Belmont City Council
April 23, 2024
Caltrain
Electrification +
City Partnerships
INSTRUCT IONS Key Milestones
Complete: • Foundations (3,000+) • Poles (2,500+) • Traction Power Facilities (10) • Overhead Wire (2.5 million feet) • Upgraded the Signal System San Francisco to San Jose (31 at grade crossings)
• Energized: San Mateo to San Jose (15 miles) • 8 trainsets on Caltrain property (1,000 mile passed by 5 trains)
• Over 1,000 First Responders Trained • Full Corridor Energized (April 2024) Upcoming: • Construction Complete (May 2024) • Additional trainsets on property and testing (Throughout 2024) • Soft Launch (Summer 2024) • Passenger Service: September 2024 2 Electric Train Public Tours – Over 8,000 People Attended San Jose – August 2023
San Francisco – September 2023
Electric Train Tour + 160 Anniversary Event
4 • Event Details
− May 11, 2024 (National Train Day)
− Time: 10:30a-2:30p
− Location: San Carlos Station
• Activities
− Electric Train Tour
− 160 Years of Passenger Rail
− Community Booths
− Food Trucks
5 Electrified Service Plan Benefits
Express from SF to SJ in
under an hour
Quicker local service,
75 minutes instead of 100
Save more than 20
minutes on trips from
Southern Santa Clara
County to SF
Ride More, Wait Less First Class for Everyone Clean and Green Improved service for all riders
5 GHG emissions reduced by
250K MTCO2 annually –
equivalent to taking 55,000
cars off the road each year
Improves local air quality
Quieter trains, both
onboard and off
Free Wi-Fi
Smoother, quieter experience
Outlets at every seat
Digital trip information
onboard
Spacious, accessible
bathrooms
20% more train service
26% more train service at
equity priority stations
Half-hourly service during
weekends and off-peak
Get There Faster
City Fact Sheets
www.caltrain.com/servicebenefits
Electric Train Testing
7 Testing Location Start Date
Mountain View to San Jose (13 miles) September 2023
San Mateo to San Jose (31 miles) March 2024
San Francisco to San Jose (51 miles) April 2024
Note: Testing will continue until trains enter revenue service in Fall 2024 • Each of the 23 trainsets need to be tested for 1,000 miles • Four trainsets have completed 1,000 mile tests
• Train testing between 10p-4a most weeknights; 1-2 test trains every hour • Residents may hear additional noise from horns, bells, and crossing gates during train movements
Public Outreach Safety Campaign
• Community Meetings
• Residential Mailers
• Onboard Outreach
• School Campaign
• Public Service Announcements
• Right-of-way outreach
Safety Video at
caltrain.com/safety
Right-of-Way Flyer Residential Mailer
8 Connect with Caltrain Electrification
9 • Learn more at caltrain.com/electrification
• Sign-up for Project Updates: caltrain.com/get-involved • Share Caltrain Electrification Benefits and News
• Additional Celebration Events
− Soft Launch in Summer
− Project Completion in September - City & Station Block Parties City Partnership/Toolkit
Vital Role of
Caltrain-City
Partnerships
The ability of Caltrain to sustain
and expand service will depend in
large part on cities actively
supporting expansion of ridership
to groups beyond Caltrain’s
traditional core riders.
Caltrain Ridership / Fiscal Cliff
Operating Deficit, Subject to Change
* Current MTC recommendation $25M, reduce deficit to
$8M in FY26
70,000 (2020)
21,000
(2023)
Notes:
• Farebox Recovery 74% (2020); 30% (2023)
• 20+ closures in 2023 for electrification
construction
• Average weekday ridership increased by 14%
compared to the same month in prior year
Average Daily Riders
*
12 Ridership Growth Actions
• Board Adopted Equity, Growth, and Recovery Policy
• Revised schedule: standard schedule, highest level service - focused on more midday, evening and weekend service (diversify ridership) • Regional Coordination: timed transfer, better signage Millbrae; GM group • Pass Forward Program: Bringing in new riders by providing passes for lowincome and historically disadvantaged riders • Fare promotions: 50% off ticket sales, Offering low-income riders half off their fare through Clipper START program
• Customer Experience: 300 new bicycle eLockers, new ticket options (mobile/in-person)
• Taskforce Created: Cross functional, dedicated to ridership growth • Electrification Planned 2024
Caltrain-City Partnership Toolkit
In partnership we can increase transit ridership and:
● Reduce traffic and parking demand
● Support downtown recovery (vibrancy and tax revenues) ● Improve employee recruitment and retention
● Incentivize workers to return to the office
● Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Creating vibrant, diverse, people-centered communities where people gather, work and connect
14 ● City Worker Go Passes
● Transportation Demand Management
● Development Agreements
● Local Ordinances
● Transportation Management
Association
● Station Access
● Parking Management
● Transit Oriented Development
Partnership
Models
15 City Implementation
● Local governments hold significant power in
transforming commuting habits.
● Each city has distinct characteristics and
needs, thus requiring a tailored approach
(cities can “pick and choose” from different
models)
● Implementation can be tailored to ensure
manageability and sustainability for each city
Through cities adopting Toolkit policies and programs,
we can create a future where residents and
workers enjoy a higher quality of life, and cities and
Caltrain thrive.
16 Major Projects / Initiatives
17 Major Projects /
Initiatives ● Corridor Crossing Strategy ● Battery Electric Multiple Unit Train ● Transit Oriented Development ● Portal (SF Downtown Extension) ● Diridon Business Case 18 Corridor Crossings Strategy
Note: Active grade separation projects will continue in parallel. 19 Our success will mean that we make everyday life
easier for the people who live and work in our
communities.
Contact Information
Caltrain Website: www.caltrain.com
City Partnerships: caltrain.com/citypartnership
Electrification Project: caltrain.com/electrification
Email: [email protected]
21 FOR MORE INFORMATION
WWW.CALTRAIN.COM
23 Electrified Service Plan Benefits
Express from SF to SJ in
under an hour
Quicker local service,
75 minutes instead of 100
Save up to 28 minutes on
trips from Southern Santa
Clara County to SF
Ride More, Wait Less First Class for Everyone Clean and Green Improved service for all riders
23 GHG emissions reduced by
250K MTCO2 annually –
equivalent to taking 55,000
cars off the road each year
Improves local air quality
Quieter trains, both
onboard and off
Free Wi-Fi
Smoother, quieter experience
Outlets at every seat
Digital trip information
onboard
Spacious, accessible
bathrooms
20% more train service
26% more train service at
equity priority stations
Half-hourly service during
weekends and off-peak
Get There Faster
24 Electrified Service Plan Benefits
Express from SF to SJ in
under an hour
Quicker local service,
75 minutes instead of 100
Save up to 28 minutes on
trips from Southern Santa
Clara County to SF
Ride More, Wait Less First Class for Everyone Clean and Green Improved service for all riders
24 GHG emissions reduced by
250K MTCO2 annually –
equivalent to taking 55,000
cars off the road each year
Improves local air quality
Quieter trains, both
onboard and off
Free Wi-Fi
Smoother, quieter experience
Outlets at every seat
Digital trip information
onboard
Spacious, accessible
bathrooms
20% more train service
26% more train service at
equity priority stations
Half-hourly service during
weekends and off-peak
Get There Faster
City Worker Go Passes
● Annual unlimited ride passes for city staff
● Stress-free commute across all Caltrain zones, seven days a week Transportation
Demand
Management
(TDM)
TDM measures can include:
● Free / subsidized public transit passes
(Caltrain’s Go Pass) for employees /
residents of a new development
● Charge for parking / no parking at the
development
● Public private partnership connecting
transit (Caltrain) to employment /
residential hubs via micromobilty, bus and
shuttle routes
Example: The City of San Francisco’s TDM measures
include fewer parking spaces relative to surrounding
neighborhoods, more bicycle parking and amenities,
subsidized transit passes, and delivery services facilities.
Encouraging transit use
reduces congestion,
parking needs, VMT and
emissions generated by a
new development
Development
Agreements
(DA’s)
Indirect DA’s can restrict vehicles and/or trips
associated with a project; allows project developer
latitude in SOV trip reduction.
Example: Starting in 2000, Stanford University was required to have “no net new trips” resulting from their added on-campus development. The result has been an award-winning expansion of their TDM program;
Caltrain serves as a key backbone.
Direct DA’s can mandate a TDM program, including
a Go Pass / transit pass requirement for those in the
development; can include station access
improvements.
Applicable to commercial
and residential
developments. Early
consultation with Caltrain
encouraged to explore most
effective approaches.
Example: Stanford University Medical Center Renewal &
Replacement Project’s 51 year requirement to provide annual Caltrain Go Passes to all center employees.
Local Ordinances
Reducing SOV trips, congestion and GHG emissions
Municipalities can create legislation
requiring employers to provide commuter
benefits supporting public transit use,
biking or carpooling to work.
Example: The City of San Francisco Commuter Benefits
Ordinance requires employers with 20 or more employees to offer pre-tax benefits, employer-paid benefits for transit or vanpool, provide transportation for their employees, or offer some combination of those benefits.
Transportation
Management
Association
● Non-profit, public private partnerships that
provide information and resources to commuters
● Offer benefits such as free rides on public transit
(e.g. Go Pass and cash incentives for bicycling)
● Funded by cities, private sector, and grants.
Examples:
● Palo Alto TMA offers a Clipper Card loaded with their choice of a monthly pass (e.g. Caltrain)
● City of Mountain View’s TMA provides free / low-cost
transportation alternatives, including a free shuttle
connecting Caltrain to various locations around the city. ● Stanford Research Park (SRP)’s comprehensive TMA
includes transit passes, a Transit Hub facility, and assistance to employees to determine the best commute option.
Established by stakeholders
with a shared interest in
improving commute
conditions within a
geographic area.
Station Access
An Essential Point of Collaboration
● Access improvements may be coordinated through a city’s station area plans or DA’s.
Municipalities should consider engaging Caltrain when developing and updating station area plans and pedestrian and bicycle plans.
● Customers hoping to access a Caltrain station by bike often encounter compromised or intimidating routes that discourage them from riding a bike. ● Cities that install continuous, high-quality facilities that are designed for all ages and abilities are those that see the most bike access to Caltrain stations.
Example: Redwood City on Arguello Street made a quality bike facility improvement to the station by converting angled parking into a curbside bike lane protected from traffic by parallel parking.
Parking Management
Managing parking is a way to increase transit use. Programs can include:
● Reduce parking minimums or implement parking maximums in city regulations ● Paid (market rate) on-street parking, and residential parking programs (for example, requiring parking permits)
● Using revenue from paid parking to fund public services, like transit pass programs and pedestrian safety improvements.
Example: SFMTA implemented parking demand management as part of their TDM measures to ensure optimal usage and availability. Revenue from parking is invested into the sustainable transportation network (like transit). SFpark, the demand-responsive parking pricing program, periodically adjusts meter and garage pricing to match the level of demand, encouraging drivers to park in underutilized areas and garages, reducing d d i d
Transit Oriented Development (TOD)
● Housing or mixed-use developments located near transit stations that are designed to be pedestrian-friendly neighborhoods with easy access to transit. ● Creates higher density of housing, jobs, services, and shopping around public transit stations to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
● Caltrain is supportive of TOD near our stations and encourages cities to engage with us throughout the development process.
Example: City of San Mateo’s Rail Corridor Transit Oriented Development Plan provides guidance for the creation of TOD within a half-mile of Hillsdale and Hayward Park Caltrain stations, and includes transit supportive policies, land uses, development densities, height standards, and design guidelines.