expensive to build does not necessarily mean better for Merced County.
A station outside downtown would not function like a downtown station. Passengers would arrive miles away from our existing transportation center. They would need another bus, shuttle, rideshare, taxi, or private vehicle to reach Downtown Merced, UC Merced, Amtrak, their workplace, a hotel, a medical appointment, or home.
That is not true intermodal connectivity. It is an additional barrier, especially for seniors,
students, people with disabilities, lower-income residents, and anyone who cannot or does not drive.
We also need to talk honestly about what happens at night. What happens when a passenger arrives after local buses have stopped running? A station is not truly accessible if people are left depending on someone to pick them up or paying for a rideshare they may not be able to afford.
High-speed rail is supposed to help reduce driving. An isolated station surrounded by parking would encourage more of it. It could also create pressure for more development outside the city while passing over the businesses, neighborhoods, infrastructure, and public investments we already have downtown.
A southeast station might save money on the initial construction, but the public deserves to see the full cost over its lifetime. How much would we spend expanding roads and utilities, operating connecting shuttles, maintaining parking, providing security, and trying to recreate the transportation connections that already exist downtown?
Merced is not simply another stop on the map. We are supposed to be the northern anchor of the initial high-speed rail segment and a connection point for ACE, Amtrak, regional transit, UC Merced, Sacramento, the Bay Area, and Yosemite.
That role depends on real connectivity, not just calling a remote station “Merced-Yosemite.”
This is not only a city of Merced issue. Decisions about the high-speed rail station will affect transportation connections throughout Merced County. Merced, Atwater, and Livingston should be included in developing a coordinated regional rail strategy that supports existing communities and gives residents meaningful access to passenger rail.
I am asking the Board of Supervisors to publicly reaffirm downtown Merced as the county’s preferred location for the permanent high-speed rail station.
I am also asking the board to demand:
- A transparent comparison of the downtown and southeast locations, including long-term infrastructure, transportation, operating, environmental, economic-development, and public-access costs.
- A written funding and construction strategy for completing the downtown Merced station, including a contingency plan if the current funding assumptions change.
- A coordinated regional position developed with Merced, Atwater, Livingston, the Merced County Association of Governments, UC Merced, local transit agencies, and our state representatives.
- A public meeting specifically about the station decision before any permanent change in location receives local support.
The board should ask the High-Speed Rail Authority a simple question: What makes the
southeast station the right long-term choice for Merced County, rather than merely the least expensive choice at this moment?
I support high-speed rail. That is exactly why I am unwilling to accept a station that could undermine the purpose of the system before the first train ever arrives.
I have spoken at city council meetings and town halls, addressed the California High-Speed Rail Authority, and written op-eds about this project. I have talked and talked because I believe Merced deserves more than promises and attractive renderings.
Now we need our elected leaders to turn those words into a visible, coordinated plan of action.
If the station does not truly connect to Merced, it cannot deliver the future Merced was
promised.
Respectfully,
Rosie Campagna
Merced resident, District 5
Rosie Campagna is a Merced resident, project coordinator, community advocate, and Strong Towns Conversation Leader who writes about housing, transportation safety, downtown revitalization, and the long-term future of the city. She submitted this letter to the Merced County Board of Supervisors.