The first leg of a project that ultimately will provide Manteca and Lathrop residents with arguably the most robust commuter rail access in California in terms of being able to reach jobs could break ground as early as 2025.

The environmental report for the initial 22-mile phase of the Valley Link commuter rail project is being vetted during an open forum public hearing 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday, May 9, at the Mountain House Community Services District office in Mountain House.

There is also a virtual public hearing on Wednesday, May 15, from 2 to 3:30 p.m. Details can be found in an advertisement on page A3 of today’s Bulletin.

 The initial phase will connect the BART station in Dublin/Pleasanton with Mountain House. It will also include stations in Livermore as well as Isabel Avenue and Southfront Road.

The second phase will extend Valley Link to a major rail transfer center being developed in Lathrop on the southeast portion of the Sharpe Depot site just off Lathrop Road and adjacent to the Manteca city limits.

At that location, Valley Link riders can transfer to ACE trains.

In addition to current ACE service to San Jose, trains will be added in 2025 that will allow commuters to take ACE to downtown Sacramento and the growing Natomas employment center north of the American River.

ACE trains in the 2025 will start running from as far south as Ceres. Eventually ACE trains will connect with Turlock and Merced.

There will also be a Valley Link station, as part of the second phase, on River Islands at Lathrop where a transit village is planned on the edge of that community’s business park.

But even with initial Valley Link trains running between Mountain House and Dublin/Pleasanton, it will allow Manteca-Lathrop commutes that catch BART to drive only as far as Mountain House.

Unlike ACE, Valley Link will provide all-day, bi-directional service at 15-minute frequencies during peak commute periods with 45-minute frequencies at other times.

The system is projected to carry 30,000 riders each day by 2040.

Construction of the initial operating phase could start as early as 2025. Details regarding environmental review and design on this phase can be found at www.getvalleylinked.com.

When the second phase is in place. Manteca commuters will be able to catch an ACE train in downtown Manteca where ACE service starts in 2025 and transfer to Valley Link at the Lathrop station.

Manteca residents could also drive to the Lathrop station.

And when the initial hybrid California High Speed Rail Service is up and running, if you lived near downtown Manteca you could walk to the Moffat Boulevard transit center, catch an ACE train to Lathrop and then hop aboard an ACE Forward train that would take you to the high speed rail station in Merced and then onto Los Angeles.

Starting in 2025, you also will be able to take an ACE train from downtown Manteca to either San Jose or Sacramento.

The Valley Link projects goals are to:

*Improve connectivity within the Northern California Megaregion: connecting housing, people, and jobs.

*Provide rail connectivity between the San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District’s rapid transit system and the Altamont Corridor Express commuter service.

*Be a model of sustainability in the design, construction and operation of the system.

*Support the vision of the California State Rail Plan to connect the Northern California Megaregion to the State rail system.

To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com