MEMBERS PRESENT: John McLemore (Chair), Michael Burns, Mary Janney, Arthur Lloyd, Michael Nevin, Audrey Rice-Oliver, Sophie Maxwell, Manuel Valerio, Ken Yeager

MTC LIASON: Sue Lempert

MEMBERS ABSENT: None

STAFF PRESENT: Michael Scanlon, Joan Cassman, David Miller, Roger Contreras, Howard Goode, Chuck Harvey, Rita Haskin, George Cameron, Martha Martinez, Jennifer Buhr

Chair McLemore called the meeting to order at 10:04 a.m. and led the Pledge of Allegiance to the flag.

PUBLIC COMMENT

Michael Kiesling commented that he was very happy with the new zone system on Caltrain.

Jeff Carter, Burlingame, commented that since the Proof-of-Payment was implemented, it is business as usual. The conductors are still coming through and checking tickets and he hasn't noticed any problems with the new system so far. Additionally, Mr. Carter questioned whether the correspondence file containing the materials that the Board receives could be put back on the table for public review.

Christine Price, San Bruno, expressed concern regarding the Caltrain Grade Separation and the moving of the train station from Sylvan to the San Bruno Lumber site. Ms. Price reported that most of the residents in San Bruno have not been notified of all the different meetings regarding the subject. Those residents that live near the tracks and north of San Bruno Avenue have been dealing with all the construction noises for the past three years because of the BART extension and they do not want any further construction. Three years ago the Board voted unanimously to move the station from under Highway 380 back to Sylvan Avenue. The station was originally moved because of construction. Ms. Price questioned whether legally it was necessary for the full board to vote again regarding moving the station back to the San Bruno Lumber site. The new proposal of moving the station and completing the grade separation will cost $93 million, which she says compares to the shortfall of fixing the Bay Bridge. Ms. Price questioned why this project is necessary when the residents of San Bruno do not want the change.

Ed De Lanoy, San Carlos, reported on several suggestions for Caltrain travel promotions, which included Caltrain frequent rider, linkage with AAA and display of Baby Bullet equipment. Mr. De Lanoy suggested that the Caltrain Frequent Rider incentive for monthly ticket purchasers should be awarding Day Pass(es) valid for systemwide travel by anyone. Day pass(es) could be obtained by submitting expired monthly tickets at staffed Caltrain stations or by mail-in and use control with station validators. Number of passes would depend on management's promotion objectives as airlines do. Linkage with AAA could be done through boldly highlighting all Caltrain stations on AAA street maps, as BART has done on all its routes. Currently, Caltrain stops are shown but are difficult to locate. A distinctive shaped symbol could be used for indicating Baby Bullet stops. Mr. De Lanoy also suggested the display of Baby Bullet equipment on weekends independently or as part of a local promotion or festival. To promote linkage, the train should be hosted by uniformed Caltrain, VTA and BART staff. Computer capability should be available to explain websites and answers to individual travel inquiries could be demonstrated using MTC's Take Transit Trip Planner. The locomotive cab should be accessible under engineer's supervision. Further Mr. De Lanoy commented that he used the Trip Planner and found that under the Caltrain/BART segment, Caltrain fares are shown at a 75 percent discount, which is incorrect.

Mary Fatooh, San Mateo, commented that she and her husband are the owners of two residential care homes for the elderly along Pacific Blvd. in San Mateo. Together they maintain the homes and the yards and keep them in excellent condition, as do most of the neighbors. Their concern is the ever deteriorating condition of the fence along Pacific Blvd., and the trash and weeds that collect on both sides of the fence. It is very important to them to make a good impression on prospective families when they come to assess the care facilities. Unfortunately, the first thing they see as they are driving up Pacific. Blvd. to the homes is the unattractive fence and garbage. Ms. Fatooh listed five questions and requested that if they could not all be answered during the meeting, she would like them answered in writing and mailed to her.
The questions included:

1. Will there ever be a decorative type soundwall built along Pacific Blvd., like Belmont and San Carlos, to replace the unattractive existing fence?
2. As home owners and business owners as well as taxpayers, do they have any say in what is planted along the fence to try to beautify it? How would one get permission to plant?
3. Can something be done on a more regular basis to clean the weeds and trash that collects on the track side of the fence?
4. Has an environmental study ever been done regarding the exhaust fumes and black dust from the passing trains that drifts over the street and settles in their lungs, homes and on their cars?
5. Are hazardous materials ever transported on any of the numerous freight trains that run at night?

CONSENT CALENDAR

Chairman McLemore requested that the necessity for a replacement of the San Francisco representative to the Transbay Terminal JPA, under the Chairperson's report in the September minutes, be stricken from the record because Maria Ayerdi will continue to represent.

The Board unanimously approved, by roll call, the following items under the Consent Calendar:

1. Adoption of Minutes of September 4, 2003
2. Adoption of Statement of Revenue & Expenses, August 2003
3. Annual Adoption of Investment Policy and Authorization to Invest Monies with the Local Agency Investment Fund {Resolution 2003-37, 2003-38}
4. Approval of an Increase to the FY2004 Operating Budget by $82,400 to Account for Metropolitan Transportation Commission Section 5303 Grant Funding {Resolution 2003-39}
5. Authorization of the Purchase of Twelve Additional Ticket Vending Machines (TVM) with Ventek International, Inc. at a Cost of $800,000. {Resolution 2003-40}

CHAIRPERSON'S REPORT

Chair McLemore reported:

• The Nominating Committee for the election of vice chair will continue to meet and will have a recommendation at a future board meeting.
• A Resolution of Appreciation was presented to Maria Ayerdi for her service on the JPB since 1999. The appointment of Ms. Ayerdi as the Executive Director of the Transbay Terminal JPA necessitated her resignation.
• The APTA Annual Conference in Salt Lake City was a great success. Tri Delta Transit in Antioch won the prestigious 28th International Bus Roadeo held in conjunction with the Annual Meeting.
• The Annual Railroad Festival will be held at the Golden Gate Railroad Museum September 25 and 26.
• The Santa Clara Train Festival will be held November 1 and 2.

MTC LIAISON REPORT (SUE LEMPERT)

• Work has begun on the 20/30 Regional Transportation Plan (RTP). Workshops will be held in the near future in San Francisco and Santa Clara, and hopefully San Mateo counties. There will be a major hearing at the MTC Headquarters in Oakland on Thursday, November 13.
• In regards to Translink, the universal card that MTC has been working on, there was a final agreement reached with BART. Ms. Lempert believes that the universal Translink card will be critical for commuters.
• In regard to Senator Perata's legislation of raising the bridge toll by $1, there is an understanding that the bill will not be signed by the governor before the recall election. Ms. Lempert suggested that the Board write a letter to encourage the Governor to sign the bill because there are a lot of improvements included within the bill for San Mateo, Santa Clara and San Francisco counties.
• Chairman McLemore stated that MTC will be having a brainstorming session for issues around the Bay Area October 28 and 29. MTC Commissioners will be experiencing as many of the transit systems as possible during the workshop.

REPORT OF CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE

Gerald Graham reported:

• At the last CAC meeting, there were discussions of Measure A and there was an impressive presentation on the Baby Bullet, which included information on the mini high platforms that will aid disabled riders onto the train in less than a minute.

REPORT OF THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Michael J. Scanlon reported:

• Key Caltrain Performance Statistics:
1. August ridership went from 741,661 to 685,813 riders, a 7.5 percent decrease.
2. Year-to-Date Ridership was down 6.2 percent, from 28,630 weekday riders to 26,858.
3. Total Revenue was off 9.9 percent from $1.9 million to $1.7 million.
4. On-Time Performance was 95 percent versus 96.6 percent from last August.
5. Shuttle Ridership had an increase of .2 percent with 4,026 riders up from 4,017.
• In regard to the Gilroy line, the monthly pass sales were off 25 percent, which compares to about 10 percent systemwide. The 10-Ride ticket sales were off 32 percent, which compares to 13 percent systemwide.
• There were 32,000 riders, averaging over 4,000 per game, for the Caltrain Giants game service. During the weekend bus service there is just under 400 riders per game. The preference clearly points to the rail service.
• One of the main topics being discussed at the APTA Annual Conference included the reauthorization of the Federal Transit Program, which expired on September 30. Currently, we are operating under a five-month extension that was approved by the Congress last week. The focus during the extension time is aimed at taking the message of public transportation to the Congress, specifically that there is a great need for another authorization program for transit. Transportation could be a great way to jumpstart the economy because for every $1 billion invested in transit, 47,000 jobs are created.
• The Proof-of-Payment system began on September 22. The rollout appears to have been successful. The public was well informed and staff members were at all the stations to provide assistance. The program is designed to be revenue neutral in total although 60 percent of the riders are paying either less or the same while 40 percent are paying more.
• The walkout that was scheduled to take place tomorrow, Friday October 3, by Amtrak should not be taking place after all. Some of the Unions, in an effort to call attention to the lack of funding and the proposed budget, were going to shut down service for one day. Fortunately, Amtrak management went into court and in an effort to get an injunction, the judge has indicated that he would like to review all documents and will not make a ruling until October 20. Therefore, there is an agreement between Amtrak management and the Union that there would not be any action until October 20.
• JPB is serving as the co-lead agency on the Caltrain Extension Project in San Francisco along with the City and County of San Francisco. The Environmental document was submitted to the Federal Transit Administration in September. The next step will be to certify the document. As a co-lead agency, the JPB will have to take that action as will the San Francisco Redevelopment Agency and the San Francisco Planning Commission. Based on discussions between staff and legal counsel with representatives of the San Francisco City Attorney's office and with Maria Ayerdi, there is a recommendation to hold a joint public hearing along with the Redevelopment Agency and the San Francisco Planning Commission. The combined meeting would be scheduled following the FTA authorization, which would be as early as December. Following the meeting, each agency could complete its individual certification process.

The board did not have objections to the recommendation of holding a joint public hearing.

• The Transbay Terminal Joint Powers Authority has indicated a willingness to be the designated lead agency for project funding, design, real estate acquisition and construction. Such an arrangement will keep with the JPB's own strategic planning and financial capacity.
• The Safety and Security report was distributed.
• In regard to the San Bruno Grade Separation Project, the board previously took an action to move the station to Sylvan Avenue because the Department of Transportation (Caltrans) informed the JPB that remaining at the Highway 380 site would require a real estate purchase/lease at market value.

On a separate issue, the San Mateo County Transportation Authority has been advocating for grade separations. The site in San Bruno is particularly bad because there are multiple streets involved and there have been eight fatalities since 1992. Over the past year, the Council has appointed a Citizens Committee to review a number of project alternatives. The Council favored the Fifth Alternative, which was to get over a total of three streets, Angus Avenue, San Mateo Avenue and San Bruno Avenue. In order to accomplish this, the station needs to be moved 2,000 feet, centerline to centerline, to the former San Bruno Lumber property, subsequently acquired by the Transportation Authority. The Council in San Bruno approved the project with a three-to-one vote. Since the Council approved the project, staff is now proceeding into the next phase, which includes design and engineering. Mr. Scanlon pointed out that there is a group of citizens who are opposed to station relocation as part of the project, and are misrepresenting elements of the grade separation.

Mr. Scanlon commented that since the City Council has approved the project by vote, the next step would be to get the approval in a form of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU).

David Miller, Legal Counsel, commented that the Board would need to approve the Grade Separation Project, which has as an incident to it, the necessary movement of the station.

In response to Mr. Graham's comments on parking, Mr. Scanlon commented that there are nominal fees for parking and the JPB does not set parking fees at Millbrae or other stations. Mr. Scanlon pointed out that it is not uncommon to have parking charges at transit stations.

Jeff Carter, Burlingame, questioned how many people are transferring between Caltrain and BART at the Millbrae Station and whether or not staff has been doing passenger counts. Regarding the Grade Separation in San Bruno, Mr. Carter commented that the separation would alleviate the loud horn noises that residents complain about. Mr. Carter also commented that if the parking fees were abolished, money would have to be raised in other ways such as higher fares. Mr. Carter stated that he would rather have parking charges and reduce the fare to ride the service. In regard to Translink, he suggested that rather than spend millions of dollars on Translink cards, there could be a ticket, similar to a Caltrain ticket, which would be good on whichever system the rider chooses.

REAFFIRMING INTENTION TO CONSTRUCT AND OPERATE THE CALTRAIN CENTRAL EQUIPMENT MAINTENANCE AND OPERATING FACILITY AT THE LENZEN YARD SITE IN SAN JOSE

Director Yeager expressed his appreciation for the presentation held on September 17, which included the history of the project. Mr. Yeager had several questions particularly regarding the costs of the project and he feels that having the administration building as a separate project until the bids are received to see whether the costs can be covered is a smart way to go. Mr. Yeager reiterated the great need for a maintenance yard. Yet, he doesn't want to put Caltrain in any sort of financial jeopardy, especially since the source of future dollars to pay for any costs over $139 million is unclear at this time.

Director Yeager requested that the language of reaffirming the Caltrain support of the shared objectives and the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) be made a part of the motion.

The motion for reaffirming intention to construct and operate the Caltrain Central Equipment Maintenance and Operating Facility at the Lenzen Yard site in San Jose and the reaffirmation of Caltrain support of the shared objectives and the MOU passed unanimously, by roll call, and resolution 2003-42 was adopted.

Richard Mylnarik commented that there is a site in Santa Clara that has 100 acres, which won't be used for about 30 years and has an $85 million loan on, as a possible location site for the administrative building.

AUTHORIZATION OF THE GO PASS PILOT PROGRAM FOR 2004

Before discussing the GO Pass, Rita Haskin, Chief Communications Officer, commended VTA for their assistance with the rollout of Proof-of-Payment. VTA staff members were also ambassadors at the stations, including the Gilroy extension.

Ms. Haskin reported that the Staff Coordinating Council (SCC) recommends that the Board approve authorization of the GO Pass Pilot program for 2004 and also an expansion to a limited number of companies in the other counties served by Caltrain. The six-month pilot program has gone very well. Six companies are participating with a number of them in advance with money up-front. About $95,000 was accumulated and about 2,700 potential employees were served. San Mateo County companies have expressed interest in the program and perhaps some companies in San Francisco as well. Staff plans on rolling the University Pass program into the GO Pass program. Negotiations are still in progress with San Jose State. However, the preliminary numbers show that they may not qualify for the $69 rate. There is potential that a separate program will be brought to the Board in the future.

Director Burns commented that with many programs similar to the GO Pass, the costs are simply passed on through fees to the students so it is not actually the college that necessarily needs to come up with the money.

Ms. Haskin confirmed and commented that the students would have to vote on the program, which would extend the timeline. Currently, there aren't any students participating. The program with Stanford is with faculty and staff.

Director Nevin commented that the GO Pass is an innovative program and a great idea introduction to transit.

The motion for award authorization of the GO Pass Pilot Program for 2004 passes unanimously, by roll call, and resolution 2003-41 was adopted.

REPORT OF LEGAL COUNSEL

David Miller reported that the Annual Claims and Litigation Report for the outside auditors was recently completed and there were no particular concerns to report.

CORRESPONDENCE

Martha Martinez, Manager of Executive and Governing Board Support, reported that because of a change in staff, the correspondence has not been out on the table for public review. However, copies of the correspondence were made and will be available regularly.

DATE/TIME OF NEXT MEETING:

Thursday, November 6, 2003 at the SamTrans Administrative Building, 1250 San Carlos Avenue, San Carlos, CA 94070

ADJOURNED

Meeting adjourned at 11:18 a.m.