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Dear Council members:
You may be aware of this already. I just saw it in a web search. As you may note, Caltrain can change its schedule if it wishes to. As I have said previously, Caltrain has their agenda and cannot be dissuaded from pursuing it. They want to be a regional rail carrier, not a local urban transit line. Thus, the trip from San Jose to San Francisco and back is their most important "route." Local stops, including mid-peninsula stops are a nuisance, slow them down, don't give them enough riders, etc. If fewer stops are better, that changes the basic nature of their mission. Which is to say, there is a fundamental conflict between our expectations and theirs.
Now, my point here is the presumption that if we, Atherton and Menlo Park, make it clear to them what we want in the form, shape and configuration of grade separations, they will listen to us.
Please understand me. I have no problem with doing studies. If externally funded, they generate staff support. Staff loves studies. That's OK. But, we really need to be honest with ourselves and not perpetuate the illusion that we can, somehow, have an impact on Caltrain or high speed rail decision-making. Nor listen to those (consultants) who would have us believe that Caltrain operates like a democracy or representative government that is responsive to us. In the rail business, the customer is seldom right.
And, by the way, who is doing the passenger counting? I believe it's the train operator, Amtrak. Are these numbers being independently confirmed?
Martin
Caltrain announced a proposed schedule change effective in March 2008 that will add one southbound and one northbound train during week nights.
The northbound 191, which currently leaves San Jose Diridon at 8:10 p.m., will be moved to 7:30, with subsequent northbound trains leaving at 8:30, 9:30 and 10:30 p.m.
Southbound 190, which currently leaves San Francisco 4th & King at 7:20 p.m., will leave 10 minutes later at 7:30 p.m., with subsequent trains at 8:30, 9:30, 10:30. The final train to leave the city will still be scheduled for departed at 12:01 a.m.
The schedule changes are prompted by record ridership this year on Caltrain, with standing room only on the busier commute time trains.
Visit Caltrain's website to see the proposed schedule changes for March 2008. Caltrain is seeking public comment on the proposed changes at public meetings next Tuesday, November 27 from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. The meetings will be held at San Francisco 4th & King, Caltrain's administrative offices at 1250 San Carlos Avenue in San Carlos, and at San Jose Diridon Station. Caltrain is also accepting comments on the proposed changes via email at caltraincomments (at) caltrain dot com.
From an AmazonMP3 web-site
--Received on Thu Nov 22 12:00:59 2007
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Martin Engel 1621 Stone Pine Lane Menlo Park, CA 94025 650:323-1670 martinengel@earthlink.net
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