Coast Daylight Implementation Plan
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COAST DAYLIGHT IMPLEMENTATION PLAN Prepared for Coast Rail Coordinating Council Funding Source: State Partnership for Planning Funds Fiscal Year 1999 – 2000 Contributing and Supporting Agencies: Transportation Agency of Monterey County San Luis Obispo Council of Governments Santa Barbara County Association of Governments Ventura County Transportation Commission Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission Caltrans Rail Program Plan Supporter: Amtrak West by WILBUR SMITH ASSOCIATES June 30, 2000 TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter 1 Project Overview Introduction......................................................................................................................1-1 Service Purpose, Vision and Operating Plan...................................................................1-1 Financial Assessment .......................................................................................................1-2 Environmental Assessment..............................................................................................1-3 Operating Agreements......................................................................................................1-3 Public Input......................................................................................................................1-4 Recommendation and Next Steps ....................................................................................1-4 Chapter 2 Service Purpose, Vision and Operating Plan Introduction......................................................................................................................2-1 The Coast Line.................................................................................................................2-1 Service Purpose................................................................................................................2-4 Vision for the Service.......................................................................................................2-4 Station Stops.....................................................................................................................2-5 Connections......................................................................................................................2-6 Schedule...........................................................................................................................2-7 Equipment ........................................................................................................................2-9 Food and Beverage Service............................................................................................2-10 Start-up Goal..................................................................................................................2-11 Chapter 3 Financial Plan Introduction......................................................................................................................3-1 Revenue and Operating Costs..........................................................................................3-1 Required Subsidy and Farebox Recovery........................................................................3-6 Comparisons with Other State-sponsored Intercity Rail Passenger Services..................3-7 Capital Improvements......................................................................................................3-7 Equipment Cost................................................................................................................3-9 Chapter 4 Environmental Issues Introduction......................................................................................................................4-1 CEQA Compliance...........................................................................................................4-1 King City Platform and Station........................................................................................4-2 Pajaro Platform and Station..............................................................................................4-2 Gilroy Platform.................................................................................................................4-3 San Jose............................................................................................................................4-4 San Francisco ...................................................................................................................4-4 345450 COAST DAYLIGHT IMPLEMENTATION PLAN WILBUR SMITH ASSOCIATES TABLE OF CONTENTS Cultural Resource Study Requirements ...........................................................................4-4 Biological Resources Study Requirements......................................................................4-5 Noise Study Requirements...............................................................................................4-6 Hazardous Materials Study Requirements.......................................................................4-6 Land Use, Visual Resources, & Growth Inducement Study Requirements.....................4-6 Traffic and Parking Study Requirements.........................................................................4-7 Conclusion and Recommendations ..................................................................................4-7 Chapter 5 Operating Agreements Introduction......................................................................................................................5-1 Caltrans.............................................................................................................................5-1 Amtrak..............................................................................................................................5-2 Peninsula Corridor Joint Powers Board (Caltrain)...........................................................5-3 Union Pacific....................................................................................................................5-3 Southern California Regional Rail Authority (Metrolink)...............................................5-4 Local Agencies.................................................................................................................5-4 Chapter 6 Public Input Introduction......................................................................................................................6-1 Public Input......................................................................................................................6-1 Chapter 7 Recommendation and Next Steps Recommendation..............................................................................................................7-1 Next Steps ........................................................................................................................7-2 Figure Figure 1 follows ...............................................................................................................2-6 Figure 2 ...........................................................................................................................2-8 345450 COAST DAYLIGHT IMPLEMENTATION PLAN WILBUR SMITH ASSOCIATES Chapter 1 PROJECT OVERVIEW INTRODUCTION The Coast Daylight Implementation Plan represents the efforts of the Coast Rail Coordinating Council (CRCC) to increase passenger service on the Coast Route. The route has service now, provided by the Coast Starlight and San Diegan trains. The Starlight runs through the length of the corridor from San Jose to Los Angeles. There is one northbound train and one southbound train daily. The San Diegans (now transitioning to a new name, “Surfliners”) serve San Luis Obispo from the south. Like the Coast Starlight, there is one Surfliner a day in each direction. No Surfliners operate north of San Luis Obispo. The purpose of this document is to outline an implementation plan for the Coast Daylight. Start- up is scheduled for late 2001. While the timeline is tight, it is achievable, but only with goodwill and best efforts of all the stakeholders involved toward the common goal of a new intercity rail service between San Francisco and Los Angeles. This implementation plan consists of the following elements: · The purpose, vision, and operating plan for the Daylight start-up; · A financial plan covering the first three years of operation; · What is needed in terms of operating agreements between the operators and the right-of- way (ROW) owners or their representatives; · Feedback on the operating plan from communities to be served by the Coast Daylight; and · A description of next steps required to implement the vision of the Coast Daylight. SERVICE PURPOSE, VISION AND OPERATING PLAN Purpose The purpose of the Coast Daylight will be three-fold. First, it will reestablish intercity passenger service between downtown San Francisco and downtown Los Angeles for the first time in 30 years. Second, it will better link the major population, cultural and commercial centers of Northern and Southern California. Third, it will bridge a major gap in the California rail passenger program by increasing intercity passenger service north of San Luis Obispo and the San Francisco Bay Area by 100 percent. Only Amtrak’s Coast Starlight travels north of San Luis Obispo at the present time. Vision In practical terms, the Coast Daylight will be a daily service, with trains leaving each terminal before 8 a.m. and arriving at their destination around 7 p.m. It will operate on the Peninsula 345450