On Monday night, February 27 at 6pm in San Francisco, come learn about a time-sensitive proposal to revamp the High Speed Rail business plan to invest much earlier in the Bay Area.

At meetings last week at the SFMTA Board, and two weeks ago at the SFCTA board, transit agency staff in San Francisco described the Fast Start Proposal which would accelerate investment in the Downtown Extension extending the Caltrain tracks to the Transbay terminal, and Caltrain electrification for blended operation with High Speed Rail. Without this Fast Start plan, investment in San Francisco and the Peninsula is slated for 2034 or even later.

This is time-sensitive, since the revised business plan is expected to be completed in March, for debate about approval in the state budget this spring. There many questions to ask, including whether High Speed Rail still expects to build a 4-track system on the Peninsula, despite opposition by Caltrain and local legislators, how the Fast Start proposal expects to achieve cost savings, how the early funding could be spent, and more questions.

Come join Friends of Caltrain and San Francisco Transit Riders Union to hear Luis Zurinaga of SFCTA tell us about the Fast Start proposal and take our questions.

Monday, Feb 27, 6pm
Sierra Club
85 2nd Street
3rd Floor, Yosemite Room
San Francisco

RSVP HERE

Hope to see you at the event.

At meetings two weeks ago at the SFCTA board, and last week at the SFMTA Board, transit agency staff in San Francisco described a proposal to revamp the High Speed Rail business plan so that there is much earlier investment at the end points (click on item 9 to see the presentation).   The northern investment includes DTX (extending the Caltrain tracks to Transbay) and Caltrain electrification for blended operation with HSR. Without this Fast Start plan, investment in San Francisco and the Peninsula is slated for 2034 or later.

According to the presentation delivered to the Muni board, the Fast Start plan could be delivered at a much lower cost than the estimates from the California High Speed Rail Authority, and would generate higher ridership.  Luis Zurinaga of SFCTA said that staff was working with legislators along the corridor and the HSRA to advocate for the adoption of this proposal.

The revised business plan is expected to be completed in March.

“Four-track design back on the table for high-speed rail” is the headline of an article published in local media on the Peninsula, including The Palo Alto Online, Menlo Park Almanac, and Mountain View Voice.

The Environmental Impact Report for the initial Central Valley segment of the High Speed Rail project also includes a broader program-level project description with a 4-track design that many on the Peninsula corridor have rejected.

The four-track proposal would require substantial road closures on the Peninsula including:

* A lane of Alma Street between Homer Avenue and Embarcadero Road
* Two lanes of Alma between Embarcadero and California Avenue.
* A lane of Alma in Menlo Park, between Oak Grove Avenue and Ravenswood Avenue
* One lane of Central Expressway between San Antonio Road and Rengstorff Avenue in Mountain View.

This design was rejected in favor of a “blended system” which remained substantially within the existing Caltrain right of way, first proposed by Congresswoman Anna Eshoo, State Senator Joe Simitian, and State Assemblyman Rich Gordon.  Caltrain has conducted a feasibility analysis indicating that a blended system would be viable, enabling up to two high speed trains per hour within the existing tracks, and up to 4 high speed trains per hour with the addition of a short section of passing track. Caltrain has stated in written comments to the HSR business plan that it does not support the 4-track buildout, and wants reference to this design removed from the plan.

On February 13, the High Speed Rail Authority issued a statement that supports the blended system concept;, but does not retract support for a longer-term 4-track buildout.

In order to regain any support from skeptical Peninsula residents and lawmakers, it will be important for the High Speed Rail Authority to make it clear that the 4-track design is off the table.

Last night at a Friends of Caltrain meeting, Assembly Member Jerry Hill presented a bill that would enable the Caltrain Joint Powers Board to put an 1/8 sales tax measure on the ballot in the 3 counties that Caltrain serves.  Hill is working with other local legislators to co-sponsor the bill before it is filed by the filing deadline at the end of February.

The bill will need approval from 50% of legislators, and the ballot measure would need to be approved by 2/3 of voters. The soonest the measure could go on the ballot is 2013.  The bill will have a flexible sunset provision, since last year’s SVLG polling showed that more voters approve the measure with a sunset clause.  The JPB will be able to decide on the length of the sunset clause before they put the measure on the ballot.

The strongest feedback from attendees at the meeting centered on capital spending.  Several people expressed an interest in a higher tax level that would allow more funds to be used for electrification.   The SVLG polling showed good results from the 1/8 cent tax level, but did not ask whether voters would be willing to pay more if the result was more frequent, quieter, less-polluting service.

Another question was about contribution from Santa Clara County, which has more people than San Mateo County and San Francisco, and would pay a greater share of sales tax.  The solution for this situation is a provision allowing each county to use funds in proportion to an agreed formula.

Caltrain’s Seamus Murphy also talked about the option of San Mateo County transit sales tax measure.  This would be an alternative option to a 3-county Caltrain-funding bill.    Of the 3 agencies, SamTrans is the one that has had the most trouble meeting its financial commitment to Caltrain, so a San Mateo county tax would enable SamTrans to keep the commitment. Also, SVLG polling revealed a high level of support for transit funding in San Mateo County.  SamTrans will be conducting focus groups and polls over the next few months about this option.

These bills would go on the ballot in 2013 at the earliest, so Caltrain will need to continue with its current cobbled-together funding approach until FY2014.

Over the last 16 months, Caltrain ridership has continued to grow steadily, improving “farebox recovery” and reducing the annual operating subsidy needed.  But Caltrain’s underlying structure remains unstable.

On Thursday, February 2, come join Friends of Caltrain for an update on legislative options for Caltrain funding from Assembly Member Jerry Hill, and an update on Caltrain’s modernization plan with Program Director Marian Lee.

The event is at 7pm at the Menlo Park Arrillaga Family Recreation Center Elm Room.