Mike Nevin and Ken Yeager to Lead Caltrain Board in 2005

Mike Nevin, a long-time member of the Caltrain policy board and a recently retired San Mateo County Supervisor, has been elected chair of the Caltrain board for 2005, succeeding former Santa Clara City Councilmember John McLemore.

San Jose City Councilmember Ken Yeager was chosen vice chair in a unanimous vote during today’s board meeting.

Nevin has extensive involvement in leadership roles on Caltrain and the SamTrans board, serving as board chair for each agency numerous times. He also is a member of the regional Metropolitan Transportation Commission, as well as represents Caltrain on the Transbay Joint Powers Board working for a downtown terminal in San Francisco.

“Transportation is one of the most fascinating and complex issues in local government,” Nevin said, “and it’s an honor to chair what I consider the best example of regional cooperation in transportation in the Bay Area.”

Yeager joined the Caltrain board four years ago and has been particularly involved in planning for a new Centralized Equipment Maintenance and Operations Facility, which is under construction in San Jose.

Due to open in 2006, CEMOF will provide a long-needed place where Caltrain can maintain and repair its equipment and centralize train-dispatching, a facility that is needed even more with the introduction last year of Caltrain’s award-winning Baby Bullet service.

“Caltrain is a forward-looking organization and I am very proud to serve as vice chair,” Yeager said. He noted that Caltrain’s importance to residents of San Jose and Santa Clara County can only grow, with the opening this year of the new Vasona light rail line, connecting at the San Jose Diridon station, and the high-density housing being built in the neighborhood, which includes his council district.

Nevertheless, 2005 promises to be an extraordinarily difficult one for the railroad, Caltrain’s Executive Director Mike Scanlon warned board members.

While ridership has increased because of the Bullet service, fare revenue has been below projection and fuel prices also have soared. At the same time, the three agencies which are partners in subsidizing Caltrain service are all facing severe financial pressures; Caltrain staff is just on the threshold of assessing the impact on its own budget for the coming fiscal year.

Caltrain’s Citizens Advisory Committee recently elected new officers, as well: Brian Wilfley, a Santa Clara County representative is the chair; and Brisbane City Councilmember Sepi Richardson is vice chair.

The Caltrain board has nine members, with representatives from each of the three counties through which the rail service operates – San Francisco, San Mateo and Santa Clara. The Caltrain board meets the first Thursday of each month at 10 a.m. at its headquarters, 1250 San Carlos Ave., San Carlos, two blocks from the train. The CAC meets the third Wednesday at 6 p.m. in the same location.

Caltrain operates 86 weekday trains between San Francisco and San Jose, with commute-hour service to Gilroy. A total of 62 trains offer service on weekends.

1/6/05