4 4 Bikes Board First Pilot Extended In June, Caltrain expanded the Bikes Board First program to three additional stations: Sunnyvale and Hillsdale on the northbound platform, and 22nd Street on the southbound platform. From 6 a.m. to 9 a.m., bicyclists at these locations will be allowed to board bike cars first. Passengers with bicycles are encouraged to board the bike cars at the southern end of the platform. Caltrain staff will be on hand at those stations to enforce the policy, which will Caltrain Connection is produced by the Peninsula Corridor Joint Powers Board. Comments, questions, contributions and suggestions should be directed to: Dan Lieberman, Editor [email protected] Caltrain Connection P.O. Box 3006 San Carlos, CA 94070-1306 Contributing Writers Tasha Bartholomew Matt Wilson Caltrain Board of Directors Jeannie Bruins, chair Gillian Gillett, vice chair Cheryl Brinkman Cindy Chavez Devora “Dev” Davis Jeff Gee Dave Pine Charles Stone Monique Zmuda Jim Hartnett Executive Director www.caltrain.com 1.800.660.4287 prevent bicyclists from having to navigate through a crowd of riders blocking the entrance. These boardings will be timed and compared to the standard boarding process to determine if this new approach could make overall Caltrain service more efficient. The initial pilot began in April on northbound platforms at the Mountain View, Palo Alto and Redwood City stations, where boarding times often took well over one minute. During the pilot, those times were Grant Award Grant Award continued from page 1 decreased to within a desirable range across these stations, with some trains shaving more than a minute from their boarding times. The Bikes Board First policy remains in effect at these stations. Caltrain carries more bikes than any other rail system in the country, so it’s our hope that this will make the riding experience more efficient and get everyone to where they’re going faster. Please, do your part to speed up everyone’s commute and let bikes board first! $5.4 billion per year in programs that will fix roads, repair bridges, and improve public transportation services statewide. Last year, Caltrain began work on the Peninsula Corridor Electrification Project after approval of a $647 million federal grant that fully funded the $2 billion investment. The project improves the frequency, travel time, capacity, reliability, and safety of Caltrain’s rail service by replacing 75 percent of Caltrain’s diesel fleet with modernized electric trains. The new funding awarded from SB 1 will be used to fully electrify the Caltrain mainline service between San Francisco and San Jose, which will help maximize the benefits of Caltrain Electrification for current and future riders. The grant also invests in the lengthening of boarding platforms at some Caltrain stations to eventually accommodate longer, 8-car electric trains, and provides funding that will be used toward the completion of the Caltrain Business Plan, an effort to identify a long-term service vision for the corridor along with a supporting funding strategy. The grant requires Caltrain to identify a $40 million matching investment. 1 continued on page 4 Connection Caltrain Information for Customers Flying is a miracle, one that would have stunned our ancestors into an awed silence. The logistics of getting to the airport, however, leave something to be desired, and with San Francisco International Airport located next to the ever- congested Highway 101, many travelers who depart and arrive there are hungry for another option. Enter SamTrans Route SFO, a new direct service from the Millbrae Transit Center to all terminals of the Bay Area’s premiere airport. Route SFO runs every half hour from 5:45 a.m. to midnight on weekdays, 8:20 a.m. to 12:15 a.m. on Saturdays and 10 a.m. to In April, the California State Transportation Agency announced a $164.5 million investment from the Transit and Intercity Rail Capital Program to support Caltrain service improvements including the replacement of Caltrain’s diesel fleet with high-performance electric trains, the addition of Wi-Fi service onboard the system’s new electric fleet, and enhanced bicycle facilities at Caltrain stations. The funding is being made available thanks to last year’s approval of Senate Bill 1 (SB 1), the landmark transportation funding legislation that invests 11:45 p.m. on Sundays. The route is designed to provide an easy connection from Caltrain to SFO, as the bus comes directly to the Millbrae Station platform. The buses running this route have a special wrap and a luggage rack for rider’s convenience. Route SFO operates for the same price as all SamTrans buses ($2.25 for adults, $1.10 for kids, seniors and the disabled). So the next time you’re planning on flying off to sunny beaches somewhere, or when family is coming in at rush hour, remember that Route SFO is there to provide a quick and hassle-free travel experience getting to and from the airport. SamTrans Route SFO Airport Flyer at Millbrae Transit Center Labor Day Caltrain will operate a Sunday schedule on September 3 rd for Labor Day. The schedule is available at www.caltrain.com SamTrans New Route Connects Caltrain to SFO Caltrain Celebrates $164 million Grant Award Summer 2018