Caltrain Extends Comment Period on Equity Policies

Caltrain has extended the comment period on its Framework for Equity, Connectivity, Recovery and Growth to Friday, August 21. This allows the public more time to weigh in on proposals to ensure Caltrain service is available to all and that the railroad maximizes its role as part of the region’s essential transit network.   

The draft Framework builds on the analysis developed through the Business Plan process and outlines how Caltrain can help the region address the interrelated and compounding crises of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic while also expanding access to low-income individuals and communities of color that have historically been underrepresented in the system’s ridership. To better understand existing travel barriers for disadvantaged riders and residents in the corridor, the team reviewed community-based transportation plans, surveyed and interviewed community-based organizations along the corridor, and conducted an in-depth statistical analysis of travel patterns of low-income residents within the corridor.

A number of significant policy recommendations for the Caltrain system are included in the Framework that will make the system more accessible and connected as it navigates a rapidly changing transportation landscape. These include improving midday service, and operating a “clock face” schedule that facilitates connections with other transit modes, and delaying fare increases and working with the region to facilitate transfers. The amount of funding available for equity programs that could arise from the framework will depend in part on the success of the sales tax measure that the Caltrain Board has placed on the ballot for November to support the railroad’s operations and capital needs.

The Framework also includes a Growth and Recovery section that lays out how Caltrain can return to and eventually surpass its pre-pandemic ridership levels, improving the system incrementally over time.

Comments may be sent to equity@caltrain.com or via phone message at (650) 508-6499. For translation or interpretation assistance, call Caltrain at 1.800.660.4287.

###

About Caltrain: Owned and operated by the Peninsula Corridor Joint Powers Board, Caltrain provides commuter rail service from San Francisco to San Jose, with commute service to Gilroy. While the Joint Powers Board assumed operating responsibilities for the service in 1992, the railroad has provided the community with more than 150 years of continuous passenger service. Planning for the next 150 years of Peninsula rail service, Caltrain is on pace to electrify the corridor, reduce diesel emissions by 97 percent by 2040 and add more service to more stations.

Follow Caltrain on Facebook and Twitter.

Free translation assistance is available.

Para traducción llama al 1.800.660.4287; 如需翻譯,請電 1.800.660.4287.