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Caltrain's Board Adopts Operating Budget
Caltrain’s board of directors today adopted a $76.7 million operating budget for
Fiscal Year 2006. The budget represents a three percent increase over last year’s
budget.
At the outset of the budget development process, Caltrain was facing a $13.6 million
deficit but innovative service changes combined with a fare increase helped to balance
the budget.
Each of the three Peninsula Corridor Joint Powers Board members –San Francisco Municipal
Railway, San Mateo County Transit District and Santa Clara Valley Transportation
Authority— also are increasing their contributions by three percent.
Money that could be received through Proposition 42 funds, if the state legislature
adopts the governor’s proposed budget and money from the Metropolitan Transportation
Commission will help to plug the remaining hole.
“We knew that cutting service was never going to help Caltrain balance its budget. You
can’t wring blood from a stone,” said Robert Doty, Caltrain’s director of rail
transportation. “We believe that by increasing the Baby Bullet service and speeding
travel times during the commute we can increase our ridership and therefore our
revenues.”
Service Changes
With the new schedule, which takes effect Aug. 1, Caltrain will operate
96-weekday trains (PDF, 62.42
KB), an increase over today’s 88-train schedule.
A total of 22 Baby Bullet trains will operate during the commute with two separate
stopping patterns. Pattern A trains will stop at San Jose Diridon, Mountain View, Palo
Alto, Hillsdale, Millbrae, 22nd Street (reverse-commute only) and San Francisco.
Pattern B trains will stop at Tamien (traditional-peak only) San Jose Diridon,
Sunnyvale, Palo Alto (traditional-peak only), Menlo Park (reverse-commute only), San
Mateo, Millbrae, 22nd Street (reverse-commute only) and San Francisco.
In addition local service will be provided in a new way. Instead of offering the slower
local trains during the commute, Caltrain will provide local service using local/express
trains - a train that operates for half its schedule as a local and the other half as an
express - with a timed transfer in Redwood City.
Some stations will see less service during the peak in order to make the faster schedule
possible. By making fewer stops whether the train is a Baby Bullet or a local/express
some stations will need to be bypassed to improve travel times. Paul Avenue in San
Francisco, Broadway in Burlingame and Atherton will be placed under a service
suspension.
However, at Broadway and Atherton weekday service will be supplemented by a shuttle,
which will connect riders at Broadway with Millbrae, and Atherton riders will be able to
connect with either Redwood City or Menlo Park. Trains will continue to stop at
Broadway and Atherton on the
weekends
(PDF, 57.55 KB).
Fare Increase
Beginning July 1, Caltrain
fares
(PDF, 10.34 KB) will rise an average of 17.5 percent. The increase also
is part of a series of proposals adopted by the board at the May 5 meeting to help
offset the budget deficit.
Caltrain’s board also reviewed a proposed $77.6 million capital budget. They will take
action on the budget at the July 7 board meeting.
For schedule or fare information, contact Caltrain at 1.800.660.4287, or for the
hearing-impaired TDD only 650.508.6448.
6/3/05
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