The tracks passing through the foothills to and from Morgan Hill
and Gilroy may lack the daily Caltrain service they’re used to as
Caltrain struggles to close a $30 million budget deficit The
scenario calls for eliminating service south of San Jose’s Diridon
Station, which would leave a few thousand South County riders
searching for a different method of getting to work.
Morgan Hill – The tracks passing through the foothills to and from Morgan Hill and Gilroy may lack the daily Caltrain service they’re used to as Caltrain struggles to close a $30 million budget deficit
The scenario calls for eliminating service south of San Jose’s Diridon Station, which would leave a few thousand South County riders searching for a different method of getting to work. Concerned riders and citizens are asked to attend a public meeting at the Gilroy Senior Center at 6 p.m. Feb. 17.
Caltrain is facing a $30 million budget deficit and relies on contributions from its three partner agencies – the City and County of San Francisco, the San Mateo County Transit District and the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority – however SamTrans is planning to reduce its contribution to Caltrain by $10 million. If other partners do the same, the hole will grow to an expected $30 million.
At a morning meeting Saturday at the SamTrans headquarters in San Carlos, about 200 people joined to air their concerns and hear possible solutions presented by several politicians in the Bay Area, such as California Congresswoman Jackie Speier and former Palo Alto Mayor Yoriko Kishimoto, who is heading the grass-roots coalition Friends of Caltrain.
“With your support, we hope to avert the worst of the short term crisis,” it reads on GreenCaltrain.com, which hosts the Friends of Caltrain. “We are also excited to tackle the structural challenge and opportunity of developing long term strategies that will leave Caltrain a modernized transit service, much more financially stable and deeply integrated with the walkable and bikeable communities of the Peninsula.” Friends of Caltrain proposes using emergency funding to keep service afloat.
Caltrain currently operates 86 weekday trains, including 22 express trains, with an average ridership of 40,000. Saturday service includes 36 local trains and four express trains; Sunday service includes 32 local trains and four express trains.Â
Caltrain spokeswoman Christine Dunn said at the Gilroy meeting Caltrain officials will look at the proposal of cutting service to Morgan Hill and Gilroy. Public comments are welcome.
“We had to look at what was a realistic scenario and what kind of service we can provide with the money we have. This is where we have to start, but hopefully it’s not going to be where we end up,” Dunn said.
The fiscal deadline is June 30 for the Caltrain board of directors who will begin review of the budget in March after a formal public hearing, then they will return around April to pass the budget.
The death of Caltrain to South County isn’t imminent, Dunn said. The low ridership statistics in South County comparatively, which currently runs three northbound trains daily stops to Morgan Hill, San Martin and Gilroy and two southbound trains daily, are cause for retaining trains exclusively in peak service areas according to the proposed budget plan. Caltrain would rid weekend service totally, which also typically has lower ridership.
UPCOMING MEETINGS
6 p.m., Feb. 17 at the Gilroy Senior Center, 7371 Hanna St., Gilroy
6 p.m., Feb. 17 at San Jose City Hall, 2000 East Santa Clara St., Rooms W118 and 119 in San Jose
