CALTRAIN 20042023 STRATEGIC PLAN PENINSULA CORRIDOR JOINT POWERS BOARD (CALTRAIN) 1250 SAN CARLOS AVE. S AN CARLO S, CALIF. 94070 800-660-4287 WWW.CALTRAIN.COM JULY 1, 2004 A CKNOWLEDGMENTS Peninsula Corridor Joint Powers Board 1250 San Carlos Ave., San Carlos, California 94070 2004 BOARD OF DIRECTORS STRATEGIC PLAN John McLemore, Chair Mike Nevin, Vice Chair 2 004| 2 023 Michael Burns José Cisneros Don Gage Jim Hartnett Arthur L. Lloyd Sophie Maxwell Ken Yeager TABLE OF CONTENTS Sue Lempert, Metropolitan Transportation Commission Liason Michael J. Scanlon, Executive Director 1 From the Executive Director George Cameron, Chief Administrative Officer and Acting Chief Financial Officer 2 Introduction Chuck Harvey, Chief Operating Officer 2 The Caltrain Strategic Plan 2004–2023 Rita Haskin, Chief Communications Officer 5 Along the Peninsula Ian McAvoy, Chief Development Officer 7 Caltrain Today 8 Vision & Guiding Principles PROJECT STAFF 8 The Caltrain Vision Larry Stueck, Manager, Planning and Research 9 Guiding Principles April Chan, Manager, Capital Programming and Grants Corinne Goodrich, Manager, Special Projects 20 From Principle to Policy Douglas Kolozsvari, Associate Planner 20 The Scenario Approach 21 Policy Questions HNTB CORPORATION 25 Snapshot of the Continuum 1330 Broadway #1630, Oakland, CA 94612 and Future Improvements Camille Tsao, Senior Transportation Planner NANCY WHELAN CONSULTING 28 The Future Scenarios 201 Mission Street #1450, San Francisco, CA 94105 28 Developing the Scenarios NELSON\NYGAARD CONSULTING ASSOCIATES 47 Evaluating the Scenarios 833 Market Street #900, San Francisco, CA 94103 50 Conclusions WILBUR SMITH ASSOCIATES 201 Mission Street #1450, San Francisco, CA 94105 Art direction, design and production by MIG, Inc., Berkeley, California From the Executive Director Friends of Caltrain: On behalf of the Peninsula Corridor Joint Powers Board, (JPB) we are pleased to present the 20-Year Strategic Plan for Caltrain service. This document is a product of challenging economic times demanding hard choices and difficult decisions. But it also reflects an optimistic vision and a conviction that continued dramatic development and even more significant milestones lie ahead in the Caltrain corridor as we respond to relentless demand by new generations of patrons for faster travel, frequent schedules, improved facilities and more convenient access. In 1992, the Joint Powers Board assumed stewardship of the Caltrain system, which was hard pressed at the time to operate 52 weekday trains over a worn and tired infrastructure. Throughout the industry, they called it a “fixer-upper railroad.” From any perspective, we have done some significant fixing during the last 12 years. We have completed a $300 million infra- structure upgrade including new trackage, rolling stock, signal systems, and—in conjunction with many of the cities we serve—station improvements for comfort, convenience and accessibility. That 52-train schedule has expanded to 86, including 10 Baby Bullet trips linking San Jose Diridon and San Francisco stations in less than an hour. Much of this upgrade effort has taken place during a chilling economic downturn that has imposed unprecedented fiscal challenges on every transportation system. Nevertheless, we have not stopped building; we have not stopped improving; and, as this document will attest, we have not stopped planning for the future. Where do we go from here? This Strategic Plan positions us to proceed as fast, and as far, as market demand and resources will permit. It outlines three distinct growth patterns: Moderate, Enhanced, and Build-Out. The document provides for potential service extensions to the south, north and east; for system electrification; additional trains and more express schedules; and, ultimately, incorporation of High Speed Rail sometime in the next decade. Any long-term planning document must contain the means to deal with contingencies. Caltrain has met that challenge during its developmental years, and we believe the current Strategic Plan includes adequate measures to assure continued success. Michael J. Scanlon Executive Director CALTRAIN STRATEGIC PLAN 2004 | 2023 1 INTRODUCTION Introduction The Caltrain Strategic Plan 2004–2023 The Strategic Plan is a blueprint for the future of Caltrain. It presents a vision and guiding principles that shape broad-level policy decisions as well as specific strategies for service and capital improvements. The Strategic Plan is intended to be a reference for policymakers, Caltrain staff, and members of the public that guides them toward a common vision for Caltrain. Above all, it is meant to be an agent for change. The Caltrain Strategic Plan includes the following elements: (1) The Vision & Guiding Principles, which present a vision for Caltrain and outline principles for guiding policy decisions; (2) A summary of the Service Plan, which details the service characteristics, Information from the Service, Capital Improvement, and Finance plans is presented policies, and budget requirements for Caltrain over the next 20 years; through four future scenarios: the Status Quo, Moderate Growth, Enhanced, and (3) A summary of the Capital Improvement Program (CIP), which identifies Build-Out Scenarios. The scenarios are described in detail in the Future Scenarios policy and prioritizes capital improvements over the next 20 years; and chapter (page 28). The service characteristics, operations and capital costs, and (4) A summary of the Finance Plan, which discusses funding strategies member agency contributions reflected in each of the scenarios are based upon for Caltrain. the Draft Short-Range Transit Plan, Capital Improvement Plan, and Finance Plan as STRATEGIC PLAN COMPONENTS of June 1, 2004. The information in the Strategic Plan provides a general under- standing of the costs and benefits of each scenario and provides a basis for com- Vision & Guiding Principles paring the scenarios. Adoption of the Strategic Plan does not commit the member agencies to the funding requirements, service levels, or capital priorities presented in this document but is an agreement on the principles and policies which will Strategic Capital guide the development of the Short-Range Transit Plan, Service Plan, Capital Service Plan Plan Improvement Plan Improvement Plan, and Finance Plan. These plans are being finalized and will be adopted separately from the Strategic Plan in the Fall/Winter of 2004. Any updated information related to JPB actions subsequent to the adoption of Finance the Strategic Plan will be included as these supporting plans are finalized. Any Plan revisions to the Strategic Plan after adoption will be included in an addendum or in the next Strategic Plan update, anticipated by 2010. 2 CALTRAIN STRATEGIC PLAN 2004 | 2023 CALTRAIN STRATEGIC PLAN 2004 | 2023 3 80 INTRODUCTION Petaluma Vallejo 680 101 San Rafael 4 Concord All of the scenarios are based on rea- Peninsula Corridor has been served by sonable assumptions of revenue avail- rail since 1863, and this corridor is 1 Berkeley 24 Walnut Creek ability—based on past experience and where Caltrain operates rail service 80 San Pablo estimates of future events—and opti- today, connecting cities from Gilroy Bay mize federal and state funds. Where to San Jose to San Francisco. Its Oakland estimated revenue meets or exceeds 34 stations and 77 route-miles of SAN FRANCISCO 22ND ST capital program costs, the capital pro- track served about 28,000 passengers Alameda 880 San Francisco San Leandro 580 grams are considered to be fully fund- per weekday in 2003 and over seven PAUL AVE Oakland BAYSHORE 101 Intl. Airport ed. Underlying the financial analysis is million passengers annually. The the assumption that the local funds Caltrain rail system is a vital transit link 280 580 84 Pacifica San Livermore required to match the maximum avail- for communities on the Peninsula and SOUTH SF Francisco Hayward Bay able federal revenues will be provided is a fundamental component of the San SAN BRUNO San Francisco Intl. Airport 680 MILLBRAE by Caltrain’s member agencies. These Francisco Bay Area transportation system. BROADWAY 92 BURLINGAME local matching funds are subject to SAN MATEO The Bay Area has been one of the HAYWARD PARK Fremont BAY MEADOWS annual approval by the three member HILLSDALE fastest growing regions of the country BELMONT 84 agencies. If local matching funds are SAN CARLOS Redwood in terms of jobs and population, con- REDWOOD CITY City not allocated and alternative local ATHERTON stantly challenging its transportation Half Moon Bay MENLO PARK sources are not identified, Caltrain PALO ALTO system to meet travel demands. During STANFORD would not be able to use all of the CALIFORNIA AVE 101 the tech boom, job and population SAN ANTONIO federal funds included in the financial 237 growth far exceeded previous estimates, Pacific MOUNTAIN VIEW plans and other sources will be required Ocean and the highway system proved ill Mountain SUNNYVALE View LAWRENCE San Jose to meet any shortfalls. SANTA CLARA Intl. Airport equipped to handle the dramatic 1 COLLEGE PARK increase in automobile trips. Traffic SAN JOSE DIRIDON TAMIEN Along the Peninsula congestion reached its peak, resulting 85 CAPITOL The San Francisco Peninsula, home in poor air quality, long commutes, and San Jose BLOSSOM HILL to San Francisco, San Mateo, and frustrated drivers. Many commuters Santa Clara counties, is bordered found taking transit to be a favorable 101 by the Santa Cruz Mountains to the alternative and Caltrain ridership