(rshsdepot) Martinez, CA

["Bernie Wagenblast" <brwagenblast_@_home.com>]

Railroad station opens in Martinez
Amtrak's seventh busiest stop in state

By Dwight King-Leatham
STAFF WRITER - San Mateo County Times


MARTINEZ -- A new train station -- one that even looks like a train
station -- is having its grand opening here this morning.
Even with its classic architecture that includes canopied benches, Amtrak's
newest station is hardly the only reason for celebrating.
Motorists bound for the city's waterfront are accustomed to lining up at the
track crossing on Ferry Street. The $31 million project built sidetracks to
reduce the waiting time for drivers at the crossing.
About 30 passenger trains stop at the station each day to let passengers on
and off at Amtrak's seventh busiest California station. With its completion,
riders will disembark at an 800-foot platform.
The station has enough new parking for 160 vehicles, new bicycle lockers,
special lots for car-poolers and bus bays for BART buses and other lines.
With a large, lighted, circular clock, the Martinez station is designed to
resemble the Oakland station with its long, canopied benches and high
ceilings reminiscent of times when most travel was by passenger rail,
Pearson said.
The improved station comes none too soon either, with a 23-percent increase
in the number of riders traveling through Martinez since 1999. Last year,
more than 280,000 were served at the station, according to Amtrak.
Today's featured speaker is Caltrans Director Jeff Morales, scheduled for 10
a.m. at ceremonies in downtown Martinez at 601 Marina Vista St. Joining him
are state Sen. Tom Torlakson, D-Antioch, and Assemblyman Joe Canciamilla,
D-Pittsburg.
At 11 a.m. the entertainment begins. The Alhambra High School band will
perform and a few clowns will perform. Food from the Hot Dog Depot will be
available and from the Amtrak dining car, which will have some sample dining
car desserts.
The project has been a long time coming.
About 1990, the first $2 million for the project came from the Contra Costa
Transportation Authority, established when voters approved county Measure C
in 1988. BART also put up $2 million and the rest of the money came from a
number of agencies which included Caltrans, the California Transportation
Commission, Union Pacific Railroad, the Federal Highway Administration and
the Bay Area Air Quality Management District.
Richard Pearson, project manager for the city of Martinez, said yearly
rainfall flooding over the tracks and tidal back-flows caused delays in the
project. The problem was finally fixed when Union Pacific Railroad bought
out Southern Pacific Railroad, he said.

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