Honorable Members of the Menlo Park City Council.

Regarding the CETS based Resolution (Written Communication, #3) on
the agenda for Tuesday, March 20, I have serious concerns with
several of the Whereas's. They are misleading and possibly erroneous:

1. Several of them don't stand up to the fact that Caltrain ridership
has increased by 31%. This is the result of fewer stops, faster
travel times, and therefore more riders. Caltrain has won federal
recognition for its rider increases. The PA Daily Editorial (Mar.
16) suggests that Caltrain is becoming more of a regional service
than a local one, and that local service should belong to the buses.

2. If Menlo Park has lost 6 daily train stops since 2000, what
percent of total daily stops is that, and when during the day are
they not running, commute times or slow times?

3. Is there documentation or evidence that ridership has decreased in
Menlo Park since 2000? Could a decline be the result of the dot.com
bubble burst? Couldn't there be as many or even more MP Caltrain
riders taking trains on the present schedule that do stop? How many
MP riders are now using the Palo Alto train station?

4. It is not correct to state that Menlo Park is "contributing" to
Measure A, all of us San Mateo County tax payers are being taxed
through our sales taxes. Measure A contributes to Menlo Park, not
the other way around.

Many of these Whereas's sound like whining. Poor, neglected Menlo
Park. (Get a grip, Menlo Park!)

I have doubts that this Resolution is really about transit service as
much as it is about justifying high density TOD and ABAG increases in
"moderate" housing in Menlo Park. That's disingenuous.

I reject two of the four Resolved points: #1 is nonsense. #2 is
really part of #1. What is a scheduling consultant supposed to
accomplish? What if he says that Caltrain's schedule is optimal?
Then what is Menlo Park going to do? #3 and #4 are good and I
certainly support those. However, those two are not really what this
Resolution is about. This Resolution appears to be about bitching at
Caltrain.

What you and I do want is for CETS and Caltrain to sit down together
and develop an urban mass transit plan for the Peninsula.

Has this Resolution been reviewed by the Transportation Commission?
If not, why not? Why doesn't the TC get an assignment to get all the
facts about ridership in Menlo Park and do a needs analysis?

Respectfully,

Martin Engel

-- 
**********************
Martin Engel
1621 Stone Pine Lane
Menlo Park, CA 94025
650:323-1670
martinengel@earthlink.net
**********************