Trains top Atherton town meeting agenda Trains top Atherton town meeting agenda (April 28, 2004)

Atherton residents are set to tackle the issue of train service, with a panel discussion and presentations from rail officials, at their annual town meeting.

The 57th annual meeting, sponsored by the Atherton Civic Interest League, starts at 7 p.m. Thursday, May 6, at Jennings Pavilion at Holbrook-Palmer Park, 150 Watkins Ave.

Train service to Atherton's historic station has been a big issue this year, as town officials lobbied to keep Caltrain service from being seriously cut back. The fate of Atherton's several street level, or "at-grade," train crossings is also big issue with the anticipated introduction of high-speed rail service. To accommodate high-speed trains, streets that cross the train tracks could be closed, or costly grade separations could be required.

A video on high-speed rail presented by the rail authority's deputy director Dan Leavitt, and a brief talk from Chuck Harvey, Caltrain's chief operating officer, is scheduled, followed by a panel discussion with the two men, along with former state Public Utilities Commission president Greg Conlon and former Atherton Councilman Malcolm Dudley. Councilman Jim Janz, who heads Atherton's subcommittee on Caltrain corridor issues, is also scheduled to speak.

The meeting kicks off with the Atherton Civic Interest League's brief annual meeting, followed by the presentation of the Good Neighbor Award to Councilman Bill Conwell. Mayor Kathy McKeithen and City Manager Jim Robinson are scheduled to speak about the state of the town.

E-mail a friend a link to this story.