Dublin Chamber Of Commerce: Valley Link Hires Kevin Sheridan To Fill Deputy Executive Director Post

Press release from the Dublin Chamber of Commerce:

June 15, 2021

Livermore, CA, June 10, 2021 – The Tri-Valley – San Joaquin Valley Regional Rail Authority (Valley Link) Board of Directors this week approved the hiring of Kevin Sheridan to fill the agency’s Deputy Executive Director/Program Manager position. Sheridan comes to the Valley Link project with over twenty years working in transportation project delivery, from project inception to construction completion. Since 2017, he has served as Director, Capital Projects Program for the San Joaquin Regional Rail Commission (ACE Rail). Prior to his employment with ACE, Sheridan worked in project management positions with the San Joaquin County Council of Governments for 10 years and with Caltrans for seven years.

In introducing the recommended action, Tracy Mayor Pro Tem Veronica Vargas, who serves as Chair of the Valley Link Board, said “I had the pleasure last week to meet with Kevin and was personally impressed by his skill level, his knowledge, and how passionate he is about this project. He has been working for quite some time in the industry and he is very well respected. I think he will be the person to take us to the finish line on this project.”

Michael Tree, Valley Link’s Executive Director, recommended the hiring to the Valley Link Board, noting that “Among the outstanding candidates we interviewed, what really stood out about Keven was three things. First, he is currently overseeing $1.5 billion in rail construction projects for the San Joaquin Regional Rail Authority so he has experience managing projects similar in magnitude to Valley Link. Second, he has had extensive experience working with Union Pacific (UP) Railroad and that relationship will be vital in developing the part of the project that is in UP right of way. Finally, Kevin managed highway projects while at Caltrans and that experience will be essential in designing the part of the project that falls in the I-580 median.” The 42-mile 7-station Valley Link commuter rail service will provide 74 daily round trips and is expected to carry more than 33,000 daily riders by 2040. The project is expected to result in the reduction of approximately 141 million vehicle miles traveled per year by 2040, which will significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The first Valley Link trains could be placed into service in 2028. 

More about the Tri-Valley – San Joaquin Valley Regional Rail Authority The Tri-Valley – San Joaquin Valley Regional Rail Authority was created by the California Legislature in 2017 with the passage of Assembly Bill 758, co-authored by Assemblywoman Catharine Baker, R-San Ramon and Assemblywoman Susan Eggman, D-Stockton. The authority’s primary purpose is to plan, develop and deliver cost-effective transit connectivity between the San Joaquin Valley and the Bay Area.

The Authority is governed by a Board of Directors appointed by its 15-member agencies, including: the Town of Danville, the cities of San Ramon, Dublin, Pleasanton, Livermore, Tracy, Manteca, Lathrop and Stockton, the Mountain House Community Services District, the counties of Alameda and San Joaquin, the Livermore Amador Valley Transit Authority (LAVTA), the San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) and the Altamont Corridor Express (ACE). The proposed Valley Link project includes seven stations along 42 miles of track, connecting the existing Dublin/Pleasanton BART Station to the proposed ACE North Lathrop Station. Trains would be scheduled to allow for convenient transfers to BART. The first Valley Link trains could be placed into service in 2028.

Valley Link will carry 33,000 passengers a day in 2040, reducing vehicle miles travelled by 141 million each year, and eliminating between 33,000 to 42,000 metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) per year depending on the vehicle technology selected. Currently, the Regional Rail Authority is considering four technologies that include two zero emission technologies; battery/electric and hydrogen.

The passenger rail project will have a significant impact on the regional economy. A recent Economic Impact Study performed by PGH Wong found that during construction Valley Link will create 22,000 jobs with an economic impact on the region of $3.5 billion. Additionally, during service, Valley Link will create 400 jobs and an economic impact of $69 million per year.

Additional information on the Tri-Valley – San Joaquin Valley Regional Rail Authority, is available on the Regional Rail Authority’s website at www.valleylinkrail.com. 

This press release was produced by the Dublin Chamber of Commerce. The views expressed here are the author’s own.