A Transit Ridersí Association for San Francisco

Box 190966, SF, CA 94119 ï 415/273-1558 ï www.rescuemuni.org

September 18, 2001

Governor Gray Davis
1st Floor State Capitol
Sacramento, CA 95814
Sent Via Fax: 916/445-4633

Re: AB 1419 SUPPORT

Dear Governor Davis:

Rescue Muni, San Francisco's transit riders' association, urges you to sign AB 1419, a bill that will help the San Francisco Bay Area build a new Transbay Terminal in San Francisco and extend rail service to downtown. This important bill helps fund the new terminal via the transfer of Caltrans land adjacent to the Terminal to the San Francisco Redevelopment Agency.

Rescue Muni strongly believes that passage of AB 1419 is crucial for improving the statewide transportation network. It helps to fund the new Transbay Terminal, which in addition to serving existing Caltrain customers will be the San Francisco terminal for a statewide network of High Speed Rail (HSR) trains. These trains, linking major downtown areas, including San Diego, Los Angeles & San Francisco, will save Californians countless hours and will reduce airport congestion, because many customers of short-haul flights will be able to use High Speed Rail once service is extended to downtown San Francisco.

In addition to these statewide implications, AB 1419 will improve Bay Area transportation significantly. Many of our over 500 members work in downtown San Francisco or commute to or from the Peninsula and East Bay. Currently, we face major delays due to poor connections between East Bay buses, Peninsula rail service, and downtown. This huge gap in the transportation network will be closed when Caltrain is extended to downtown San Francisco. AB 1419 is key to completing this extension. In addition, regional and transbay bus service will be significantly improved with a modern, high-capacity terminal.

AB 1419 lays the groundwork for modernizing the entire state's transit network while reducing both statewide air traffic and highway gridlock in the San Francisco Bay Region. With the Transbay Terminal facility in place, High Speed Rail will be more successful and transit-oriented development will be encouraged. And improved access to regional and inter-city service for San Francisco transit users will make travel without a car much more attractive, reducing regional and statewide auto traffic, pollution, and sprawl.

We urge you to sign AB1419 as soon as possible, to help us make this key improvement to San Francisco's transportation system a reality. Thank you very much!

Sincerely,


Andrew Sullivan
Chairman, Steering Committee
Rescue Muni

cc: Peninsula Rail 2000 Fax: 408-732-8712