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Members of the Board-
I wanted to call your attention to two very critical matter facing the future of Mendocino County’s transportation network.
The first concerns the North Coast Rail Authority (NCRA), a group that even Senator McGuire labeled as “the center of controversy on the North Coast [for the past 30 years],” and that has wasted more than $141M of taxpayer money. The NCRA has now been rebranded as the Great Redwood Trail Agency (GRTA), but this name change hasn’t ended any of the controversy. Because while the GRTA plans to leave the NWP’s tracks in place south of the Mendocino County border—so the people and businesses south of that border can benefit from both rails and trails, the GRTA has decided to deny those benefits to the people and businesses of Mendocino County. So, even though there is room for both rails and trails in Mendocino County too, the GRTA has chosen to forevermore cut Mendocino County off from our country’s national railroad network. Even more bizarrely, not only do some of Mendocino County’s political leadership seem okay with that, some are even helping the GRTA accomplish their goal. Isn’t it time for Mendocino County to stop being a doormat, to stand up and demand the same benefits for its people and businesses that the people and businesses of Sonoma and Marin will enjoy?
Second, in order to more easily achieve its plan to cut Mendocino County off from our national railroad network, the GRTA has announced that it intends to force the abandonment of Mendocino Railway’s California Western Railroad / Skunk Train. If they succeed, they will have killed a railroad that has served, and bound together, the communities of Willits and Fort Bragg for 139years; a railroad that even today has customers interested in shipping 400-500 railcars of freight between our two cities, shipments that would remove nearly 2,000 trucks from Highway 20 each year. And this is just one example of the railroad freight opportunities that the NCRA (and now the GRTA) has negligently – or intentionally – prevented for more than two decades now. The NCRA and GRTA have insisted that freight rail won’t work in Mendocino County not because there isn’t demand for it, but solely because they have been too incompetent to carry it out and too jealous of their fiefdom to allow anyone else to do so.
Freight trains move millions of tons of goods and materials across our national railroad network every day, reducing road congestion, improving road safety, and avoiding the greenhouse gas and other pollution produced by trucks. Trains can move one ton of freight nearly 500 miles on just 1 gallon of fuel; not even a Prius achieves that efficiency. Our State Legislature and Governor have mandated that California must by 2030 reduce its GHG emissions to 1990 levels. How is Mendocino County going to do that if our leaders have allowed the GRTA to rip out our county’s only remaining connection to our national railroad network?
And why now? Why cut Mendocino County off from our national railroad network at the very same time that the Biden administration has just launched a campaign to reconnect communities that have lost transportation opportunities, creating the Reconnecting Communities Institute, the Reconnecting Communities and Neighborhoods Program, and awarding $3.3 billion to help reconnect communities that were divided by past transportation decisions? The GRTA’s efforts to cut Mendocino County off from our national railroad network seem to be doing exactly the opposite of what our federal government is seeking to accomplish. The GRTA’s efforts seem especially inexplicable when Mendocino Railway has repeatedly offered to move the bureaucrats out of the way and just fix the NWP’s line in Mendocino County, being just as repeatedly blocked by first the NCRA, and now the GRTA, as they simply don’t want to see the railroad restored.
By building its trail on top of the existing tracks, the GRTA pays lip service to the idea that they are “preserving” rail opportunities. This is a red herring, since out of the thousands of “preserved” lines across the United States, only a handful have ever been reopened. Nor is it likely that the NWP will be reopened after the GRTA has spent up to $1,000,000 per mile to bury them underneath a trail. The GRTA’s slick political maneuver is to hide behind the fictional notion of rail preservation, so the GRTA doesn’t have to return the underlying land to its original landowners, while at the same time ensuring that the land will never be used for railroad purposes again. It’s a lie intended to fool the gullible. And the leaders of Mendocino County should be ashamed if they fall for it.
A trail where 55 or fewer daily users going through Mendocino County costs the county its rail future and its #1 tourist attraction.
Two members of this board are on the GRTA’s board. I can understand why Caryl Hart and Senator Mike McGuire don’t care about the people and businesses of Mendocino County as they live in wealthy Sonoma County. But why is this board, and those of its members on the GRTA’s board, helping them hurt the people and businesses of Mendocino County? If you won’t stand up for your constituents, who will? Why abandon your own constituents in favor of those of Marin and Sonoma County?
Not only are railroads far safer and more efficient than trucks, they are also far more environmentally friendly than trucks. And our company is one of the most environmentally friendly railroads in our nation, winning numerous environmental awards. Our sister company, Sierra Northern Railway, is even now building zero-emission hydrogen locomotives. We want to continue investing in Mendocino County, improve both its industry and environment, something this board, and especially some of its members, seem uninterested in.
I encourage the board to act, to announce its opposition to the GRTA’s plans, to oppose the GRTA’s efforts to force the abandonment of the CWR line so that it can more easily cut Mendocino County off from our national railroad network, and to replace those representatives who sit on the GRTA’s board and willingly turn their backs on the people and businesses of Mendocino County for the benefit of millionaires living in Marin and Sonoma County. It’s still not too late to prevent this catastrophe for our people and businesses.
Respectfully,
Robert
Robert Jason Pinoli
President & CEO – Mendocino Railway
Robert, If rail transport and shipping within Mendocino county was cost effective wouldn’t it still be in use following the collapse of its use for logging? It seems like the infrastructure would have been maintained and repaired. Didn’t Ole skunky not even have the assets to qualify for a bid on a grant loan to repair the tracks for “shipping”? Wasn’t the cost projection for train shipping much higher than current truck shipping rates? Its seems like you’re upset that you lost your hail marry bid to expand your tourist train under the guise of eminent domain for a shipping entity.
Rebuilding the right of way for foot traffic rather than fixing them for train traffic seems much cheaper and doest that still bank the “right of way” easements at the same time? There are severals spots in redwood valley alone where there are currently no support under the rails where it washed out at the very least there will end up being some earth under the tracks.
As a Redwood valley resident and not a “Marin or Sonoma constituent” who is also a cyclist and backpacker Im stoked for this trail. Theres currently no “safe” roadway to ride from redwood valley to Ukiah or Willits aside from tomki. Loads of people I meet yearly in the Sierra backcounty are from the bay area. A lot of these people will use the Great Redwood trail to train for longer hikes over the winter. Furthermore, I would argue the trail will become a greater tourist attraction than your train and probably increase use of your tourist train as people hike through.
Certain influential community members here in Mendo don’t like gas stations, parking lots, or ? s whether they are for freight or people. Ukiah has a remodeled train station but no trains. Redwood valley fights tooth and nail to stop retail establishments from forming. How do you expect people hiking ? to spur your economy in Mendocino and in your case, Redwood valley?
Trains are expensive but they also epircally are known to expand the economy of the regional areas. Hiking trails look more like a gamble than the train does if you are expecting economic growth ? in redwood valley. The trail looks like a vanity project more than an actually economic driver just like the historical preservation of the palace hotel.
What I tend to see in Mendo politics is more nimby (bad faith) nonsense. Certain influential members want rich (Bay area) people coming up here but not working class people. The people that actually spend money and work on the communities are people with families and jobs. Mendo /Ukiah already has a weak labor market and an empty downtown core area due to the same nonsense this rail banking boondoggle will likely be. I’m not against the trail but I don’t want this to act as a replacement to the rail network already in place. If people here are really for reducing cars, parking lots, pollution, greenhouse gases, and gas stations, this community should leave a clear opening for the rail network coming up from Sonoma. I don’t see clarity around the trail and rail connection which is concerning. Many want to rail bank the tracks when they should see the trail running alongside the tracks as a better long term solutions to transportation in Mendo.
I am all in favor of rail, especially passenger rail, and I would be delighted if SMART came on up to Ukiah and possibly Willits. I think that re-building the tracks through to Eureka and Arcata would be difficult because they run through the Eel River canyon. I feel that rail banking this stretch is a good idea. Rail banking would preserve the corridor with existing bridges, tunnels etc., and would prevent abandonment and break-up of the corridor. Interested people can find a discussion of rail banking here:
https://www.railstotrails.org/trail-building-toolbox/railbanking/
The Skunk Train is a tourist train and has been since I moved to Mendocino County in 1973. As such it is and should remain a private enterprise maintained with private capital. If the owners want to fix the tunnel and maintain the rest of the line they are welcome to do so with their own funds. They have no connection to the national rail network and they should not be permitted the use of eminent domain in acquiring anything. They should be following all established permitting processes.
Hi Tom,
Eureka and Arcata connecting to Marin would be a huge motivator for the rail’s existence and more reason to get the funding for it from the feds and state. There is already a university in Arcata and a sizable settlement of people that could utilize the rail in Humboldt. The larger the volume of users the more the rail strengthens the economy in this region. Less gas usage, parking lots, gas stations, and short plane rides. Plus more businesses built around the rail line instead of the automobile corridors. Most of these towns were built along the rail when logging was the main economic driver. Many of these towns are centralized around the rail road which is why it would be the perfect fit to get a passenger rail to connect the entire corridor again. Most of Ukiah is a walk or bike ride away from the train station. Same for Willits, Fort Bragg, and Eureka.
The Skunk Train is located at the middle of Fort Bragg and would give residents vitally important access to county resources and access to much more of the county. The Mendocino and local governments need to understand that this trail will not hold its worth AND the Skunk Train can no longer be trusted in private hands. The cars and engine need to be removed from the track and preserved and a major investment, which California has actively been allocating every year recently, has to be put into track repair and lighter, modern passenger rail. So much of the area is forest, I would even believe creating new right-of-ways would be possible, in collaboration with the different tribes around the county, of course.
Mendocino Railway supports trails and actually builds trails along their lines. From the start, they have advocated for Trail & Rail. The problem is that the GRTA has refused to do both in Mendocino, while doing both in Sonoma and Marin. And while they talk about preserving the opportunity for rail, they are going to build their trail that costs up to $1,000,000 per mile on top of the track. Once you do that, you’re never going to tear up the trail to unbury the rail. For the Cloverdale – Ukiah – Willits section, build the trail 25′ to the side and preserve the incredible economic and environmental potential of rail.
? Exactly. Rail banking the tracks is economic suicide to this county and region.
Exactly, I agree.
Great idea
I’m a 5th gen local…and I never use the rail trail, the skunk train or shop on School Street for fun while looking at the Palace. I’m serious never. I go to school street cause my child does Jiu Jitsu at the Brazilian martial arts academy there. Cool place.
All that needs to happen in order to give our county that attractive hometown vibe?. .. is to give over the designing and planning to some moms. Your train is obsolete. Your rail trail is not yet safe to let a kid walk on alone.
Morning bun, where do you shop for groceries? Buy gas ?? Or maybe go to movies? Instead of being a contrarian, maybe put forward a constructive suggestion for local Moms.
I love the Skunk Train and it provides jobs for local families. There are a lot of people who depend on the Skunk Train. I think the county should pay for the repair of the collapsed tunnel. The reason that I say this is, Fort Bragg is very isolated. Having railway accessibility could help if there was an instance that the few routes in and out were obstructed. With Navarro river flooding every year and the potential for massive land slides on Hwy 20 and other roadways. In case of emergency it wouldn’t be a bad idea to have a train that could transport food and supplies.
Yes! I agree. A route from the sea to inland Mendocino County should be a priority for visit Mendocino, providing jobs, moving essential goods, supplies, and in case of emergency. Whatever that may be.
Put the county on the hook for the 6-8 million and then assure me that the railroad will be less likely to have washouts during a storm. 1 train to carry everyone out of town at the same time?
Doesn’t seem like a good proposition to me.
Prove to me that people are going to use the trail… Sure, anything that could happen to the roadways could happen to the tracks. I think proposing a trail that stretches hundreds of miles is a better use of tax money than clearing a tunnel to add another avenue for accessing a community (not really). There are thousands of things I could think of that could benefit society over a trail that will require tons of maintenance and policing. This is going to be another homeless gathering ground.
Plain and simple, I used to put pennie’s on the tracks and wait for the train to pass by and flatten them. I’m in my 40’s now. Me and my son go on the Skunk train at least twice a year. There are always other patrons enjoying the ride and the scenery. It’s too bad that it was purchased by money hungry people trying to take advantage of community members. But, I think the train adds a nice touch to our community.
You kind of lost all credibility with me when you attempted to steal John Meyer’s land.
It’s too bad Robert Pinoli has zero credibility in this community any more. There are probably some valid points in this letter but who wants to fact check every claim he makes.
As far as I can see Skunk Train and the proposed trail both kind of suck.
I saw that the skunk wants to use old fashion railway ties soaked in creosote. At 70% less they could use ties made from recycled old car tires or use the recycled plastic ties.
Steam engines are an obsolete form of transportation, like horses. When was the last time anyone did a store run on their horse anyway? Purely recreation for those that can afford it. Make the skunk lands into a state park for the public………… with multi-use trails and emergency corridors.
Our country was built on horseback and steam engines. Most of us depend on our cars and trucks, but what if we had no gas/diesel? Many generations of locals and tourists enjoy the trains. We want people to spend their time and money at our hotels, businesses, and wineries. It provides job?
Yes, Tourism is bringing a ton of money to our communities. Why would people support taking away a tourist attraction? Not only that but the Skunk Train encourages locals to go and ride the train/rail bikes. They even offer a hefty locals discount. This company has done everything to include the locals, not just draw in tourists.
First off, I love the Skunk Train and really wish them well. But even if the GRT money was spent in rehabbing the rail line and making it usable again, it’s doubtful Mendocino Railway would use it. They’re pushing it not to benefit the environment or open up business opportunities for all, but to generate profit for themselves – which is not really unreasonable for a business.
The idea, though, of them becoming a successful shipping and passenger line is most likely pie in the sky and ultimately would not be profitable enough. In the bigger picture, whether they use it or not, though, Mendocino Railroad needs a credible railway link to a larger network to justify its claim to be a “public utility” and thus qualify to exercise eminent domain to acquire land, as well as claim immunity from any local or state zoning laws for property they own.
This is particularly important given their acquisition of the GP millsite property on the coast of Fort Bragg. Perhaps if the Skunk Train were to sign a binding agreement to abide by the same permit and zoning rules that everyone else in Fort Bragg has to follow, they could drop the public utility claim and proceed with their development plans and still make plenty of money without that outdated exemption. They won’t make as much as they would if they could just steam roll any obstacle in their path with their railway claim, but it might regain some of the trust and affection of Fort Braggers that’s been lost because of their power grab on the millsite.
I think that this would be a great opportunity to boost Mendocino County’s economy. The county is in debt. It will welcome tourism and also employment opportunities to the locals. This will give the people of Mendocino who are not able to drive or have any other form of transportation access to a more reliable and efficient form of public transportation. I always see people who are elderly or disabled on the fb community groups asking if there are people who are able to offer them rides to Santa Rosa or SF. It will open up opportunities for people to possibly get employment out of the county (higher wages than Mendocino) or to other cities within Mendocino County. Less accidents on the road. The train depot can finally be used! We can have access to more goods, supplies and etc. especially during natural disasters. I think a trail will attract homeless encampments unless there are daily law enforcement patrols and maintenance made in the areas. GTR areas in Ukiah are full of garbage, overgrown weeds and encampments. This can be dangerous. I don’t see many people using this trail to backpack or bike across the county. I think expanding/ using existing track will be more beneficial to the locals and the economy of Mendocino County. Sonoma County uses their tracks for public transportation and for transporting goods. Mendocino County has so much potential especially the coast and Ukiah. Ukiah (the biggest city in Mendocino) is a stop on the to a destination and is rarely a chosen destination. So many missed opportunities like The Palace. The BOS always complain about having no money yet, they never want to approve anything that’ll help the County’s economic crisis. This is an investment and I think it will be a great one.
CC rider does multiple trips per day to Ukiah and Santa Rosa and then you can take bus or train to SF or to airport.
Do you think the the current old train will be a viable option for commuting to Ukiah?, Santa Rosa? SF? even if they had more than two trips a day. that outdated train will break down and just think of the emissions it will dump into the air.
I do agree about the bums squatting on the trail and the illegal grows that will pop up.
The route to Ukiah and Willits and beyond would be more likely coming from the already established Smart rail in Marin and Sonoma county. This is a modern passenger mover and not a steam locomotive.
Exactly! It wont be a steam locomotive. Do people not realize that we’ve moved on from that!
Bunk Train Blues Robert…geez.
First you start off blasting county and public agencies for wasting taxpayer money, but admit it your railway and its parent company are constantly demanding taxpayer subsidies. Come on man – that’s just being a hypocrite.
Second, this bogus claim that trains are inherently more environmental than every other form of transportation is just BUNK! The California Air Resources Board studied train vs truck emissions and came to the conclusion that for short lines like Mendocino Railway – trucks were better environmentally and would continue to be for the foreseeable future.
Third, you say there is some mysterious conspiracy by public officials to keep your railway from hauling between Fort Bragg and Willits. More BUNK! The truth is under your management the rail line deteriorate to a horrible state of disrepair – caved in tunnel, burnt train bridge, washouts, slides, etc. No public agency is keeping you from borrowing private money for your railway. But we all know that nobody in the private sector will lend you that money because it makes no businesses sense.
Time for the bunk train to move on down the line….
It seems to me that the tracks have been maintained lately. Washouts and slides are natural occurring things. I’ve been on the rail bikes and the train fairly recently, both east and west side of the collapse. I didn’t see anything that looked like track maintenance was being neglected.
To think public officials would sabotage a company is just out of this world thinking. Let’s face it… that would never happen…
Trains ? are way for efficient than trucks. If you are comparing the Mendocino rail with a collapsed tunnel than anything is more efficient when the train can’t move beyond the collapsed tunnel.
Second, all highways and railways get public funding in some form or another. It is normal for public dollars to get used to build public transit systems.
Gov’ts pick winners and losers all the time when it comes to manipulating the markets. I mean nepotism is a common action in the govt process so is lobbying. So yes, the BOS may have alternative motives to keep rail out of this region.
Forget using my tax dollars to fix your company’s obsolete rusting loser amusement ride on rails. Us my tax dollars to fix our roads, provide healthcare services, educate our kids, expand broad band internet and keep our neighborhoods safe & healthy. Frack the train, don’t need it and don’t want it.
Most likely your local tax dollars didn’t pay for any of this train. County roads lack funding since most roads in rural Mendo are funded locally by folks like yourself and are a big reason a modern train funded with state and federal money could make transportation easier in this huge county. It isn’t just the skunk ? but the train networks in general need to be maintained with or without a trail.
I agree. Have your great redwood trail but preserve the rail right-of-way at least to Willits for potential future use. Remember we really don’t know what the future has in store for transportation or industry in our rural area.