SamTrans to study building a bus-only lane connecting Dumbarton Bridge with several cities on the Peninsula

San Mateo County public transit operators have approved $5 million to study the possibility of building a bus-only lane parallel to a long abandoned railway, a move that would connect the Dumbarton Bridge with several cities on the Peninsula.

SamTrans will use Regional Measure 3 money for a feasibility study, including community outreach, developing alternatives to a dedicated bus lane,, completing an environmental review and starting design work on the project.

The study area includes the rail corridor between the Redwood City Caltrain station to the west and University Avenue in East Palo Alto to the east, as well as the area half a mile around the rail corridor.

The busway could ultimately connect the Dumbarton Bridge to Redwood City, passing through Menlo Park, East Palo Alto and North Fair Oaks along the way. A pedestrian or bike path could be included in the project as well.

SamTrans says public transit in that area is badly needed because more than 40% of nearby households are low-income, single-parent homes account for 23% of families, and 22% of households have trouble paying for basic necessities, such as rent.

“The project would be transformative for communities that SamTrans designates as priorities for significant mobility improvements,’’ according to a SamTrans staff report. “The project will enhance east-west transit access to communities on both sides of the Dumbarton Rail Corridor, including access to high-frequency regional transportation services on either end of the corridor.”

The Dumbarton Rail Bridge was built in 1910 by a paper subsidy of Southern Pacific, and was the first bridge to be built across San Francisco Bay, according to the Bayrail Alliance

The line primarily carried freight trains, but from 1912 to at least 1918, it provided transbay passenger service, the Bayrail Alliance said. Rail traffic stopped in the mid-1980; in 1994, San Mateo County acquired the rail bridge and the rail right of way from Southern Pacific for future use.

Construction on the project could start as early as 2030.