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Background
The Train Riders Association of California (TRAC) just made public notes from the February 15, 2006 meeting of the Capitol Corridor Joint Powers Authority (CCJPA) Board of Directors in Sacramento. Notes from this important meeting are below. Thanks go to TRAC Executive Director Alan C. Miller for providing SCVTARU this vital information.
Highlights Of the Meeting
Capitol Corridor General Manager Eugene Skorowpowski reported they intend, with this fall schedule change, to run sixteen (16) round-trip trains between Sacramento and San Jose and seven (7) round-trip trains between Sacramento and Oakland using existing train sets. The plan is open for public and board comments at this point. They also are reserving two additional round-trip slots to Auburn. They have a plan and train sets but lack permission from Union Pacific (UP). UP wants a third main track installed. CCJPA will do an on-sight right-of-way (r-o-w) inspection with UP on March 29 regarding this third track.
UP will be installing a crossover at the west end of the Yolo Causeway between Sacramento and Davis. This was part of the original plan for the double-tracking of the Causeway, but it lacked funding. This should greatly increase flexibility and reliability.
At Hayward, a new, temporary platform will allow two trains to pass and board passengers simultaneously. This was funded with "excess revenue credits". The new schedule will have two meets here. As passengers will cross a live track UP approval was required for the design. A signal project at Richmond encountered unexpected delays. When completed, trains will no longer have to travel at restricted speed until they have a visual on the next signal.
Noted bills of interest affecting transportation in California were:
This week a state joint conference committee will meet on transportation. Jim Allison noted they were working the Capitol along with Caltrans, ACE, Metrolink, etc. for their joint interests in funding for rail programs.
Jim Allison reported that the likely funding process outcome will not include a project list, but just "a program of dollars" that would let agencies come up with their own lists, probably under the guidance of the California Transportation Commission (CTC).
Regarding Proposition 42, the bills of interest are:
Regarding railroad grade separations, the bills of interest are by:
At the national level:
One board member noted that in the Sacramento Bee today Nunez was quoted as saying the Governor's bond was too large.
Regarding grade crossings, Gene Skoropowski noted that the small amount of state funding allocated for passenger rail is NOT the place to take monies for what are really very expensive highway projects, and billions are available for highway projects. Grade separations offer little benefit for train service and much benefit for cars. He noted the funding source for grade crossing is a sensitive issue among rail people as "we only get the crumbs anyway".
Skoropowski noted that the San Jose area track work projected has been completed. As of today, there were no slow orders between Oakland and San Jose. He expressed hope this would improve the miserable time keeping that has plagued the Capitol Corridor of late.
Ridership was about flat, up a little in January and down a little in December. Fairbox recovery was 43%. He noted that the current method of calculating this number doesn't reflect the true *cost to the state* which is what he wants to see. He said a new reporting system will allow them to make a better report of fairbox recovery.
On the Sacramento Depot parking meltdown: They recently had a meeting with all parties of interest and reported there was a consensus on moving ahead with a series of projects to fix the situation. These projects won't delay other construction and are to:
They thanked Will Kempton for becoming personally involved in helping work out a solution. Skoropowski noted CCJPA was getting involved only as facilitator-- parking was not usually a CCJPA issue.
CCJPA Yolo County board member Christopher Cabaldon pointed out the strain that freight was going to put on Corridor since Oakland Port traffic was going to put more and more strain on system. He acknowledged this was a good thing as this freight should be off the highway system. However, UP doesn't have a strong handle on the future capacity issue: demand already exceeded capacity in 2005. Skoropowski stated that a dialog has started among the parties of interest on future capacity issues. Triple and even quadruple tracking of much of the Capitol Corridor may be required.
--TRAC February 16, 2006
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