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Citizens say more trains should come before the fancy stuff
Caltrain officials hear ideas and complaints at public meeting
By Kelly Wilkinson
While plans for improvements to Sunnyvale's Caltrain station have not yet been finalized, residents who attended a meeting last week heard officials promise that the new depot will be something special.
"Basically, we're re-building the station and making it a real important gateway into the city," said Dyane Matas, housing and neighborhood preservation officer.
Around 125 people filled Palo Alto council chambers to offer suggestions and air frustrations about Caltrain's improvement plans. The meeting focused on several station's where upgrades are scheduled--including the Sunnyvale station on Evelyn Avenue and South Frances Street.
The Sunnyvale station averages 1,215 rides each week, ranking sixth out of the 35 Caltrain stations. Scheduled improvements include a new parking garage, a
station plaza, improved bus and shuttle facilities, and a new station building. Total costs are estimated at $13 million.
Matas said the next phase of improvements include a restaurant at the station. "Everybody's really trying hard to make public transit more viable for people."
County-wide improvements are being explored in response to Measure A, which voters passed in 1996. The measure included specific transportation projects estimated at more than $70 million dollars.
Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) put together a "laundry list" of potential projects in response to the measure, but the list exceeds the available money, so the organization is in the process of prioritizing.
VTA devoted the bulk of last week's meeting to public input, in which county residents largely called for expanded service, including weekend service, more northbound trains, modernization of trains, and increased pedestrian and bike access.
It was not, however, a total consensus of voices. Margaret Okuzumi of Sunnyvale, attended the meeting and criticized the allocation of funds.
"I think this is a total abuse of money," she said. "I had heard a rumor that they were going to expand the parking, but I hadn't been able to see any architectural blueprints before the meeting. And I'm not happy with what they're proposing, because voters voted for more trains, not parking garages."
Several other people at the meeting backed this point, including Greg Perry.
"Run trains when people want to get somewhere," he said, adding that the non-traditional hours many Silicon Valley employees work necessitate later-running trains. "I don't care about the pink and green tiles. And if I have to walk across a parking lot to get there, that's fine. But have a train be there when I get there."
VTA officials said adding trains is one of the high priorities in the plan, and promised that they are working with Caltrain to examine service levels and ridership. Twenty new passenger cars are scheduled for delivery before the end of the year, according to VTA reports.
Okuzumi also criticized the strong emphasis on service for the city of Santa Clara. Lisa Ives, senior transportation planner for VTA, pointed to the fact that 90 percent of Santa Clara residents also work in Santa Clara.
"But [that figure] doesn't take into account all the people who drive in or come from other places like San Mateo or the East Bay," she said. "Non-car transportation needs to be more of an option for everyone, because we would all benefit from reduction in traffic and air quality."
Okuzumi also expressed a touch of optimism.
"I'm very disappointed, but at least I got to find out more," she said. "And I hope what people were saying translates into a shift in priorities. Because the single most important thing they could do is to have more trains."
Sunnyvale will present a draft plan to an advisory board later this month and to the VTA board in November. Plans for the station improvements are set to go to the Planning Commission later this month.
Matas said construction is slated to begin in March or April. She said she expects the new station to be completed in January or February of 2001.
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Sunnyvale, California Since 1994
