Caltrain Seeks Input on New Access Policy

By

March 24, 2010

It’s what transportation planners call “the last-mile problem.” You can take Caltrain to work, but your office is still a mile away from the station. And, if you are like most Caltrain riders, you don’t live close enough to walk from your home to a station.

It isn’t always a lack of public transportation that keeps people in their cars. Sometimes it’s a question of how difficult it is to get to the train station.

Solving that problem will play a large part in Caltrain’s future success, and is the focus of the Comprehensive Access Program study being undertaken by the rail agency.

The new study proposes a major shift in Caltrain policy away from the automobile as a means of access to train stations and toward more emphasis on walking, transit and bicycles.

Caltrain planners will spend the next several weeks seeking public comment and input on the new policy before presenting it to the agency’s board for review at the May 1 meeting.

Caltrain’s most recent passenger survey shows that 39 percent of the system’s riders drive to the station or are dropped off; 27 percent walk; 22 percent take transit; and 8 percent bike there.

Looking ahead to 2030, forecasts show that Caltrain ridership could increase by as much as 100 percent. And, if nothing changes, Caltrain riders will continue to depend on driving to access stations. This could constrain ridership growth as parking at stations becomes more limited. In fact, some Caltrain stations already have limited parking during peak commute hours.

For these reasons, Caltrain is embarking on a program to change the way riders get to and from stations.

The Comprehensive Access Program will look at a wide range of improvements to make it easier for riders to walk, take transit or bike to stations instead of driving. These improvements include simple fixes such as better signs to more complex, community issues such as increasing housing near stations.

An overview of the program (PDF, 1.28 MB) was presented to the Caltrain board in March. Currently, staff is soliciting input on the first step, a Caltrain Access Policy.

Caltrain would like to hear suggestions from riders and citizens on the draft access policy. Documents are available by clicking here (PDF, 83 KB). Comments can be submitted to caltrainaccess@caltrain.com or in writing to: Caltrain Comprehensive Access Program, P.O. Box 3006, San Carlos, CA 94070-1306. Comments should be submitted by April 29.

The final Caltrain Access Policy is expected to be submitted to the Caltrain board for consideration in May.