Advocacy Groups Continue Search for Caltrain Solutions

Friends of Caltrain, a grassroots organization campaigning against service cuts to Caltrain, reported 800 letters had been sent to policy makers and the “Save Our Caltrain” summit had generated over 80 new ideas.

Two-hundred people gathered at the summit on Jan. 29 to find ways to combat the cuts. They submitted ideas such as San Francisco Giants and San Jose Sharks benefit games, and asking surrounding counties for funding before imposting a long-term solution of a dedicated tax.

"We're optimistic about our long-term solutions," PCJPB Executive Director Michael Scanlon said.

Despite the public's suggestions, the board declared a fiscal emergency at its Feb. 3 meeting and considered service suspensions and station closures. It decided to hold another public meeting on March 3 to combat the $30 million deficit facing Caltrain.

The cuts would reduce the weekday schedule by nearly half and dedicate the remaining trains to commuters. The weekend timetable would be eliminated completely. The cuts also include a 25-cent increase to the base fare and the closure of up to seven stations. A $5 million deficit will remain even after these measures are implemented. The official proposal is available on the Caltrain website and would take effect July 2.

There is still no official short-term solution and the public hearings are legally required for the Caltrain to move towards the service suspension.

“We hope to come up with a solution but we need to call these public hearings,” San Mateo Supervisor Adrienne Tissier said.

The budget shortfall is in large part because the transport agency SamTrans is unable to provide Caltrain with funding. Caltrain’s operations are funded through the City and County of San Francisco, the San Mateo County Transit District and the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority.

“It has been well known for many years that this is coming,” Scanlon said. “I think we’ve looked under every rock there is.”

Scanlon is also the general manager of SamTrans.

“SamTrans is in trouble,” he said.

SamTrans is facing a deficit that will force it to cut service in half within the next three years. Providing the funding to keep Caltrain running regularly would force it to close the bus system down and SamTrans took on long-term debt in order to extend the Bart system, Scanlon said.

Still, he asked the board to recognize the value of Caltrain riders.

“None of these are numbers. These are people. These are families,” Scanlon said.

Jeff Carter of Burlingame addressed the board to stress the importance of Caltrain in his daily life and urged the board to find a solution.

“I can lose my job because there’s no service to my area, “ he said.

Burlingame is one of the seven stations being considered for closure.

Along with displaced riders, other issues include the environmental and economic impact of the service cuts. With fewer opportunities to ride the train, more highway traffic is inevitable. The board said this would bring about more spending on highway construction, more air pollution and more deaths.

“Our society is, frankly, unenlightened,” Scanlon said. “We do the math on one product and pretend the other product is free.”

Caltrain will hold public meetings before the next PCJPB meeting. The meetings are meant to introduce the proposal to the public and get feedback. 

They will be held:

Feb. 14 at 7 p.m. in the San Jose City Hall, 200 East Santa Clara St., city council chambers, San Jose

Feb. 16 at 6 p.m. at the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency, 1 South Van Ness, Atrium, San Francisco.

Feb. 17 at 6 p.m. at the Gilroy Senior Center 7371 Hanna St. Gilroy

Feb. 17 at 6 p.m. at the San Mateo County Transit District, 1250 San Carlos Ave., second floor auditorium, San Carlos