In the wake of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, Caltrain has pivoted its Business Plan process to address a time of unprecedented challenges for both our customers and the railroad. As part of this process, the agency has released a draft Framework for Equity, Connectivity, Recovery and Growth. The policies it outlines, which would be funded by a tax measure Caltrain is considering for the November ballot, have been developed to provide transparency and guidance as Caltrain works to ensure that its services are available to all and that that the railroad maximizes its role as part of the region’s essential transit network.
The draft Framework builds on the analysis developed through the Business Plan process and outlines how Caltrain can help the region address the interrelated and compounding crises of the COVID-19 pandemic while expanding access to low-income individuals and communities of color that have historically been underrepresented in the system’s ridership. To better understand existing travel barriers for disadvantaged riders and residents in the corridor, the team reviewed community-based transportation plans, surveyed and interviewed community-based organizations along the corridor, and conducted an in-depth statistical analysis of travel patterns of low-income residents within the corridor.
The Caltrain Board joined the MTC’s pilot means-based fare program in February of 2019, which allows qualified riders to ride with a 50% discount. That program launches Wednesday, July 15.
The draft Framework makes a number of significant policy recommendations for the Caltrain system that will make it more accessible and connected. These include improving midday service, and operating a “clock face” schedule that facilitates connections with other transit modes, and delaying fare increases and working with the region to facilitate transfers. The draft Framework also includes a Growth and Recovery section that lays out how Caltrain can recover from the pandemic in a manner that improves the system incrementally over time, anticipating long-term growth while delivering benefits to riders as soon as possible.
On Tuesday, July 21, Caltrain will hold a public meeting on its recovery plan:
Public Meeting
Tuesday, July 21, 2020, 5:30 p.m.
877 853 5257
Webinar ID: 920 9151 0985
Comments may be sent to equity@caltrain.com or via phone message at (650) 508-6499. Comments will be accepted until July 28, 2020. Staff will also be presenting the policy and taking public feedback at the following venues:
- JPB CAC – July 15 at 5:40 pm
- JPB WPLP – July 22 at 3:00 pm
- Local Policy Maker Group – July 23 at 5:30 pm
For translation or interpretation assistance, call Caltrain at 1.800.660.4287 at least three days before the meeting.
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About Caltrain: Owned and operated by the Peninsula Corridor Joint Powers Board, Caltrain provides commuter rail service from San Francisco to San Jose, with commute service to Gilroy. While the Joint Powers Board assumed operating responsibilities for the service in 1992, the railroad has provided the community with more than 150 years of continuous passenger service. Planning for the next 150 years of Peninsula rail service, Caltrain is on pace to electrify the corridor, reduce diesel emissions by 97 percent by 2040 and add more service to more stations.
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Free translation assistance is available.
Para traducción llama al 1.800.660.4287; 如需翻譯,請電 1.800.660.4287.