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New Caltrain Ridership Count Shows All-Time High Passenger Numbers
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Crowds mass at Caltrain's San Francisco Station
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For the sixth straight year, Caltrain has recorded all-time high levels of passengers using the train system.
An average of 62,416 passengers take the train on a regular weekday, according to the agency's latest onboard passenger count. That marks a 7.2 percent increase from 2015 and an 83 percent increase from 2010.
Caltrain conducts the annual passenger counts as a way to plan for future service improvements, allocate resources to address capacity issues and validate revenue-based ridership estimates.
In 2015, Caltrain introduced 16 recently-purchased train cars to the system to help address capacity issues. Earlier this year, the agency added a third bike car to all Bombardier trains, to allow for more cyclists to bring their bikes on board.
Those measures are designed to aid the agency in the short term, but the real long term fix will come with electrification of the Caltrain railway. That project took a big leap forward this month, when state and regional agencies agreed to dedicate an additional $211 million for the
Caltrain Modernization Program, of which electrification is a part of.
More information about the annual passenger passenger counts is available
here. Details on the Caltrain Modernization funding plan can be found
here.
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New Video Shows Ease of Bringing Bike Onboard Caltrain
Last month, Caltrain added a third bike car to all of the agency's Bombardier train sets. As a result, bike capacity increased by 50 percent on those trains--rising from 48 bikes to 72 per each trip.
With the Galley trains capable of carrying 80 bikes, that means every train set on the Caltrain system is now equipped to hold at least 72 bikes.
The video above, created by Caltrain's Public Affairs team,
shows how easy it is now for cyclists to bike to Caltrain stations, bring their two-wheelers on Bombardier trains, and depart when they get to their stops.
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Legislative Update Looks at Governor's Revised Budget
On May 13, Governor Brown released the "May Revise,"--
his Administration's update to the proposed 2016-2017 Budget, which was released on January 7. The Revise shows that revenues have decreased by $1.9 billion, reflecting poor April income tax receipts and smaller sales tax receipts than expected.
The May Revision continues to reflect the Governor's transportation package that would provide $36 billion over the next decade to improve the maintenance of highways and roads, expand public transit and improve critical trade routes. The increased funding would be coupled with Caltrans' efficiencies, streamlined project delivery and accountability measures.
The Revise also updates revenue projections for the State Transit Assistance (STA) Program, decreasing the amount currently projected for the 2016-2017 program from $315.2 million to $266.9 million, a decrease of $48.3 million. Additionally, revenues for 2015-16 are now projected to finish at $297.6 million, a decrease of $1.8 million from the January estimate of $299.4 million.
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Will Reisman
650-508-7704
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SamTrans Hosting a Series of Events to Celebrate Agency's 40th Annivesary
SamTrans will celebrate its 40th year of operations with a series of anniversary celebrations this summer and fall.
With the SamTrans Roadeo now an annual event again, the agency will use that occasion to celebrate the 40th anniversary with its employees. That employee-focused festival will coincide with the skills competition, and is scheduled for Sunday, August 28 at the North Base facility in South San Francisco.
On Saturday, September 10, SamTrans will host a public ceremony at the San Mateo County Fairgrounds. That event will feature demonstrations from the winning Roadeo competitors, as well as historic bus displays and vintage SamTrans memorbilia, children's entertainment, and speeches from local officials.
The agency is also planning several other smaller celebrations for employees who are unable to attend the Roadeo or the 40th anniversary events. More information will be posted as those plans are finalized.
In addition, the Peninsula Moves blog will be posting stories on historical milestones from 1976, SamTrans' first year of service. The monthly series will explore events that happened 40 years ago, with the
first article focusing on accomplishments that occurred in May, 1976.
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June 16 is Dump the Pump Day
Dump the Pump Day--a national effort to get people out of their cars and into transit--will take place on June 16, and SamTrans will be participating in the event by offering up free bus rides and providing customers with tasty snacks and giveaways.
For the entire day of service on Thursday, June 16, rides will be free on SamTrans Route ECR and
Route 294.
Passengers can hop on board the popular buses and take them wherever they need to go, sans fares.
Additionally, SamTrans will be setting up Energizer stations, where customers can stock up on nutritious snacks and drinks, grab some agency giveaway items and read up on all the latest happenings at the San Mateo County Transit District.
Those energizer stations will be situated at Redwood City and Hillsdale, from 7 a.m. - 10 a.m. Volunteers from SamTrans will man the stations for the morning commute on Thursday.
More details on the energizer stations will be made available on the Transit District's specialized Dump the Pump page
here.
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| In the News
- Streetsblog USA explored how new federal guidelines are making it easier to design streets that are more walkeable and bikeable.
- Burlingame is moving ever-closer to approving a grade-separation project for Caltrain tracks at Broadway Avenue. The San Mateo Daily Journal has the story.
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