The station—located at 295 W. Evelyn Avenue—opened on May 22 and incorporates Sunnyvale's Caltrain station with a five-story, 400-car parking garage as well as surface parking in front of the station. There's a shuttle plaza for drop-off and pickup, electric car chargers in the parking garage, lockers and places to store bicycles.

According to Caltrain's February 2003 survey, approximately 1,000 passengers board trains at the Sunnyvale station on an average weekday.

But former Sunnyvale resident Jim Stallman says he is not satisfied with the new station. He says the station doesn't offer easy access to Valley Transportation Authority buses and the light rail. Although buses do stop across the street from the station, there is no access to light rail. One Sunnyvale resident who preferred to be identified only as "Tom" actually takes Caltrain from Sunnyvale to Mountain View so he can ride the light rail to another place in Sunnyvale

Stallman, who is the president of the Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition, says the parking lot is a "disappointing waste" of Caltrain money because the garage is half-empty. He says that money should have gone toward the electrification of the trains.

However, the city's planned use for the new parking lot was not only for transit riders; it includes spaces for downtown businesses. Sixty-two of the 400 spaces are reserved for Murphy Avenue tenants and other adjacent businesses. Parking is open to everyone, and there is a charge of $1.50 a day during commute hours while evening and weekend parking is free.

"The parking lot is empty because there is parking across the street in the underground garage," Stallman says.

Adam Levermore-Rich, the city's deputy communications officer, says, "The current layout and design of the parking structure was created with long-term Caltrain needs in mind." He says, "Caltrain approached us with the number of spaces they would need for the next 10 years."

The project began in September 2001 at a cost of about $12 million, most of which was funded by the 1995 Measure B. However, to allow the changes to be implemented faster, Caltrain weekend service has been suspended for 22 months.

Stallman says the funds used for the multi-modal transit station should have been used for grade separation at the Sunnyvale station by creating a crossing for vehicles with an underpass or an overpass.

"Grade separation would get rid of the horn blasts and conflicts between the trains and motorists," Stallman says. He says this would also relieve neighboring residents from noise pollution.

Caltrain commuter Tyrina Reed used to get her daily dose of coffee at the refreshment stand in the old Sunnyvale station before taking a bus to her workplace in Saratoga. Now she has to do without it because the new plan did not incorporate a refreshment stand.

"I miss the coffee stand and the shelter," Reed says. "Also I haven't seen any restrooms around here."

Right now, the only option commuters have for using restrooms is on the train. Levermore-Rich says the city is in the process of providing a portable restroom in the station soon.

"Further down the line, we are looking at converting existing portions of the parking garage into permanent restrooms," he says.

Currently in Sunnyvale Caltrain is in the middle of its CTX (Caltrain Expansion) project, which includes installation of a centralized traffic control system and the creation of passing tracks between Fair Oaks and Bowers Avenues for the "Baby Bullet" express trains. Caltrain is also completely reconstructing its Lawrence station.

The Baby Bullet passenger cars will be used to operate express service between San Francisco and San Jose and will cut travel time between the two cities roughly in half. These express trains will travel at the same speed as existing Caltrains—79 miles per hour—but will save time by making fewer stops.

"The Baby Bullet service is expected to start in the first quarter of 2004," says Jayme Maltbie, spokeswoman for Caltrain. Maltbie says the board has yet to decide if the Baby Bullet will stop at the Sunnyvale station. Stallman says, according to his sources, it is most likely that Baby Bullets will not stop at Sunnyvale.

The electrification of trains is another project on Caltrain's agenda.

This project will cost Caltrain $600 million, and complete electrification should be done by 2010, Maltbie says.

"It is a much cleaner and quieter system and will improve overall safety," she says.

Caltrain fares will be revised in September. Maltbie says the fares will be changed not to raise rates but to simplify the fare structure.

She says the new multi-modal station is far more accessible and the amenities have improved. "There is better access to downtown, more parking and the introduction of new electric vehicle recharge stations is a step into the 21st century," she says.

Caltrain rider Tom says the new Sunnyvale station is more functional but he wishes the ticket windows would be open for longer hours.

"I sure liked the old station, as it had a historic flavor, but I like this, too," he says.