BayRail Alliance Issue Updates, 15 January 2007

Caltrain Project 2025: Beyond the Baby Bullet -- Presentation in Mountain View

This Friday, January 19, you have a chance to hear a reprise of the fantastic presentation that Caltrain staff Bob Doty gave at the last Caltrain Joint Powers Board meeting.

Don't miss this chance to learn more about Caltrain's Project 2025 and Caltrain's proposed path to obtaining efficient electrified equipment. Thanks to Yoriko Kishimoto, the new Mayor of Palo Alto, for organizing this event and inviting the public.

Caltrain's Project 2025
Organized by: North County grouping of VTA
Friday, January 19th
2 pm
Mountain View City Hall
Council Chambers (2nd floor)
Open to public with special invitation to transportation and land use related commissions, staff, interested public including business and neighborhood groups.

Governor's Budget would eliminate HSR, harm public transit

Governor Schwarzenegger has released his proposed budget. He is proposing eliminating support for high-speed rail. HSR needs $103 million to complete environmental studies this year.

The Governor is also proposing that $1 billion that would go to fund public transit operations, instead be used to pay off the interest on the bonds that voters approved in November. In transit funding jargon, he is recommending a permanent diversion of "spillover" funds (increase in sales tax on gasoline collected due to rising gasoline prices) from transit. These funds are badly needed by transit agencies to offset the increased cost of diesel fuel, so taking these funds from public transit would be disasterous.

The Transportation and Land Use Coalition (TALC), of which we are a member organization, is coordinating a response along with CALPIRG. We'll keep you posted on further developments and what you can do, but immediately, please contact your state assemblyperson and state senator as well as Gov. Schwarzenegger and ask them to fund HSR this year.

Caltrain Bicycle Master Plan: give input!

Caltrain is launching the development of a Bicycle Master Plan for improvements in bicycle access and parking at Caltrain stations. The main elements of the plan will include: system-wide parking and access design guidelines; recommendations for non-capital improvements and Bicycle Program Management, and; recommendations for capital improvements at the following stations: 4th & King (SF), 22nd St (SF), Millbrae, San Mateo, Hillsdale, Redwood City, Palo Alto, Mountain View, Sunnyvale, and San Jose Diridon.

Caltrain is establishing a Technical Advisory Group (TAG) for stakeholders to provide input to the Bicycle Master Plan. Caltrain seeks a wide range of representation for the TAG, including bicyclist-patrons, bike advocacy groups, local jurisdictions and BACs, transportation agencies, etc. Membership in the TAG is voluntary, and open to all. Anyone who is interested in becoming a member of the TAG may do so at any time by signing up for the distribution list.

The TAG will meet every 1-2 months, with a kick-off meeting on January 24. Meeting notices and materials will be distributed by primarily by email. The process will take a little over a year; the plan is expected to be completed in spring 2008.

For more information, and to sign up for the TAG distribution list, please contact Celia Chung (Phone 650-508-6388; email: chungc@samtrans.com)

Information Required:

1. name
2. email address
3. phone number
4. mailing address

Send Info To:

Celia Chung, Project Manager
Caltrain Bicycle Master Plan

chungc@samtrans.com

650-508-6388

Archived Issue Updates, previous contents of this page...