Title
Study Session Summary of March 28, 2017 - Presentation and Update by Caltrain Staff on the Caltrain Modernization Program
Summary
Call to Order: Vice Mayor Gustav Larsson called the meeting to order at 6:24 p.m.
City Councilmembers Present:
Mayor Glenn Hendricks
Vice Mayor Gustav Larsson
Councilmember Jim Griffith
Councilmember Larry Klein
Councilmember Nancy Smith
Councilmember Russ Melton
Councilmember Michael Goldman
City Councilmembers Absent:
None
Study Session Summary:
Transportation and Traffic Manager, Ria Hutabarat Lo introduced Casey Fromson, Director of Government and Community Affairs at Caltrain. Ms. Fromson then provided a PowerPoint presentation on the Caltrain modernization project including the growth of bi-directional ridership, passenger crowding, aging rolling stock, and businesses support for modernization within the Caltrain corridor. She also outlined the goals, features, and opportunities with regard to the electrification project. Finally, Ms. Casey outlined the progress in meeting all the requirements of the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Core Capacity grant, as well as recent developments with the new Federal Minister expressing that she is not ready to sign the documents to execute this grant.
Councilmembers asked questions, made comments, and requested additional information as summarized below along with Caltrain responses:
Councilmember Smith asked about contingency plans if the federal secretary for transportation needs more than four months to decide on this issue?
* Caltrain is working hard on Plan A to make sure that the federal secretary says yes. In terms of a Plan B, it would be difficult to extend the Limited Notice to Proceed (LNTP) and contracts further, and so Caltrain is looking at what it would mean to terminate the contract including replacing the aging diesel fleet.
Councilmember Goldman asked about the association with High Speed Rail (HSR). On the one hand, how tied is this project to HSR an...
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