Have you been eager for improvements to Caltrain service that will take advantage of electrification? Now is the time to speak up.
Starting this week, Caltrain is hosting a series of community meetings on its Business Plan providing an overview of the planning process and an opportunity to provide feedback.
Studies for the business plan suggest that Caltrain could carry up to 3x the number of passengers, with improvements to service and investments in infrastructure. If Caltrain ran more all-day, all-week service, it could serve a much higher share of trips. And if Caltrain made investments such as longer trains, plus passing tracks and grade separations, it could serve a much higher share of trips at rush hour.
Do you have thoughts about:
- What sort of service Caltrain should offer in the age of electrification? Focused on commuters, like today? Focused on a wider variety of trips all day and all week?
- What places should get frequent service, and why?
- How important should it be to provide a seamless transit experience, including using Caltrain with other transit and travel modes? How important are schedule reliability and connections?
- Given the outgoing governor’s directive to be climate-neutral by 2045, do we want transit to increase market share compared to driving
- Should our region invest in infrastructure required to make major service improvements?
Now is also a good time to bring up changes that would be helpful to achieving the goals. If you’d like to see support for more trip types in addition to daily commuting, then perhaps zone-based fare system isn’t the most convenient anymore. If a reliable schedule and transfers are important, than level boarding investments are needed.
In sum – if you have ideas about Caltrain service starting in 2022 and in the coming decades, now is the time to speak up. If these meetings aren’t convenient for you, send notes in writing to businessplan@caltrain.com
November 13, 6-8 p.m.
San Mateo County Transit District Auditorium
1250 San Carlos Avenue, San Carlos
November 14, 6-8 p.m.
Mission Creek Senior Center
930 4th Street, San Francisco
November 26, 6-8 p.m.
Rose Garden Library
1580 Naglee Avenue, San Jose
 
Yes, Caltrain should provide all-day, all-week service, and it should be able to provide that with EMUs.
Schedule reliability would presumably not be much of a problem on a well-maintained railroad.
But forget “seamless transit experience.” A seamless transit connection is a contradiction in terms, and sometimes you will have to wait to make a connection from one transit service to another, no matter how well those services are run.
Minimum expectation is BART level of Frequency (outside SF downtown): Every 15~20 min 7 days a week.
Difference between BART and Caltrain: BART have longer station to station distance, Caltrain have express service.
Express: Every 15 min peak.
Regional Express (Express between SF-Redwood ctiy, Local to SJ): Every 15 (Mo-Fri) or 20 (Sa Su) Min
Local (SF – Redwood city only): Every 15 min peak, 30 min midday/night and 20 min for weekend.
Majority of station have minimum 15 (or 20) min Frequency.