Guest Opinion: The struggle to ease the Caltrain deficit Guest Opinion: The struggle to ease the Caltrain deficit (April 06, 2005)

Unfair to shut out loyal Atherton riders

By Jim Janz

Much has been written in this paper and elsewhere about Caltrain's proposal to suspend service at four stations, including Atherton.

Caltrain's purported reason is that the low ridership in Atherton doesn't justify the rail service. They argue that, by eliminating service at "low volume" stations, travel speeds for trains in the corridor will increase, thereby enticing additional riders.

This argument has a logical appeal. However, it ignores the fact that the current low ridership at the Atherton station has actually been caused by Caltrain itself.

In the years prior to 2002, daily Atherton boardings were in the 250 to 300 range. (It's worth noting that the ridership during this period was well above the figure of 176, which is the number Caltrain is now using as the cut-off point). In 2002, service was reduced substantially. It was reduced again last summer. Before the 2002 reductions, morning northbound service, for example, was three "limited" stop trains, each taking approximately 45 minutes to reach San Francisco. The current commute period service is two local trains (over an hour to San Francisco), and one "limited stop" train (forty-eight minutes to San Francisco). As a result of the reductions in service over the last 2 1/2 years, usage has fallen from nearly 300 riders per day to the current 113.

At Caltrain hearings in February, 2004, I warned that the proposed service reductions would lead to further reduction in ridership, which would lead to further reductions in service, and that Caltrain would ultimately seek to close the station. Caltrain reduced service, ridership fell, and now Caltrain wants to close the station. What a surprise.

Caltrain's actions are nothing more than a self-fulfilling prophecy. If Caltrain reduced service to any other station in the same way, say San Mateo, a similar falloff in ridership would occur. But Caltrain knows that the political fallout from such an action would be a disaster. So it targets the small towns to help achieve the Caltrain vision of fewer stops and faster trains.

Atherton, alone among Peninsula cities, has undertaken efforts to promote Caltrain ridership. Last fall, we initiated a free parking program for Caltrain riders. This is available to everyone, not only Atherton residents.

In addition, Atherton is the only station that allows parking for multiple days. Again, this is open to all. We have emphasized the ability of riders to leave their cars at the station for extended trips, and take Caltrain to either the San Francisco or San Jose airport. The free parking is popular. We recently received a letter of support from a San Francisco resident who rides the train from the city, gets in his car which he leaves overnight at the Atherton station, and then drives to his place of employment on the Peninsula. He indicated that without the free parking, he would simply commute by car.

Finally, we haven't simply assumed that Caltrain must always serve Atherton. We conducted a survey to see if people felt the service was important. The preliminary results were overwhelming that residents want the train service to continue.

Transit is a public service, which Atherton is doing its part to support. The proposed elimination of service reverses the direction that transportation services should be taking on the Peninsula. Service should be increased for Atherton, not eliminated.

James R. Janz is a member of the Atherton City Council and chair of the Atherton Caltrain Corridor Committee.

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