Gilroy residents could see 10 additional trains to and from the
Bay Area if a state commission decides to fund an expansion project
during a two-day hearing starting Wednesday.
Gilroy residents could see 10 additional trains to and from the Bay Area if a state commission decides to fund an expansion project during a two-day hearing starting Wednesday.
The California Transportation Commission will vote on whether to provide $33 million toward a $118-million Valley Transportation Authority expansion of infrastructure in South County, commission officials said. Though the project aims to build in anticipation of the area’s needs 30 years from now, weekday riders could see more morning trains north, more evening trains south and more reverse-commute trains in as few as three years, authority staff and commission officials said.
“We believe that people need choices (and) we believe there aren’t enough for South County residents,” said Carl Guardino, one of the commission’s nine members.
Guardino is also chief executive officer for Silicon Valley Leadership Group, which links area company heads with government officials in an effort to influence public policy.
While there is not enough ridership currently to economically justify five daily trips, this is because the morning departures are too early – a result of sharing the track with freight trains – Santa Clara County Supervisor and Gilroy resident Don Gage said.
More departure and arrival times will actually improve ridership, he added
“Once you have more service, it’ll be like San Jose,” he said.
In addition, project proponents said the expansion will eliminate the occasional delays now experienced by area riders. Because of mechanical problems, freight trains sometimes stop on the sole track between Bailey Avenue in San Jose and Gilroy. This causes delays to passenger trains scheduled to pass through the area, said Caltrain Public Information Officer Jonah Weinberg.
However, this is a side benefit to the project, Childress said. The impetus is to get the necessary infrastructure in place to accommodate future population and economic growth in South County.
“We’re looking at half a million more people living in Santa Clara County and job growth is over 30 percent,” she said. “We need to be prepared to have that infrastructure in place when it comes.”
The project would double-track – or ensure there are two tracks throughout – the stretch between San Jose’s Tamien Station and Gilroy, according to the transportation authority. The trains running this route will also operate with electric engines, rather than the current diesel engines.
The authority will build bridges and overpasses so that Church, Live Oak, Tilton, Palm and San Martin avenues, among other streets, will no longer run over rail lines, Guardino said.
In addition, the rail yard in Gilroy, where trains are stored overnight, could also be expanded to accommodate the additional trains, Valley Transportation Authority Spokeswoman Brandi Childress said.
“The goal has been to expand Caltrain service to provide not only for today but for long-term,” said Greg Sellers, Morgan Hill councilman and member of the transportation authority’s board of directors.
In addition to the state funding – drawn from the 2001 Traffic Congestion Relief Fund – the remaining $85 million will come from the county’s Measure A. County voters approved the measure in 2000, allowing the county to institute a half-cent, 30-year sales tax starting in 2006.
The project is not only about responding to growth, but also trying to influence the way people think about area travel and commuting by providing an attractive alternative to driving, Guardino said.
“It’s not just projection for population growth that we all know we should expect,” he said. There is “the need to shift people’s transportation choice. People respond best to choices when those choices exist.”
