Guest opinion: Atherton writers challenge station closure Guest opinion: Atherton writers challenge station closure (March 30, 2005)

Caltrain turning its back on a supportive city

By Malcolm Dudley

Caltrain officials, faced with a $13.6 million budget shortfall, may adopt a series of staff recommendations to eliminate the deficit, but also order the closure of four stations, including Atherton station.

The argument is that the two and a half minutes and the fuel saved by cutting these stops will help eliminate the budget deficit. There is no question that Caltrain could attain modest savings by closing the stations, but the loss of vital rail service to these communities has serious consequences for the future.

These include added congestion on our streets and highways, alienation between the railroad and cities that have been spurned, loss of support for future renewals of transportation taxes and the loss of goodwill that has been built over many years.

Atherton's Caltrain ridership is down, but this is largely due to the reduction in service. The number of stops at the Atherton station was reduced by more than a third in June, 2004, and by a similar amount in 2002. The lower ridership is one of the criteria being used to determine which stations will be closed.

Another major consideration is the cost of eliminating the "Hold Out" status of our station, estimated at about $2 million. A "Hold Out" station is a station with boarding from only one side of the track, which means that a second train arriving must wait until the first train pulls out. However, funds to eliminate the "Hold Out" status do not come from the operating budget, but from a separate capital fund, into which Atherton residents pay sales taxes.

Caltrain is funded by taxpayer dollars, and has the responsibility to serve all of the communities along the peninsula corridor. Our Atherton station has served this community since 1912. Seventy-one percent of Atherton residents voted to support Caltrain and renew Measure A in the last election. Our support was largely based on the promise of continued rail service at our Atherton station. Withdrawal of that service would be a serious breach of promise to Atherton residents.

A recent survey shows that an overwhelming 84 percent of residents want to retain service at our Atherton station. It would be a serious mistake for Caltrain to ignore this overwhelming support, and a sharp slap in the face to Atherton. There are better ways to eliminate the projected budget deficit.

Since other Caltrain stations do not provide the unrestricted parking that is available at our Atherton station, those of us who leave our cars parked at the station overnight will be forced back into our cars, adding to the gridlock that we often face on our congested highways. If Caltrain breaks the promise it made to us when we passed Measure A, it may be necessary to go back to the voters for a revision to Measure A that would shift some of the Caltrain money over to our local road funds.

Malcolm Dudley served 24 years on the Atherton City Council and on the county's Transportation Authority from 1989 until 2000, when he stepped down from the council.

Caltrain should reduce deficit, not service

By Arthur J. Ringham

To cut costs and reduce a $13.6 million deficit, Caltrain is proposing to implement new schedules and fares, plus close four stations, including Atherton.

The proposed schedules add four new Baby Bullet stations, bringing the total to 10. This leaves 22 stations without bullet service, which is great for bullet riders, bad for most other riders, and disaster for Atherton.

Caltrain is understandably trying to offer faster service to more riders. Currently bullet riders from six stations are 19 percent of total weekday boardings based on October, 2004 passenger counts. (There are 5,468 average daily bullet boardings out of 28,267 total weekday boardings.) Adding four more bullet stations might, at most, double bullet ridership to 38 percent, still a minority.

To reduce the deficit, Caltrain asks a general 17 percent fare increase, plus more bullet service for some and less for others. The majority of second-class, slow-train riders would continue paying the same fare as the minority of first-class bullet passengers enjoying 30 to 45 per cent faster trips in new trains.

Some of the majority are asked to reduce the deficit by watching more bullets whiz by their closed stations. The $125 million that initially funded first-class bullets was paid by all California taxpayers.

Wouldn't it be fair to second-class passengers and taxpayers, as well as the Caltrain deficit, for bullet riders to pay a premium of perhaps an average of 75 cents to $1 per trip or more, variable by distance? This could add revenue of $1 million to $2 million, probably more than Caltrain saves by closing four stations.

Bullet passengers might not be thrilled, but few would opt out for freeway congestion, slower commutes, driving costs and parking fees. Consumers everywhere choose to pay premium prices for premium products and services. Throughout the world, travelers pay higher fares for faster, peak-hour, and first class service.

The October 2004 average weekday boardings at stations to be closed were: Paul Avenue, San Francisco, 1; College Park, San Jose, 93; Atherton, 113; and Burlingame-Broadway 176.

Obviously Paul Avenue should be closed. After that why make the cutoff at Burlingame-Broadway with 176. Gilroy comes next in low ridership with 188. Caltrain retains limited, commute-hour, weekday service to Gilroy and other low ridership stations south of San Jose-Tamien but does eliminate weekend service.

Does Caltrain really know what savings might come from closing College Park, Atherton and Broadway? How much would be saved versus revenue lost from riders who won't switch to other stations? What about students? Since it uses taxpayer money from several sources, doesn't Caltrain have any public service responsibility? Should decisions on closing stations be based on fuzzy economics, politics, popular opinion, public service considerations or what?

What should Caltrain do? * Close Paul Avenue, but retain daily and weekend service to the other three Peninsula stations. * Implement the general fare increase and new schedules July 1 (after including the three stations). * Implement a premium bullet fare July 1, if at all possible. * Continue to evaluate all deficit reduction possibilities and implement what's feasible, after appropriate trial runs, as soon as possible. Arthur J. Ringham lives in Atherton and has a high interest in Caltrain's future.

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