Chapter 1 OVERVIEW of TRANSIT SYSTEM

1 Chapter 1 which SP operated the service, but state and local OVERVIEW OF TRANSIT SYSTEM government agencies subsidized and administered it. Besides contract administration, Caltrans’ 1.1 BRIEF HISTORY responsibilities included planning, marketing, customer service, engineering and design, fare and Railroad service along the San Francisco Peninsula schedule setting, and performance monitoring. The has a long and storied history and has existed, in commuter service was renamed Caltrain. some form, since 1863. The railroad line, one of the oldest in California, was fi rst proposed in 1851 to connect the booming trade center of San Francis- co and the fi rst state capital of California, San Jose. Ground for the railroad was not broken until May 1861, when construction of the line began at San Francisquito Creek, on the Santa Clara-San Mateo county line. By October 1863, regular service began between San Francisco and Mayfi eld (now the California Avenue station in Palo Alto). The construction of the line to San Jose was completed in January 1864, and two trains began operating daily between San Francisco and San Jose. Prior to Caltrain’s current ownership, passenger rail ridership on the Peninsula was at its peak in the In 1987, representatives of the City and County mid-1940s, when more than 9.54 million patrons of San Francisco, the San Mateo County Transit rode the train annually. However, as the cost of District (“District”) and the Santa Clara County operating the Peninsula commuter rail service in- Transit District, now the Santa Clara County Valley creased, and the number of riders began to decline, Transportation Authority (VTA), began the effort to the former Southern Pacifi c Railroad (SP) began to create the Peninsula Corridor Joint Powers Board phase out its less patronized trains, and by the mid- (JPB) to transfer administrative responsibility for 1970s sought to discontinue passenger rail service. Caltrain from the state to the local level. In July After extended negotiations, SP, the California 1991, a Joint Powers Agreement, signed by the Department of Transportation (Caltrans), and the three parties, stipulated the JPB membership and three counties through which the Peninsula Com- powers, specifi ed fi nancial commitments for each mute Service operated (San Francisco, San Mateo, member agency, delegated the San Mateo County and Santa Clara counties) reached an agreement to Transit District as the managing agency, and de- preserve passenger rail service on the Peninsula. tailed other administrative procedures. Beginning in 1980, Caltrans Rail Management and The JPB purchased the 51.4-mile Caltrain right of Rail Operation branches administered a purchase- way from Southern Pacifi c in December 1991 for of-service agreement with Southern Pacifi c under a cost of $212 million. In July 1992, San Mateo CALTRAIN SHORT RANGE TRANSIT PLAN FY2008 - FY2017 3 County Transit District personnel assumed the of Directors appointed by the Board representing management and administration of the JPB, and the the City of San Jose or the County of Santa Clara; JPB assumed ownership of Caltrain, contracting (2) a member of the VTA Board of Directors ap- with Amtrak as its operator. In 1992, the commute pointed by that Board representing the County of service from Gilroy also began. In the 16 years that Santa Clara or a city in Santa Clara County other the JPB has owned Caltrain, ridership has increased than the City of San Jose; and (3) the County’s rep- 60 percent. resentative to the MTC, or if this person declines to serve, then the MTC appointee of the Cities Selec- In 2002, Caltrain weekend service was suspended tion Committee, or if this person declines to serve, for two years to allow for construction of the CTX then a member of the VTA Board of Directors as project. With new rolling stock and upgraded infra- appointed by that Board. structure, Baby Bullet express service was initiated in June 2004. Ridership immediately began to JPB Directors do not have any terms as prescribed increase. However, within a year Caltrain was fac- by the JPB; they serve at the discretion of their ap- ing fi nancial diffi culties and decided to overhaul the pointing authority. entire schedule and offer more express service in order to attract additional riders, particularly those The current members of the JPB include: making longer trips. The re-invention of Caltrain • Jim Hartnett - Chair occurred in August 2005, with a decrease of local trains in the peak and a doubling of express ser- • Don Gage - Vice Chair vice to 22 Baby Bullet trains a day. Sustained and • José Cisneros signifi cant ridership increases continue as ridership • Nathaniel P. Ford Sr. levels have just recently surpassed the 2001 peak of Jerry Hill• Jerry Hill• 35,000 riders per weekday. • Arthur Lloyd 1.2 GOVERNANCE • Forrest Williams • Ken Yeager BOARD OF DIRECTORS Vacant• The Peninsula Corridor Joint Powers Board in- cludes representatives from San Francisco, San ADVISORY COMMITTEES Mateo, and Santa Clara counties. The JPB consists There are four advisory committees offering Cal- of nine members, three from each county. train management input on a regular basis. These are as follows: The San Francisco representatives include an ap- • The Staff Coordinating Council (SCC) is com- pointee from the Mayor’s offi ce, an appointee from prised of staff from the three partner agencies. the San Francisco County Board of Supervisors, Responsibilities include review and coordina- and an appointee from the San Francisco Munici- tion of upcoming board agenda items. pal Transportation Agency. The three San Mateo • The Citizens Advisory Committee (CAC) is County representatives are all members of the San comprised of nine representatives, three from Mateo County Transit District’s Board of Directors, each member county, appointed by the JPB. but three different appointing authorities designate The committee acts in an advisory capacity a representative from the Transit District’s Board, to the JPB. Responsibilities include provid- as follows: The Transit District Board; the San ing input on the needs of current and potential Mateo County Board of Supervisors; and the City’s transit users. Selection Committee of the Council of Mayors of San Mateo County. The Santa Clara County repre- • The Bicycle Advisory Committee is comprised sentatives include (1) a member of the VTA Board of Caltrain and Amtrak staff and representatives from the community with an interest in 4 CALTRAIN SHORT RANGE TRANSIT PLAN FY2008 - FY2017 bicycle issues as they relate to Caltrain. Re- CONTRACT OPERATOR sponsibilities include reviewing and provid- Through an operating agreement with the JPB, ing input on policies and actions that relate to Amtrak provides services to manage and operate Caltrain’s bicycle guidelines and programs. Caltrain on the corridor between San Francisco and • The Accessibility Advisory Committee is com- Gilroy. Under contract with the JPB, Amtrak is re- prised of District staff, members of agencies sponsible for the maintenance, repair, and cleaning representing persons with disabilities, and Cal- of equipment and property directly related to train train customers with disabilities. Responsibili- operations. Amtrak also is responsible for checking ties include reviewing and providing input on tickets on Caltrain, selling tickets at staffed sta- access to train cars, stations and other Caltrain tions, and submitting various fi nancial and opera- services. tional reports to the JPB. Amtrak is also required to conduct ridership counts and passenger surveys, as needed. The operating contract is awarded on 1.3 THE ORGANIZATION a competitive bid basis. The current contract with Amtrak was extended for three years with two one- The JPB is a joint powers authority created by year optional years. The three-year extension of the agreement pursuant to Government Code Sec- base term under the contract with Amtrak will ex- tions 6500 et seq. The three member agencies of pire on June 30, 2009. The JPB Board of Directors this joint powers authority are the City and County recently exercised the fi rst-year option to further of San Francisco, the San Mateo County Transit extend the contract which will continue the man- District (“District”) and the Santa Clara Valley agement and operating arrangement with Amtrak Transportation Authority. The joint powers agree- from July 1, 2009 through June 30, 2010. Should ment creating this agency designates the District as the JPB exercise the second one-year option, the the Managing Agency of the JPB. The JPB has no term of the current contract with Amtrak could run direct employees. Rather employees of the District, through June 30, 2011. the Managing Agency, serve as staff to the JPB. Under this contractual arrangement, the General LABOR UNION REPRESENTATION Manager/CEO of the District, serves the JPB as The JPB utilizes fi ve full-time equivalent employ- its Executive Director. The Executive Director is ees from the SamTrans Unit Repair section to repair supported by fi ve chief offi cers that oversee Admin- and maintain Caltrain’s Ticket Vending Machines. istration, Communications, Development, Finance These workers are covered by the labor agreement and Operations. See Figure 1-1. between SamTrans and the Amalgamated Transit Union Local Division No. 1574 AFL-CIO-CLC. DISTRICT STAFF This agreement is in effect from October 11, 2005 District staff provides administrative management through June 30, 2008. for the Caltrain system. The Rail Transportation Department is responsible for the day-to-day opera- 1.4 DESCRIPTION OF SERVICES AND tion of Caltrain and provides direct oversight of the contract operator, Amtrak. Other District depart- SERVICE AREA ments provide staff support in engineering, fi nance, capital project development, project monitoring, RAIL SERVICE planning, marketing, customer service, public and Caltrain serves 32 stations along the 77.2-mile route media relations, fare and schedule setting, perfor- between San Francisco and Gilroy, as illustrated mance monitoring, personnel recruitment, budget in the system map presented in Figure 1-2.

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