Merced officials and local stakeholders told the California High-Speed Rail Authority board on Thursday that a supplemental project update released Aug. 22 that suggested resequencing Merced from the initial operating segment left the city and county feeling "abandoned." Frank Quintero, deputy city manager for the City of Merced, and other speakers pressed the authority to restore consistent communication and partnership.

The exchange came during the board's public comment period, as Merced leaders and community representatives asked the board to reaffirm commitments to the Merced station and to include Merced in planning conversations going forward.

Why it matters: Merced officials say the station is a regional connector to UC Merced and to year-round transit to Yosemite National Park, and that excluding Merced from the initial operating segment could reduce the project's early utility and local buy-in.

At the meeting, Frank Quintero said Merced had long acted as a partner to high-speed rail and that "As a partner, Merced felt abandoned" when the Aug. 22 report was released without prior notice to the city. Dalia Costa, speaking on behalf of Merced County, told the board Merced is "uniquely positioned" as a gateway to Yosemite and as home to UC Merced and asked for "more consistent, transparent conversations with our team." Curtis Thomas, a Merced resident who called in by phone, said removing Merced from the initial Valley operating segment would leave the new service as "a literal high speed train to nowhere" if many early stops are limited to temporary bus connections.

Stacy Guzman, who identified herself as executive director of the Merced County Association of Governments, emphasized local multimodal connections: the planned Merced station would link high-speed rail to ACE and Amtrak San Joaquins at a single location and provide a transfer point for the Yosemite Area Regional Transportation System. "We just really encourage you to continue to work with the Merced community to find a path forward for the preservation of our station," Guzman said.

Board members acknowledged the comments during the meeting's public comment segment and said they would take the concerns seriously. The board's agenda later addressed the program baseline and budget (see separate article) but the public comments were recorded during the public comment period; no formal board action on station sequencing occurred during the meeting.

The issue of Merced's inclusion has recurred in earlier briefings and in local media; Merced speakers asked the authority to restore direct outreach and to involve local leaders earlier in any potential schedule or sequencing changes.

For reference, Merced speakers at the meeting included Frank Quintero (Deputy City Manager, City of Merced), Dalia Costa (representing Merced County), Stacy Guzman (Executive Director, Merced County Association of Governments), Curtis Thomas (Merced resident), and David Schwagel (Vang Incorporated Consulting Engineers), who all spoke during the public-comment portion.