Board Agenda Item

Agenda Item # 13

BOARD MEMORANDUM

BACKGROUND: 

The 2000 Measure A legislation includes funding for improvements to Caltrain such as electrification, and a connection to the Dumbarton corridor.  In addition, Measure A funds are committed for improvements to “increase Caltrain service, specifically purchase new locomotive train sets for increased Caltrain service in Santa Clara County from Gilroy to Palo Alto and provide additional facilities to support the increased service.” In addition to vehicles and facilities, other examples that fit this last category can include expansion of parking, station enhancements, track and signal upgrades and other projects that may improve service and enhance ridership.  This memorandum proposes an approach to identifying and analyzing potential Caltrain service improvement capital projects and recommends a process for involving local cities, elected officials and the VTA Board.

DISCUSSION: 

In 1999, VTA staff produced a priority list of Caltrain capital improvement projects in Santa Clara County for the 1996 Measure B Transportation Program.  This effort relied on existing studies and input from the staffs of Caltrain corridor cities and the Joint Powers Board (JPB) to identify potential projects eligible for funding.  Once an inventory of projects was compiled, VTA staff and consultants worked with cities and policy makers to develop criteria for project evaluation.  Staff and consultants then analyzed projects based on criteria such as project readiness, service and ridership increases, availability of matching funds, cost efficiency and safety.  The results of this analysis was presented to policy makers for review and ultimately incorporated into a  “final recommendations” document for VTA Board approval.

For the update of this effort, VTA staff proposes to follow a similar methodology.  However, staff recommends that special attention be paid to the analysis of potential projects through ridership modeling and evaluation of operational benefits.  In addition, transportation improvements that help to increase ridership, such as, station area bicycle and pedestrian improvements and access projects should also be considered.  The study effort would take approximately 10 months to complete and would be managed by VTA staff with utilization of consultant assistance where necessary.

The scope of work will cover the following specific tasks:

• Establish baseline data by determining ridership demand and service characteristics.
• Inventory of funded and planned system level improvements.
• Develop future capital needs for system level improvements.
• Inventory of funded and planned improvements for station areas.
• Develop future capital needs for station areas working with cities and the County.
• Develop a newsletter and website information for public outreach.
• Develop evaluation criteria for evaluating candidate capital projects working with technical staff and policy makers.
• Present recommendations for project priorities to cities, the County and after receiving this input, to VTA committees.
• VTA Board approval of a prioritized list of Caltrain capital projects.

Staff proposes two alternative approaches to receive policy input to the study:

• The first option is to form a subcommittee of PAC members, who will meet on a regular basis to provide policy advice and oversight in the execution of the study.
• A second option is to reactivate the Caltrain Policy Advisory Board (PAB) that provided input to the 1996 Measure B program.   This PAB consisted of an elected representative from the following cities and entities:

• Palo Alto
• Mountain View
• Sunnyvale
• Santa Clara
• San Jose
• Morgan Hill
• Gilroy
• County of Santa Clara
• VTA and Joint Powers Board member (non-voting)

Supporting the policy committee would be a Technical Working Group, consisting of members from the VTA Technical Advisory Committee representing each interested local jurisdiction in Santa Clara County.   The Technical Working Group would be asked to review study deliverables and make recommendations to the policy makers.

VTA staff recommends the first option for the following reasons:

• Any jurisdiction who has interest in the project may participate at the policymaker level;
• The Policy Advisory Committee members and alternates are already appointed by their respective councils and, therefore, a process to appoint members to the PAB would not be necessary; and
• The Policy Advisory Committee would be engaged in the discussions about the Caltrain Plan without another “parallel” policymaker committee.

Given general agreement with the approach outlined above, VTA staff will select consultants and prepare a scope of work to initiate the study.   We will also work with the cities and County to appoint members to provide technical and policy input for the plan.

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