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BACKGROUND In the summer of 2006, the City of Livermore formed the Tri-Valley Regional Rail Working Group (TRWG). Made up of both technical and policy advisory committees, this group met periodically to identify regional rail issues, develop a consensus vision statement for rail priorities, and to ensure cooperative interaction with the efforts of both BART to Livermore and the California High Speed Rail project. The TRWG policy advisory committee was made up of elected officials or directors of all of the Tri-Valley cities, Alameda County, BART, LAVTA, the Altamont Commuter Express (ACE), the Metropolitan Transportation Commission, and others. The TRWG was successful in focusing the California High Speed Rail Authority's attention on planning improvements to ACE train service through the Altamont Corridor to provide faster, more frequent trips, as well as a platform connection to a future BART extension to Livermore. The group ended their meetings in 2009 subsequent to certification of the BART to Livermore Program EIR by the BART Board of Directors. In September of 2015, a presentation on the ACE Forward planning efforts was provided to the LAVTA Board by Dan Leavitt, Manager of Regional Initiatives at ACE. The presentation outlined many of the opportunities and challenges relating to passenger rail improvements in the near future for the Tri-Valley, including the future intermodal connection of ACE and BART. At the conclusion, Board Member Scott Haggerty asked for a future agenda item that would create a new Tri-Valley regional advisory group similar to previous working group. The LAVTA Board has now formally established the Tri-Valley Regional Rail Advisory Group. DISCUSSION As currently envisioned, the goal of the Advisory Group will be to ensure that regional rail planning in the Tri-Valley leads to project implementation that is fast, cost-effective and responsive to community goals and objectives. Areas of focus will include the review of plans for the interregional rail connection to ACE, the Phase 1 BART to Isabel Avenue/I-580 project, and improved rail connectivity throughout the Bay Area and Northern California Mega Region. The next step for member Agencies of the Advisory Group is to select a representative that will attend bi-monthly Advisory Group meetings. Submitted by: Approved by: AY4 Brian Dolan Nelson Fialho Assistant City Manager City Manager Page 2 of 2