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Merced officials and residents urge High‑Speed Rail Authority to keep Merced in Phase 1
Summary
At the California High‑Speed Rail Authority board meeting Oct. 9, multiple Merced elected officials, business owners and residents urged the board to keep the downtown Merced station in the Phase 1 Merced–Bakersfield operating segment, citing local investment, university growth and a state funding commitment.
At the California High‑Speed Rail Authority board meeting Oct. 9, Merced officials, business leaders and residents urged the board to keep Merced in Phase 1 of the system’s construction, saying the city has planned and invested on the expectation the downtown station would be built early.
Mayor Matt Salvato said Merced is “deep in advanced planning stages” for a downtown station and described local outreach and investor interest. “We’re committed to being great partners,” Salvato said, adding that Merced’s population grew about 16.6% in the last five years and that a downtown station would support transit‑oriented growth.
Several Merced officials and residents said they felt blindsided by recent planning documents that suggested resequencing Merced out of the first…
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