BREAKING NEW GROUND FY21/22 Breaking New Ground on Valley Rail, Work Program and Budget Ridership Recovery, and Beyond. ® TABLE OF CONTENTS ® Executive Summary............................3 Organizational Chart.........................13 Operations.........................................4 ACE Operating Budget.....................14 Customer Engagement......................6 SJJPA Operating Budget .................15 Capital Projects..................................8 Capital Budget.................................16 Planning...........................................11 THE SAN JOAQUIN REGIONAL RAIL COMMISSION BOARD OF DIRECTORS Christina Fugazi Jose Nuño Melissa Hernandez Chair, City of Stockton Commissioner, City of Manteca Commissioner, City of Dublin Leo Zuber Nancy Young Lily Mei Vice Chair, City of Ripon Commissioner, City of Tracy Commissioner, City of Fremont Kathy Miller Mike Hothi Commissioner, San Joaquin County Commissioner, City of Lodi Stacey Mortensen Executive Director 2020/2021: Work Program and Budget 2 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY With the State of California readying to re-open all facets of Breaking New Ground in the Safety programs means incor- the economy on June 15, 2021, the Rail Commission is ready porating the ongoing sanitizing and distance protocols to to respond with concerted efforts toward rail service recovery keep passengers safe during various high-virus seasons that and restoration. Ridership on both the ACE and San Joaquins may be encountered in the future, as well as, seeking more services has been steadily increasing and the new fiscal year technology-based approaches to reducing trespassers in the brings a much-needed sense of optimism and opportunity. rail corridors and incidents at grade crossings. In terms of accessibility, it means moving beyond typical train fare and This past year, the agency navigated the many uncertainties marketing programs and digging into the issue of making surrounding the pandemic and continued to provide essen- the trains more available from a means-based perspective. tial transportation options. We learned the truest meaning of Migration trends from the Bay Area to the Central Valley over teamwork, as it became one of the few things, we could count the last few decades have impacted our communities and on to get us through this challenging time. It was also an our citizens in ways that are now coming into sharper focus. eye-opening year where we discovered how the train services The Rail Commission is in a position to help evaluate and are absolute lifelines for some passengers which helps us find solutions that ensure the ACE service meets current and better approach meeting those customer needs. future needs for all seeking to travel across the network. ‘Breaking New Ground’ means re-thinking the traditional Breaking New Ground also means putting shovels in the dirt approaches. The landscape has changed. Policies about on the many projects associated with the Valley Rail Program. transportation at the state and federal level have changed. While the train services were affected during the shut-down, This may feel intimidating or overwhelming to some, but the the environmental reviews, engineering and other capital Rail Commission board and staff have always championed project work was in full swing on the over $1B expansion pro- a spirit of adaptability and responsiveness to all challenges. gram. Projects related to new ACE and San Joaquins service The 3rd ACE train was restored on May 3, 2021, with positive will soon be dotting the landscape throughout the Central ridership results. Based upon the timeline for re-opening the Valley, Sacramento, and the Bay Area. An additional 120 economy, the 4th train is on target to be rolling in Septem- miles of passenger service will be in operation in the next 3-5 ber. Core capacity for existing passengers is being improved years. In addition, SJRRC anticipates finalizing the California through additional new railcars, improved access, platforms Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Environmental Impact and parking at stations and cleaner, more powerful locomo- Report on June 4, 2021, and will finalize the National Environ- tives. Planning work is also underway for the 5th and 6th ACE mental Protection Act (NEPA) Environment assessment later trains, along with a more detailed evaluation of service alter- this year for the Stockton Diamond Grade Separation Project. natives in the Tri-Cities area (Fremont, Newark, Union City). The preliminary design will be completed in Fall 2021. The Rail Commission Board and staff are ready to go, ready to partner and ready to Break New Ground! 2020/2021: Work Program and Budget 3 OPERATIONS The pandemic has been a challenging operating period, and ACE is proud to have been able to serve essential travelers. FY21/22 will see the service break new ground in ridership recovery, service resto- ration, and continued increased utilization of the RMF. Prior to the pandemic, the ACE Service consisted of four (4) SAFETY AND SECURITY weekday round-trip trains. During the worst of the Shelter- In-Place mandates, the ACE Service was reduced to two (2) Establishing and maintaining the highest possible levels round-trip trains. With the COVID-19 restrictions easing of safety and security for ACE operations begins with clear, throughout the state, the third ACE train was restored on May comprehensive safety messaging, implementation of phys- 3, 2021. ACE service will continue with three (3) daily round- ical improvements, and ongoing educational activities. In trips to start the fiscal year and move back to full service of FY21/22 key safety focal points will include: four (4) daily round-trips starting September 7, 2021. The operational plan also includes a monitoring strategy to add • Rail security awareness training for train crews, mainte- cars to the trainsets as ridership increases, to allow appropri- nance staff, bus operators, and station staff ate spacing onboard. • Emergency preparedness training for rail corridor first responders COVID-19 OPERATIONAL RESPONSE • Disaster simulations to ensure employee and first re- sponder readiness Many of the safety and passenger communication efforts • Fencing projects at locations identified based on incident implemented during the pandemic will likely continue this hot spots and high numbers of near misses upcoming year. Onboard the ACE trains, several steps are • Improved safety and security-related signage being taking to ensure a safe operating and traveling envi- ronment including: appropriate signage to communicate • Coordination host railroads (UPRR and Caltrain) to mini- health and safety protocols, an increased trainset cleaning mize trespassers and unauthorized activities in the rail and disinfecting regime, the requirement for employees and corridor passengers to wear face coverings, and safe spacing onboard of at least 3-ft apart. Similar measures are being implemented at stations and all health and safety measures will continue to be updated as new guidance is provided. 2020/2021: Work Program and Budget 4 OPERATIONS POSITIVE TRAIN CONTROL (PTC) MOBILE TICKETING Positive Train Control (PTC) (which automatically slows or The ACE mobile ticket app (launched in April 2019) contin- stops the trains) continues to be a major initiative for the ACE ues to be a popular alternative for passengers to purchase service. The ACE PTC system was certified prior to the De- tickets. Approximately 30% of ACE passengers utilizing mo- cember 2020 deadline for full-interoperability of all railroads bile tickets. Rider feedback continues to be positive and con- in the country. Now, the Rail Industry is working to ensure tinued campaigns and education will take place in FY21/22 all railroads are up to date with on-board and back-office with a goal of achieving 50% utilization. Additionally, work software. The Rail Safety Improvement Act of 2008 (RSIA) will be ongoing with the CA Integrated Ticketing Program to requires extensive coordination of the ongoing software com- in pursuit of a statewide ticketing and information platform. patibility. Staff continues to work closely with Union Pacific Railroad (UPRR), Caltrain and the Rail Industry on software updates and improvements that ensure compliance and en- hance the efficiency and reliability of the PTC system. WI-FI Based upon the ongoing requests of the passengers for an improved ACE Wi-Fi system, the new Next-GenWi-Fi system launched On May 3, 2021. The “MyACEWiFi” service will keep passengers connected while they travel. The Next-Gen Wi-Fi system is designed with state-of-the-art, non-proprietary components to increase up-time, provide ease of upgrades to keep the system current, and add features and integra- tions as the needs of ACE passengers and operations change. The state-of-the-art system has operated well since its launch. In FY21/22, the Next-Gen Wi-Fi system will be monitored for continuous improvement and integrated into the new onboard MyACEWiFi passenger information system. 2020/2021: Work Program and Budget 5 CUSTOMER ENGAGEMENT AND MARKETING As the pandemic recovery continues, shifting communications from strictly educational and essential to ridership recovery will be a welcome change. With the challenge to recover ridership, SJRRC will be breaking new ground to listen, communicate, and motive existing and potential passengers to ride ACE. In FY20/21, SJRRC was focused on communications with ridership. With this in mind, SJRRC is preparing for ridership current and past riders as it related to the