Local officials lobbied for agency to spare the service from
cuts
A proposal to end Caltrain service to Gilroy prompted San Benito
County officials to argue against the plan, saying the move would
increase congestion on local roads and inconvenience Hollister
commuters. Santa Clara County’s transportation agency ultimately
decided to spare the Gilroy service, choosing instead to pursue
other options to close a $10.1 million budget gap.
Local officials lobbied for agency to spare the service from cuts
A proposal to end Caltrain service to Gilroy prompted San Benito County officials to argue against the plan, saying the move would increase congestion on local roads and inconvenience Hollister commuters. Santa Clara County’s transportation agency ultimately decided to spare the Gilroy service, choosing instead to pursue other options to close a $10.1 million budget gap.
Lisa Rheinheimer, executive director of the San Benito County Council of Governments, last week testified in front of the Peninsula Corridor Joint Powers Board to urge its members to continue the commuter train service, which stretches from Gilroy in the south to San Francisco in the north.
“Caltrain is a very important service for San Benito County residents as it provides mobility options and reduces congestion on local highways,” she said. “We certainly appreciate the tough choices [the transportation agency] has had to make, but we urged them to continue the Gilroy service.”
Rheinheimer said the officials debating the future of Caltrain service received nearly 700 comments as of last week, with the “vast majority” of those in support of continuing that service.
The Hollister City Council and San Benito County Board of Supervisors each passed resolutions in support of the commuter train service.
“For our local transit service, our riders would have had to switch to a less-direct VTA [Valley Transportation Authority bus] service, use their own vehicle if they had one, or be stranded” without a ride to work or school, Rheinheimer said.
Canceling service to Gilroy would also mean “increased congestion on Hwy. 101, not to mention the pollution that goes along with driving a vehicle,” she added. “You also can’t work when driving your own vehicle like you can when you’re on Caltrain.”
In addition to her comments in front of the joint powers board, Rheinheimer presented copies of the local resolutions and she had previously forwarded comments by e-mail.
To save nearly $2 million during the upcoming fiscal year, Caltrain staff is expected to recommend reducing the current mid-day service schedule from every half hour to once every hour. They will also suggest raising parking fees at Caltrain station lots to $3 per day – a $1 increase – and hike the cost for bulk ticket “GO” passes. A previous plan to reduce weekend service is apparently off the table, officials said.
Santa Clara County Supervisor Don Gage, a former Gilroy mayor who also serves on the Caltrain board of directors, last month said he was certain that service to the South County station would not be discontinued, but that all options had to be considered in order to reduce the deficit.
“It would have cost them more money to shut it down,” he said. “But you have to lay everything on the table.”
Entering the 2009-10 fiscal year, which starts July 1, Caltrain officials have entered into a “fuel-hedging” program, in which the agency can agree to a contract that protects it against fluctuating fuel prices for a year – saving up to $2.5 million. The agency is also hoping for a $2 million track maintenance grant from the Metropolitan Transportation Commission.
Other cost savings include a $410,000 reduction in administrative costs and a reduction in bank fees related to credit card transactions for ticket sales. Because ticket sales are down, Caltrain spokeswoman Christine Dunn said a decrease in ticket sales means those transaction fees will decrease.
What’s more, nearly $3.7 million in fuel savings from last year’s budget will be rolled into next year’s operating costs, further reducing the budget gap caused by lower revenue and increased expenses.
Caltrain reported an average weekday ridership of 39,122 for February, according to its Web site. That includes an average of 324 riders from South Santa Clara County, down from 349 in February 2008.
A one-way Caltrain ticket from Gilroy to Santa Clara is $6. A day pass is $12 and a monthly pass is $159.
