MONTEREY CO., Calif. - The Transportation Agency For Monterey County is one step closer to building a new light rail system between Marina and Monterey.
The T.A.M.C. voted Wednesday to move forward with building light rail instead of going with a new bus line service. The agency said light rail would be quieter, more efficient and be able to transport more people.
According to Don Bachman, Deputy Executive Director of the T.A.M.C., the first phase of the light rail system would run along the old railroad route, starting in North Marina and ending up at Monterey's Portola Plaza. Eventually, it would expand to Castroville and Salinas. The old railroad was owned by Union Pacific Railroad before the T.A.M.C. purchased a portion of it in 2003.
"If you look at the traffic going into Monterey, well it's bad," said Bachman. "Operating a public transit service, we think, would attract riders away from Highway 1 and relieve some of that congestion," he added.
Not everyone, however, is thrilled with the concept which would place the light rail close to the Monterey Bay Coastal Recreation Trail.
"It's going to add noise, it's going to add trains going back and forth along this heavily used bike path," said Fred Bahr.
Bachman, however, said the agency plans to use deisel-electric hybrid rail cars which are much quieter than vehicle traffic.
The T.A.M.C. now plans to seek federal funding for the project. In order to qualify, it's moving forward with an environmental review process. The agency's goal is to have the first phase of the project built and up and running by 2015.
