Published Friday, June 7, 2002, in the Palo Alto Daily News

Caltrain budget stalled
It's BART vs. Caltrain

A Palo Alto politician involved in bringing BART to San Jose said she
supports Caltrain and BART, but wouldn't say which should take
precedent given tough financial times.

By Melanie Carroll
Daily News Staff Writer

Palo Alto Mayor Dena Mossar who serves on the Santa Clara Valley
Transportation Authority Board of Directors -- said both Caltrain
electrification and BART's expansion into San Jose have to happen,
adding that she supports the two projects equally.

But, she wouldn't say which project should take precedence in the
current budget crunch, adding that voters want both.

During a meeting yesterday of the board that oversees Caltrain, a San
Jose City Council and VTA member Ken Yeager recommended considering
slicing $8.6 million -- money earmarked for Caltrain electrification --
from the Caltrain budget.

Eliminating diesel desired

Electrification would make the trains -- which now use diesel
engines -- cleaner, faster and quieter, the board has said.

The move to suspend electrification compelled eight members of the
public to speak against the slimmer budget proposed during the
meeting in San Carlos.

"You're being so short-sighted," said Vaughn Wolffe, of Rail
Passenger Association of California. "The people voted for Caltrain's
existence. This is a direct attack on Caltrain's existence."

Two years ago, Santa Clara County voters passed Measure A, a $6
billion sales tax, to pay for Caltrain electrification and the
expansion of BART to San Jose. It's a half-cent sales tax that starts
in 2006, when the current transit tax expires. The measure includes
$2 billion to bring BART to San Jose, $500 million for low-floor
light rail, $425 million to upgrade Caltrain, $250 million for zero-
emission buses and $200 million to address congestion at San Jose
International Airport.

Splitting costs an option

But in the economic downturn, VTA is facing a $34 million deficit and
is laying off 300 workers, officials said.

"The truth is that we're $200 million in the hole," Mossar said.

The cost of Caltrain's electrification would be split three ways with
each paying $2.8 million more among San Francisco, San Mateo and
Santa Clara counties.

"We don't have the $2.8 million this year," Yeager said. "We don't
know what will happen next year."

Yeager proposed postponing a vote on the Caltrain budget and having
two budgets to pick from -- one that includes electrification
totaling $82.7 million and another without the upgrades totaling
$74.1 million at yesterday's meeting.

But electrification proponents prevailed, rejecting the possibility
of a budget without the $8.6 million earmarked to rid the trains of
diesel engines.

"I'm not going to vote for a motion" that doesn't include
electrification, said Menlo Park Mayor Steve Schmidt, a member of the
Caltrain board. "It's not acceptable to me. It's not acceptable to
customers."

Decision delayed

In the end, Caltrain directors postponed a vote on its capital
improvements budget until next month to allow VTA officials more time
to find a way to pay their share of costs for electrification.

VTA officials made no promises, but said they would try to obtain
funds for electrification from the county or other sources. San
Francisco officials suggested that there might be some way to "move
funds around" to help the VTA get past its current budget crisis.

"The VTA would rather give their money to BART than Caltrain," said
Andy Chou [sic], director of Bay Rail Alliance. "The VTA has an
interest in BART."

Caltrain expects to submit an environmental review of the
electrification project to the Metropolitan Transportation Commission
early next year, according to staff. The project is not eligible for
federal funding until after the MTC issues a decision on that report.

The Caltrain board is scheduled to meet again July 11. The VTA board
was slated to vote on its budget last night, and VTA staff are
scheduled to meet with county officials tomorrow to discuss projects
funded by Measure B, the 1996 sales tax dedicated to transportation
improvements that predated Measure A.