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In response to strong community pressure, Caltrain is planning to replace the obsolete 2009 Memorandum of Understanding with High Speed Rail describing how Caltrain will work with High Speed Rail in the coming decades.
When Caltrain, High Speed Rail, MTC, and a coalition of funding partners agreed this past year to an “early investment package”, in which Caltrain electrification would be completed to help the area’s commuters and get ready for High Speed Rail, they signed a new Memorandum of Understanding outlining the terms of the investment, including the blended system. And Caltrain’s Joint Powers Board approved a resolution describing its role as the lead agency to plan and implement the blended system, and other protections for local communities.
But the new documents left the old 2009 agreement in place. And the old document is obsolete and wrong in multiple ways:
* it does not define Caltrain as the lead agency for the project, and instead defines an obsolete organizational structure
* it describes the ultimate configuration of the Caltrain corridor as a four-track fully grade-separated system in contradiction to the current blended system approach and in opposition to the strongly expressed desires of local communities
* it describes the design process as occurring “with consideration of the cities on the Peninsula” – a much weaker statement than Caltrain’s later statements that grade separation will occur only with the consent of the city whose streets are being grade-separated.
The High Speed Rail Authority plans to discuss the topic at its December 6 board meeting in Sacramento (see the staff report.)
The High Speed Rail Authority agrees that Caltrain should be the lead agency for Caltrain electrification and electronic signalling, but then wants to be the lead agency for further changes to the corridor such as passing tracks.
Friends of Caltrain is hosting a meeting to learn about these agreements and give Caltrain feedback on how the agreement should be updated. The event will be at the Menlo Park Public Library, 800 Alma Street, Menlo Park CA near the Menlo Park Caltrain station, on Wednesday December 12 at 6:00 pm.
What do you think? How should Caltrain and High Speed Rail work together on the blended system? Come share your thoughts in person, and add your ideas in comments below.
Caltrain really should’ve been more agressive with building grade separations 2000-2010. It built exactly nothing new in 10 years making for a really slow pace.
Especially the nasty spots in PA and MP where you get most suicides and car crashes. Although suicides can happen anywhere, you just don’t see them occurring in San Carlos / Belmont area where grade separations exist.
On the article, i don’t see why HSR guys want to lead building of extra tracks. Short of agreeing where the switches go, Caltrain already has public outreach down and setup whereas HSR would need to spend money to build that up.
And Marian Lee of Caltrain has done a good job of rebuilding trust with the local community, whereas there is lingering extreme distrust of the High Speed Rail Authority.
I thought Friends of Caltrain was meant to be impartial on the issue of HSR with their main objective being to advocate for a sustainable funding mechanism for Caltrain. As a regular Caltrain commuter I am 100% in support of 4-track ROW’s and grade separating all the crossings. That will be of great benefit to Caltrain, it’s passengers and the communities regardless of whether or not HSR gets built. The need for 4-track ROW the entire length of the line at this time might be debatable but the need to grade separate the crossings is not. The current situation is just ridiculous even without HSR. I am used to spending multiple hours in delays due to various “incidents” along the ROW or mechanical failures that put a whole wrench in the system due to the need for single tracking around stalled trains. For long term viability Caltrain should at the very least establish an easement for a future 4-track ROW to be built as needed. Caltrain has not always demonstrated the most intelligent decision making when it comes to planning for the future. In many cases I would welcome the CAHSRA taking a lead role on the peninsula. Caltrain’s planned CBOSS signaling system is a clear example of that. Millions upon millions of dollars down the drain for a system that will not be compatible with the international ERTMS standard CAHSR will adopt. In that situation Caltrain really should of listened to the CAHSRA and let them take the lead role. The money wasted could of been reallocated to other needed ROW, equipment or service improvements.
Brian,
Friends of Caltrain’s goals are stable funding for Caltrain and successful modernization/electrification.
The debate about a 4-track corridor appears to be comatose until 2029 or later – the High Speed Rail Authority’s funding plan covers only the blended system, the only plans in the queue for project-level environmental clearance are for the blended system.
I also share your frustration with some of the local decision-making processes about grade separation. Some of our local communities are wishing for a “grade separation fairy” that will bestow billions of dollars for the most expensive options, and are not yet ready to make tradeoffs, or to band together and work hard to seek a large investment in grade separations in the next phase of the projects. And some, I suspect are arguing in bad faith, trying to ask only for unrealistic options in the hope of stopping Caltrain electrification and HSR.
That said, I think that working out these decisions locally is going to be healthier than having HSRA come down and impose designs on local communities. The bad news and the good news is that there isn’t enough money yet for much grade separation – only $200M in San Mateo County and nothing in Santa Clara County as far as I know. By the time more funding is in sight, I suspect there will be enough people in local government who have recovered from the PTSD from dealing with the High Speed Rail Authority several years ago, or who came in after those battles and don’t feel the need to fight the last war.
I don’t see this event in the calendar of events. Is this still happening?
Yes. Hope to see you there.