The Caltrain Board of Directors passed a resolution honoring National African American History Month at its February meeting.
“We recognize the long history of inequity and racism in transit that has excluded, targeted or oppressed people due to their color and race, and that is not what we, as a board, stand for,” said Caltrain Board Chair Steve Heminger. “My colleagues and I believe in diversity, equity and inclusion for all people, and we are proud to support February as African American History Month.”
Caltrain serves a diverse population that continues to experience bias, discrimination, and unequal outcomes or treatment in numerous sectors. Caltrain believes every person has the freedom to feel valued and respected, and condemns racism in rhetoric or action.
Since the inception of Caltrain in the early 1990s, the rail agency has been a long-time supporter and sponsor of the annual MLK Jr. Celebration Train, which pays tribute to the 54-mile 1965 Selma to Montgomery March and delivers celebrants to the traditional march in San Francisco that marks the holiday.
A 2020 survey showed that African Americans make up 8% of Caltrain’s ridership, and of those surveyed, 52% of African American riders take Caltrain four or more days/week.
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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. Caltrain enjoyed five years of consecutive monthly ridership increases, surpassing more than 65,000 average weekday riders. While the Joint Powers Board assumed operating responsibilities for the service in 1992, the railroad celebrated 150 years of continuous passenger service in 2014. 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.