The link to South San Francisco Station Area Plan (http://www.ssfdowntownplan.org/) is failing.
I want to share that link. Is there someone you can contact?
Thanks, -Graham-
Thank you for putting out the word of Caltrain’s reconsideration of a Dumbarton rail bridge project. It’s something simple that we have needed for decades.
I am curious, with all the mentions of High Speed Rail in the GreenCaltrain blog/message board, does this mean there is a better chance for the Northern California region having High Speed Rail ?
Why isn’t Burlingame building an upper bridge, that the train can pass/travel over the Broadway and California Streets? With all the construction going on, I thought that is what they were doing? Very unhappy they did not do that.
I’m all for caltrain electrification and modernization, but not if it’s being used as a conduit for sneaking High Speed Rail onto the peninsula. Also, I believe Caltrain’s funding should also fund adequate grade separations. It should not be left up to the cities to find the dollars, when the gates go down and ground traffic becomes gridlocked.
The Blended System compromise was highly publicized when it was adopted in 2011. The goal of the compromise was to reduce impacts on the Peninsula in response to concerns, and to lower project costs by ~$30B. Re: Caltrain funding – Caltrain doesn’t have funding on its own. The funding for grade separations in San Mateo County was largely raised by that county thanks to a foresighted ballot measure a couple of decades ago, and Santa Clara County just this fall raised funding for grade separations.
Caltrain should stop the current electrification project, and change to one of two viable and newly available alternatives: battery or hydrogen fuel cell electric multiple units (EMUs). In 2019, Bombardier Talent 3 battery EMUs will begin operation in Austria. In 2018, Alstom iLint fuel cell EMUs will begin operation in Germany. Other manufacturers are developing competing EMUs.
Either of these alternatives deliver the performance, range, quick recharge / refuel, passenger capacity, and emissions-free operation that Caltrain requires. These would save hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars for the implementation by eliminating the large infrastructure that the catenary system requires, and save millions of dollars annually by not maintaining that infrastructure. These would extend electrification to Gilroy for free and other Dumbarton, Watsonville, and Salinas for very low cost, by eliminating even more catenary wires and infrastructure to reach those destinations. These alternatives would eliminate the need to remove or trim 4000 trees. And these would enable Caltrain to reap the advantages of quickly progressing improvements and cost reductions in batteries, hydrogen generation, and fuel cell technologies.
When … and if … California High Speed Rail reaches San Jose, passengers would quickly transfer to a Caltrain express to San Francisco. Many, perhaps most, passengers would transfer anyway, to Caltrain local, BART, VTA, or automobiles.
It would be quite unfortunate if our railway serving Silicon Valley were to spend $2B of taxpayer money to construct one of the last catenary rail systems … rather than one of the first of many battery or fuel cell rail systems.
This decision is sad. We have light rail from Santa Teresa to Downtown on the southeast portion of 85, although I think it was there first. Even though lite rail does not go to Morgan Hill and South County, it is still a great way to get to downtown from points South. They built a transportation corridor on 580/202 with the progressive plan that light rail over the Altamont Pass would be needed one day.
Since light rail costs too much, we can get just as much line capacity at much lower cost by doing elevated, bidirectional Group Rapid Transit along 85, quite likely in the median. Because it is switchable, with stations on sidings so those behind do not have to stop for another train that is stopped, it can be a major ‘spine’ on it’s route, and ‘ribs’ can join it from each side. To get collectors into the neighborhoods, PRT can be run through them, using the same guideway and hardware, like the ribs and smaller veins on a leaf. Then it becomes a simple traffic management computer problem.
Because the coaches, or trains of coaches, are autonomous, they don’t need drivers, and because they are ultra-light-weight, efficient, and powered from a solar pv canopy attached to the guideway, the cost of operations is relatively tiny, compared to light rail.
Because the guideway would be built with the Bosch Captive Column structural geometry, out of advanced composite materials that cost a lot less than graphite, or steel or concrete conventional structures, the capital costs are also far less. For these reasons, the results of a study by people versed in the arts I’m pointing to would have favorable results, opposed to those that this consultant claims. http://www.CaptiveColumn.com
There is a bill that will be o n the November ballot to fund Caltrain.
Your web site lists various groups who work with you. Is there
some way we can unite efforts of all the groups towards getting this measure passed?
The link to South San Francisco Station Area Plan (http://www.ssfdowntownplan.org/) is failing.
I want to share that link. Is there someone you can contact?
Thanks, -Graham-
Thank you for putting out the word of Caltrain’s reconsideration of a Dumbarton rail bridge project. It’s something simple that we have needed for decades.
I am curious, with all the mentions of High Speed Rail in the GreenCaltrain blog/message board, does this mean there is a better chance for the Northern California region having High Speed Rail ?
I am trying to locate Adina Levin who does genealogy. Noted that there’s an Adina Levin there but maybe not the one. Rapoport?
the person who does genealogy is a different Adina Levin.
Hello,
I am eager to speak with you about our work on a Steel Interstate/Land Ferry service, please see https://faculty.unlv.edu/tnmc/LandFerry2/files/research/Proposals.php
When works for a call?
Regards, Robinson
503-781-9339
Why isn’t Burlingame building an upper bridge, that the train can pass/travel over the Broadway and California Streets? With all the construction going on, I thought that is what they were doing? Very unhappy they did not do that.
Is there an agenda yet for the March 1st meeting? Also, is there a way to submit questions in advance?
This should be a great meeting – we can’t delay Modernization!
Level boarding is THE major time saver. The “faster acceleration” saves much less time.
I’m all for caltrain electrification and modernization, but not if it’s being used as a conduit for sneaking High Speed Rail onto the peninsula. Also, I believe Caltrain’s funding should also fund adequate grade separations. It should not be left up to the cities to find the dollars, when the gates go down and ground traffic becomes gridlocked.
The Blended System compromise was highly publicized when it was adopted in 2011. The goal of the compromise was to reduce impacts on the Peninsula in response to concerns, and to lower project costs by ~$30B. Re: Caltrain funding – Caltrain doesn’t have funding on its own. The funding for grade separations in San Mateo County was largely raised by that county thanks to a foresighted ballot measure a couple of decades ago, and Santa Clara County just this fall raised funding for grade separations.
Caltrain – Change to Battery or Fuel Cell
Caltrain should stop the current electrification project, and change to one of two viable and newly available alternatives: battery or hydrogen fuel cell electric multiple units (EMUs). In 2019, Bombardier Talent 3 battery EMUs will begin operation in Austria. In 2018, Alstom iLint fuel cell EMUs will begin operation in Germany. Other manufacturers are developing competing EMUs.
Either of these alternatives deliver the performance, range, quick recharge / refuel, passenger capacity, and emissions-free operation that Caltrain requires. These would save hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars for the implementation by eliminating the large infrastructure that the catenary system requires, and save millions of dollars annually by not maintaining that infrastructure. These would extend electrification to Gilroy for free and other Dumbarton, Watsonville, and Salinas for very low cost, by eliminating even more catenary wires and infrastructure to reach those destinations. These alternatives would eliminate the need to remove or trim 4000 trees. And these would enable Caltrain to reap the advantages of quickly progressing improvements and cost reductions in batteries, hydrogen generation, and fuel cell technologies.
When … and if … California High Speed Rail reaches San Jose, passengers would quickly transfer to a Caltrain express to San Francisco. Many, perhaps most, passengers would transfer anyway, to Caltrain local, BART, VTA, or automobiles.
It would be quite unfortunate if our railway serving Silicon Valley were to spend $2B of taxpayer money to construct one of the last catenary rail systems … rather than one of the first of many battery or fuel cell rail systems.
This decision is sad. We have light rail from Santa Teresa to Downtown on the southeast portion of 85, although I think it was there first. Even though lite rail does not go to Morgan Hill and South County, it is still a great way to get to downtown from points South. They built a transportation corridor on 580/202 with the progressive plan that light rail over the Altamont Pass would be needed one day.
Since light rail costs too much, we can get just as much line capacity at much lower cost by doing elevated, bidirectional Group Rapid Transit along 85, quite likely in the median. Because it is switchable, with stations on sidings so those behind do not have to stop for another train that is stopped, it can be a major ‘spine’ on it’s route, and ‘ribs’ can join it from each side. To get collectors into the neighborhoods, PRT can be run through them, using the same guideway and hardware, like the ribs and smaller veins on a leaf. Then it becomes a simple traffic management computer problem.
Because the coaches, or trains of coaches, are autonomous, they don’t need drivers, and because they are ultra-light-weight, efficient, and powered from a solar pv canopy attached to the guideway, the cost of operations is relatively tiny, compared to light rail.
Because the guideway would be built with the Bosch Captive Column structural geometry, out of advanced composite materials that cost a lot less than graphite, or steel or concrete conventional structures, the capital costs are also far less. For these reasons, the results of a study by people versed in the arts I’m pointing to would have favorable results, opposed to those that this consultant claims.
http://www.CaptiveColumn.com
There is a bill that will be o n the November ballot to fund Caltrain.
Your web site lists various groups who work with you. Is there
some way we can unite efforts of all the groups towards getting this measure passed?
Hello,
I was reading your page and found a broken link referring to the ‘Enhancing Public Safety’ executive order.
Your Page: https://www.greencaltrain.com/2017/02/infrastructure-and-jobs-administration-defers-shovel-ready-high-ranked-caltrain-electrification-what-to-do-next/
Dead link title: ‘policy of retribution’
Dead link: https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2017/01/25/presidential-executive-order-enhancing-public-safety-interior-united
It looks like the document no longer exists, and after browsing for a while, I was able to find the same order in PDF format here:
Working link: https://templates.legal/13768-executive-order/
Maybe you could update the link on your page to help other users.
Have a great day,
Lisa