Vol 1 Issue 1
NOVEMBER 2021
Sequoia Station: A Once-in-a-Generation Transit Opportunity
Welcome to the first edition of Reimagining Sequoia Station, a newsletter highlighting the many local and regional benefits the Sequoia Station mixed-use development project will help make possible. This first edition focuses on the project’s transit benefits – and how redevelopment will help Caltrain achieve its long-term service expansion plan.
Sequoia Station is a frequently used but outdated and car-centric shopping center. The redevelopment of the Sequoia Station Shopping Center is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to become a regional transit, jobs, and community hub by dedicating an expanded right of way to Caltrain, putting jobs directly on transit, reimagining neighborhood retail, as well as creating a vibrant and walkable public realm that connects to Downtown, and providing much-needed housing— including hundreds of affordable homes.
With each edition of Reimagining Sequoia Station, you will receive updates, have opportunities to shape the project, and learn how to take action to support Sequoia Station!
Don’t forget to forward this email to your friends and neighbors too!
Unlocking the Peninsula’s Transit Future
The redevelopment of Sequoia Station will reconfigure the current shopping center and dedicate to Caltrain the land needed to expand from two tracks to four in support of its 2040 Service Vision. This expansion will allow the Redwood City Caltrain station to become a mid-Peninsula transfer hub and implement grade separations critical to ensuring safety and reducing congestion.
Caltrain 2040 Service Vision
After substantial community outreach and planning, Caltrain adopted the 2040 Service Vision which calls for the expansion of rail service over the next 20-plus years to assure Caltrain continues to meet the growing mobility needs of the region. Once fully realized, the plan will provide higher frequencies of electrified rail service from Downtown San Francisco to Gilroy and support the ridership of 180,0000 daily Caltrain passengers. The increased capacity called for by the plan is equivalent to a reduction of 110 metric tons of GHG emissions every day and takes nearly a million vehicle miles off Bay Area roads. The Service Vision employs an equity framework and will deliver regional transit benefits including:
- Increased Service Frequency
- Reduced Travel Times
- Increased Ridership and Capacity
- Environmental Benefits
- Better Transfers to Connecting Services
- Fewer cars on the roads
- Benefits to Riders and the Region
The Service Vision identifies the need for a four-track mid-Peninsula transfer hub – and Redwood City is best suited for this station due to its high ridership, land use densities and potential connection to the future Dumbarton crossing.
The Sequoia Station redevelopment would help achieve the Caltrain 2040 Service Vision. Redevelopment of the shopping center will reconfigure the current parcel to provide Caltrain with the 1 acre of right-of-way required for track expansion, at no expense to the City or Caltrain.
Sequoia Station is currently home to a Safeway and CVS. As part of Lowe’s proposed reconfiguration of the site, these two buildings will move toward El Camino Real at the developer’s cost. In the absence of Lowe’s project, Caltrain would need to buy a portion of land currently occupied by Safeway and CVS or consider other locations for the mid-peninsula transfer hub.
By comparison, the Sequoia Station project team will preserve Safeway and CVS and ensure these community assets remain operational throughout construction. Redwood City can retain a local retail hub and upgrade its transportation infrastructure by redeveloping Sequoia Station.
Caltrain Survey
Caltrain wants to hear your opinion! Caltrain is partnering with EMC Research, a local, independent market research company to conduct a survey of Caltrain riders to gather opinions about Caltrain and its service. Your opinions will be used for research purposes only and your responses will remain completely confidential.
Please click below to take the Caltrain rider survey. Thank you for your participation!
Community Events
Sequoia Station will provide important transportation benefits to Redwood City, and collaboration with local leaders along with feedback from our community will remain key priorities throughout this public planning process. With each newsletter edition, we will highlight opportunities for community members to hear from the Sequoia Station project team, attend community events and participate in public hearings related to transportation and project planning.
November 7: Casa Círculo Cultural and The San Mateo County History Museum: Festival de Ofrendas 2021
The Sequoia Station project team is pleased to sponsor this year’s Festival of Altars. Casa Círculo Cultural and The San Mateo County History Museum are inviting the community to build a Día de Los Muertos altar for the Altar Exhibit inside of the museum. We invite attendees to stop by the Sequoia Station booth to learn more and meet a member of the project team.
November 20: ART on the Square’s 6th Annual Holiday Show in the San Mateo County History Museum
The Sequoia Station project team is a proud sponsor of the 2021 ART on the Square. This year’s Annual Holiday Show will take place in the San Mateo County History Museum in Downtown Redwood City. Find a gift for everyone on your holiday shopping list from local artists selling their creations – admission is free!
Fall 2021 – RWC Walk Bike Thrive Draft Project Plans
RWC Walk Bike Thrive is an initiative of the City of Redwood City to improve walking and biking conditions and to increase traffic safety citywide. After looking at current conditions and getting input from the community in the past few months, the project team is identifying specific improvement projects and programs. The projects and programs will make our streets and intersections safer for everyone, create seamless multi-modal connections, encourage more active transportation, and make walking and biking more pleasant and popular than ever before.
To learn more about RWC Walk Bike Thrive, to sign up for project updates and announcements, and to complete the survey for the second round of outreach, visit RWCwalkbikethrive.org. You may also email the project team at info@RWCwalkbikethrive.org
We Want to Hear From You
As a reminder, the Sequoia Station team is available to meet and provide project updates to interested community members. If you have any questions or would like to request a presentation from the project team, please email sequoiacentervision@gmail.com or visit sequoiacentervision.com.
Sincerely,
Alan Chamorro
Lowe
Andrea Osgood
Eden Housing
