GILROY
– Caltrain is seeking public input – but not getting much of it
– on converting its trains to run by the volt rather than by the
gallon of diesel fuel.
GILROY – Caltrain is seeking public input – but not getting much of it – on converting its trains to run by the volt rather than by the gallon of diesel fuel.
Only a couple of people attended a public meeting in Morgan Hill Wednesday evening on the matter, Caltrain spokeswoman Janet McGovern said. An earlier meeting in San Francisco attracted about a dozen people, she said, while one in Sunnyvale brought in about two dozen. Attendance was not available for Saturday’s meeting in San Carlos.
People also can submit comments by mail or e-mail, but few have so far, McGovern said. The deadline for public comment is May 25.
An electrically powered train line would provide a cleaner, quieter ride between Gilroy and San Francisco, according to a draft environmental impact report Caltrain is asking the public to review.
“The primary benefits are environmental,” McGovern said. “One of the primary benefits is the impact on regional air quality in replacing diesel with electricity. There would be an 87 to 94 percent reduction in the total pollutant burden versus diesel.”
The draft EIR named other benefits as well, such as noise reduction and a more modern image that “addresses Caltrain riders’ vision.”
McGovern added that an electric train would have slightly faster acceleration and deceleration, saving riders 2 to 15 minutes, depending on length of trip.
Not everyone thinks these benefits are worth the taxpayer-funded cost: at least $600 million, Caltrain estimates.
Former Gilroy Mayor Tom Springer said in October he thought Caltrain should put funds into expanding its service before it spends on electrification.
The trains would get their power from an overhead cable system. Much of the cost would be to install this system.
It’s hard to tell when the electrification project would be complete, McGovern said. The EIR mentions the possibility of eight electric trains a day stopping in Gilroy by 2008, twice the number of diesels currently leaving here daily.
The Caltrain board will decide late this year whether to go forward with the electrification project, McGovern said. If so, they will send the plan to the Federal Transit Authority for approval. Design and construction would come later.
Caltrain has three possible plans for train replacement, with costs varying from $602 million, which would include replacing desiels one-by-one as they age, to an $866 million option replacing all existing diesel locomotives with electric locomotives and replace all existing cars with new cars.
Of the cheapest, $602 million cost estimate, $345 million would come from Santa Clara, San Mateo and San Francisco county sales taxes. Santa Clara County’s portion would come from a half-cent sales tax voters approved in 2000.
Not all the projects promised in this 2000 Measure A are likely to take place, but Caltrain electrification “made the cut” in the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority’s plan for 2030, VTA Chairman Don Gage said.
Gage also is a Caltrain board member, Santa Clara County supervisor and Gilroy resident. He puts electrifying Caltrain high on his priority list for transportation projects in this county.
“It’s the right way to go because it’s clean,” Gage said. “Those diesels are pretty polluting.”
Plus, Gage said, electric trains will be required for the planned expansion of the Caltrain station in San Francisco.
As for the low attendance at Caltrain’s public meetings, Gage commented, “People just don’t seem to be interested. I don’t know why, but they will be interested when the price of gas continues to go up and more people move into California.”
