Published Tuesday, March 23, 2004, in the San Mateo County Times

Caltrain's electric rail project still on track
Santa Clara County transportation agency makes upgrade a priority

By Justin Jouvenal
Staff Writer

Caltrain's electrification project appeared as if it might be
derailed only a short time ago, but officials are cautiously
optimistic that it may finally be on track.

There are still considerable hurdles for the $601 million upgrade,
but officials have taken hope, because it appears funds may be
available for the project that were once in question, and planning
has reached a crucial stage.

"I think it stands a lot better position now than a few weeks ago,"
said John McLemore, a Caltrain director. "I see the moon and the
stars all aligning for the transportation plan."

Caltrain has finished the environmental review for the project and
the document has received approval from the Federal Transportation
Administration. Caltrain plans to take it public in late April or
early May.

One of the major issues for electrification is that it must be funded
by the three counties Caltrain serves, and it has often been
difficult to get each county to give the project the same priority.
But Caltrain got good news on that front recently.

The Santa Clara County Valley Transportation Authority has made the
project a top priority as it draws up the project list for an
extension of Measure A, a half-cent sales tax to support
transportation projects.

Electrification had initially been listed as a low priority that
would not be funded until the mid-2020s, but political pressure from
McLemore and South Bay cities forced the VTA to re-evaluate its
stand.

San Mateo County has already made electrification a priority as it
plans to renew its own Measure A. The tax is tentatively slated to
go before voters in November.

Last November, San Francisco voters approved $21 million in funding
for electrification as part of Proposition K, a transportation
measure.

San Mateo County's and Santa Clara County's versions of Measure A
must still go through long processes before they reach voters for
approval.

Margaret Okuzumi, executive director of BayRail Alliance, said the
Santa Clara County plan could encounter problems when it goes before
the Metropolitan Transportation Commission for approval.

"A larger question to keep an eye (on) is whether MTC is going to
accept (Santa Clara County's) plan," Okuzumi said.

The plans must also be approved by the boards of supervisors in each
county before going to voters.

Furthermore, the sales-tax funding is dependent on the state of the
economy, so full funding for electrification may or may not
materialize.

Along with the "baby bullet" express trains, electrification is one
of the centerpieces of Caltrain's improvement plans. Electric trains
would be quieter and cleaner than the current diesel models.

They would also allow Caltrain to get closer to its goal of running
roughly 130 trains a day, because electric trains can run closer
together. Caltrans currently runs 76 trains a day. Construction is
slated to break ground in 2006 and finish up in 2012.

The project has been controversial, because some local politicians
have raised objections to the overhead wire towers that will be
needed for powering the trains.


Staff writer Justin Jouvenal covers politics and transportation.
He can be reached at (650) 348-4331 or by e-mail at
jjouvenal@...