Atherton eyes new way to challenge cuts in train service Atherton eyes new way to challenge cuts in train service (March 24, 2004)

By Andrea Gemmet
Almanac Staff Writer

The Atherton City Council is considering a new tactic in its uphill battle against cuts to the town's Caltrain service. Councilman Jim Janz said that a provision of the California Environmental Quality Act might provide grounds for a challenge to proposed Caltrain schedules that reduce service to Atherton and several other stops along the Peninsula.

Caltrain's Joint Powers Board is weighing several proposals for a new spring schedule that includes the rollout of Baby Bullet express train service. Caltrain officials have said that cutbacks at the less-used stations are necessary to keep the cash-strapped railroad afloat.

Mr. Janz has been spearheading Atherton's efforts to lobby against a 36 percent reduction in weekday stops at the town's historic train station and the possible elimination of weekend service.

"There's a potential CEQA issue we can bring up if whatever they come up with is unacceptable to us," Mr. Janz told the council at its March 17 meeting.

At issue is a provision of the state law that makes any increase in rail service on an existing line exempt from environmental analysis. Mr. Janz said that since the proposed schedules will constitute a decrease in service for Atherton, the new schedules should not be exempt and the Caltrain board should be required to analyze the environmental impacts, such as increased traffic from people who no longer take the train and the resulting increases in air pollution.

Under CEQA, an environmental analysis could consist of the relatively simple and inexpensive document called a negative declaration, which is allowed when there are no significant environmental impacts, or a more costly and time-consuming environmental impact report, which analyzes significant impacts, alternatives and mitigation measures.

Caltrain spokeswoman Jayme Maltbie Kunz said that when it comes to analyzing rail service changes, CEQA looks at the entire rail service, from San Francisco to San Jose.

"We're actually offering a net increase in services," she said. "We're adding 10 trains, although some communities are seeing a decrease in service."

And, she said, transportation agencies have it within their purview to make some reductions in service without triggering an environmental review under CEQA.

Atherton officials collected about 500 petition signatures that not only asked Caltrain to preserve the town's current level of service, but also to restore express train service to the town, which it lost in 2001. Losing the express train service led to a drop in passengers, which in turn makes the town a target for more reductions in train service, which will likely lead to an even bigger drop in passengers, Mr. Janz said.

The City Council directed town staff to contact the city managers in other cities facing cutbacks in Caltrain service to see if they are interested in joining Atherton's efforts.

The Caltrain board's next meeting on the proposed train schedules is set for 10 a.m. on Thursday, April 1, at Caltrain headquarters, 1250 San Carlos Ave., San Carlos.

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