FSP 1.1

BART to SFO: no schedules posted

Why passengers shun SFO-BART connection

I have read a number of reports, including
one on the Mercury News (Page 1, 2004 July 04),
expressing concern about the low ridership on the BART extension to
San Francisco International Airport. Based on a few personal
attempts to use it, I find this unsurprising. It reflects on BART
and Caltrain management, but not on the need or demand for public
transportation in the Bay Area.

From what I saw, the actual BART trains work well. But the details
beyond that seem to be designed to discourage ridership.

Arriving airline passengers need to buy a ticket from a machine
which gave me $3.50 in nickels in change, after finally figuring out
how to get change at all. Passengers are then made to wait for a
BART train which, in my experience, is timed to just miss the
Caltrain connection. During some popular arrival times this can be
followed by a lengthy wait for Caltrain, after buying another
ticket. And I couldn't even find the schedule posted at the airport.

I'm happy to see a BART connection to the airport. But the
unpredictable schedule and ticketing system are making the system
unusable.

Hans-J. Boehm
Palo Alto

Published Saturday, July 10, 2004, in the San Jose Mercury News
Letters to the Editor

Ref.: [BATN]

Caltrain changes-to-Schedule FAQ

Caltrain's changes-to-schedule FAQ is unusually frank and human-readable.

This FAQ presents actual data and actual reasons for schedule changes and
decisions, in place of the typical bureaucratic marketingese,
'With our world class best of breed enhancements...' nonsense or
self-congratulatory 'why we are so good' dreck of a psueduo-FAQ.

Well done Caltrain.

Actual questions answered honestly:
* Why is my station getting reduced service?
* After the "faster schedule" hype, why is my travel time longer?
* Can't you improve Limited (stops at most stations) and
Local (stops at all stations) transfer possibilities?
* Why are trains scheduled in bunches?
* If I need to use an adjacent station, can I find parking?

No Streetcar Name Desired

A moment in Silicon Valley transit history:

One of the great triumphs of San Jose Mercury News headline writing came
when Santa Clara County supervisors attempted in 1987 to name the
light-rail system SC(s2)AT (for Santa Clara County Area Transit).
Overlooking that "scat" is a word for animal droppings, the supes were
greeted with an inspired headline by copy editor Willys Peck:
"Dung! Dung! Dung! Goes the Trolley."

A postscript: When the supervisors decided that they didn't want
SC(s2)AT as a name after all, copy editor Peck came back with an even
better headline than his first: "No Streetcar Name Desired."

bad map: 511.org strikes again.

This inane map of the worthy ACERail system from transit.511.org
labels cities, but

* does not indicate which cities have train stations
(According to this map, does Union City have a stop ? Does Newark ?) ; and

* does not indicate how many train stations are in each city [*]; and

* does not indicate where the stations are; and

* does not indicate which roads this rail line is near.
(Yes, those faint red lines are major highways.)

[*] Santa Clara City has two stations: Great America Santa Clara and Santa Clara.

Much better is the official ACERail map:

Compare to the ACERider collection of ACE maps.

Previously on FSP: 511.org botch map of San Francisco transit service.

San Carlos transit oriented development

The City of San Calros on the San Francisco is finally getting developed
some transit oriented housing, between its downtown and the train station.
A good thing, finally.

Pacific Hacienda consists of two buildings, one at 618 Walnut Street
and one at 633 Elm Street which faces City Hall.

Locals got a chance to tour inside the project, consisting of 89
1- or 2-bedroom condominiums and additional office space at
633 Elm St. The project has been six years in the making, well-worth
the wait for Wuthmann. For him, the location was ideal as the project
is just blocks away from downtown San Carlos, the library, the City
Hall and the train station.

According to the sales office at Pacific Peninsula Group, 49 units
have already been purchased or reserved. The prices begin at $395,000
for a one-bedroom unit and $649,000 for two bedrooms.

The project also includes 13 below-market rate units for those with
low and moderate incomes. Affordability is a relative term in San
Mateo County. For the condominiums priced at $265,000, ranking at the
low end, a one-person household can make no more than $63,350.

For more info on Pacific Hacienda and BATN.

More on eligibility for low/moderate income status in California:

The 89 unit luxury condominium development will include 13 one-bedroom
Below Market Rate units priced specifically for the low income and moderate
income categories as established for San Mateo County.

The income limits for eligibility for these units are determined by family
size and are as follows:

Maximum allowable household income - Low Income

1 Person - $63,350

2 People - $72,400

3 People - $81,450

Maximum allowable household income - Moderate Income

1 Person - $76,850

2 People - $87,850

3 People - $98,800 

Carquinez Strait bridge

New Al Zampa Memorial Bridge across the Carquinez Strait in the San Francisco Bay.

Not Really Indian.

Not Really Indian (might be switching to TypePad at om.typepad.com/nri/)
ponders life as an Indian Californian.

Having grown up in a era of inquiries and commissions to determine
what Canadian really means as a culture and an identity, I can relate
to the sardonic dual boast and confession of being not really Indian.

NRI has good taste in music too. A good thing, since there's not enough
downtempo deep house on Clear Channel.

SF Transbay Terminal

Plans for the SF Transbay Terminal linking BART and Caltrain are proceeding.

San Francisco is served by several passenger train systems, but they
miss connecting with each other by a mile. This new terminal would connect
Caltrain and BART and MUNI.

Crazy California, situation normal

San Francisco Convention and Visitors Bureau spokeswoman Laurie Armstrong:
"People love California because it is a crazy place. Why would you want
to visit someplace normal ?

Indeed, why live in a normal place ?

Quoted from LA Times: 2003 August 07
'California's Crazy Quilt of Politics Frays - Some have long viewed the state as a
bit nuts. The recall campaign may seal the perception'

Now, to support Arnold or Larry ? or
Joe Guzzardi,
Angelyne: Quote: We've had Gray. We've had Brown. Now it's time for some blond and pink.,
Todd Richard "The Bumhunter" Lewis, or
Mary "Mary Carey" Cook (Occupation: Adult film actress).

Doors Closing, AirTrain, SFO

SFO's new AirTrain.

Doors are closing.
Stand clear of the mechanism. [PhotoFriday].

Airtrain SFO: follow the signs

SFO's new AirTrain has a nice sign telling us that one day there
will be a skybridge from the train to the terminal.

Signs for the current train-to-terminal trek via tour of the parking
garage are a little crudely drawn.

BART to SFO

In planning since 1956, the San Francisco subway system (BART)
finally (today !) reaches the San Francisco International Airport.

As Mike Neville, a San Mateo supervisor says, "There is nothing like it
west of the Mississippi."

Also of late, there's a budding price war in the parking market which will
only heat up now that a park-and-ride $2/day BART station is only three
minutes away from the airport.

Special parking also goes into effect. Several stations will provide
reserved, long-term parking for $7 a day. Also, BART will begin
enforcing its new 24-hour parking rules. Anybody not in a long-term
area who leaves his car for more than 24 hours will get a $100
ticket. Also, $2 daily parking fees will take effect at Peninsula
stations.

Picture explained:
Above, the blue Airtrain between terminals.
Below, the silver BART train goes to San Francisco, Fremont,
Pleasanton, Milbrae, Walnut Creek, and beyond.

San Mateo County Times coverage.

Ubiquitous Computing by MS Windows

The sad face of M$ Windows' ubiquity:
Oakland Airport, Oakland, CA, near gate 14.

Continental claims that these info screens are the airport's responsibility
and the airlines are helpless to rectify them.

So when I arrive at the airport with my printed-at-office boarding pass,
I choose the gate with the shortest line and there ask where my flight is.

Update 2004 February: See also Amtrak/Windows in Penn Station, NYC.

SF Blogrings

FSP's Bay Arean blog archives.

is nicely done;
compare to (sorry -- MT puts in too many blank lines before tables)
<< Bay Area Blogs >>

SV FT Do

FT SV Do.
Many Bay Area FTers have suggested it's time for a Silicon Valley event. Here it is:

When: Sunday, June 8, 2003, 6 p.m.,optional, no-host, pre-dinner beverage service / meet-and-greet
6:45 p.m. dinner.

Where: Sarovar Indian Cuisine, 544 Lawrence Expressway, Sunnyvale, CA 94086
between Oakmead and Arques Ave. just 1/2 mi. south of 101 (Bayshore) Fwy and 5 mi. N. of SJC. Easy, free parking in front of the restaurant.
www.sarovar.com

What: Meet FTers while enjoying typical Indian cuisine of Silicon Valley. Choose either the $9.95 dinner buffet including soup, appetizers, green salad, 7 vegetable dishes, 5 meat dishes including lamb curry and tandoori chicken and dessert and soft drink or order dinner from the menu (See web site.)

Other info: Sarovar will accommodate 30-40 of us and more. We'll get their private room if we're the largest party. Sarovar serves a variety of beers and some wine at your option.

Please book soon. I need to confirm our res. by June 5. Please post your booking in this thread or e-mail. Below this post, I'll keep a thread going for names and numbers, updated periodically.

So, bring your appetite, digicam, PDA, and all the other icons of "the Valley" and let's network over dinner on June 8. Very early arrivers may want to hang at Fry's Electronics, Sunnyvale, just 6 blocks from Sarovar. See y'all on 6/8

Home front

Bay Arean protest marches range from sombre to comical.
Recent peace/anti-war gatherings have been mostly calm affairs.
But there are participants who are intent of getting themselves
arrested, only later to protest their own arrest.

Sitting down and blocking railways, highways is a sure way of
getting yourself arrested. Media coverage of these should
include the impact on bystanders and reasons for arrest.

In Oakland, Calif., local police arrested dozens of antiwar activists who flouted
their free-speech rights in a treacherous attempt to shut down a port involved in
shipping military supplies to soldiers during wartime. Elsewhere in the Bay Area,
several others were cited for crossing a police line outside the Concord Naval
Weapons Station; seven more face felony charges for stopping traffic nearby on
Interstate 680. Michelle Malkin's When antiwar speech turns seditious.

Train, Bus: unsigned

Update 2003 March 29: Palo Alto Daily News

Caltrain spokeswoman Rita Haskin sent a
handwritten apology note to Bowman.
No signs have yet been posted at the station, however.

----
Published Sunday, 2003 March 23
Letters to the Editor

Caltrain mystery

I want to complain about the treatment Caltrain metes out to
passengers on weekends. (Editor's note: Train service on the
weekends has been suspended for two years so Caltrain can repair and
improve its tracks. Buses are being used on weekends instead).

There is no information whatsoever at the Palo Alto University
Avenue depot regarding the bus that runs in place of the train.
There is no agent to ask. All is locked down. People are going
around asking each other if they know where the bus leaves from.

Once they have discovered the location, they find out they should
have bought a ticket from the machines back at the depot. One sign
with the correct information near the ticket vending machines would
have helped many of us on Sunday, March 16, during a heavy rain
shower from getting drenched, running back and forth before we
finally succeeded in boarding our bus.

Trudy Bowman
Kipling Street
Palo Alto
[Palo Alto Daily News See also: caltrain.com/news_ctx_fact_sheet ]

More data for the APTA paper.

Taxing clean cars

Trade in your SUV for a clean car ? Pay more tax in the USA.
Something for Clean Air For Life to think about. Why are there no tax
breaks for LEMs and ULEVs, even as the California Vehicle License
Fee (VLF) triples. ?

Background: LEV, ULEV, SULEM explained; Californian incentives.

The Mercedes-Benz E500 gets no tax break for meeting the ULEV (ultra low
emissions vehicle) standard. This roomy sedan cannot plead the light truck
exemption, so it pays a fuel economy surtax of $1,000. -- NYT.

If you like cars, the E-series is a great car.
If you like driving, the BMW 5er is still better.

Update: 2004 Jan 30
The Assembly on Thursday defeated a proposal that would have taken
away business tax breaks for big vehicles such as Hummers and some
sport-utility vehicles.

The measure would have given Californians tax incentives to buy
reduced-emission vehicles instead. [MotoristNews, BATN].

Update 2004 May 08:

Should CA to buy back polluting clunkers with gas tax funds ? yes, maybe.

Parking with sidewalk

Parking lots should be surrounded by a perimeter sidewalk striped area
to make end of row spaces usable.

On the top level of the garage on Bay Street, Emeryville, CA.
See Marin County on the right and the Golden Gate Bridge behind the cherry picker.

Compare to parking lots without sidewalks.

SJC maps transit last

Public agencies should show transit lines on their maps.

Don't just show the station, show the line.
Where it comes from, where it goes to.

From SJC/Norman Mineta Silicon Valley's airport

See also SVMG's transitless maps.

SJC: no facilities

The San Jose, California Silicon Valley Norman Mineta Airport often ranks in the nation's worst.

Here's another reason why: no facilities inside security.

Nice logo though.

Caltrain Fares 2

Caltrain is considering a fare change, as just noted.
See also San Mateo Independent.

Caltrain has the pricing all wrong.

Fare should be something like
Fare = terminal_fee + A*sqrt (distance_travelled)

where the terminal_fee covers use of boarding station, transfer station,
and alighting station, dispatching, rail yards, ticket vending or other ticket service fees.
The terminal_fee could be approximately $2.00.

Distance factor A should be on the order of 0.3, so a
9 mile trip would cost $2.90 (= $2.00 + 0.3 * 3)
16 mile trip would cost $3.20 (= $2.00 + 0.3 * 4)
49 mile trip would cost $4.10 (= $2.00 + 0.3 * 7)

The cost to provide Caltrain service is not proportional to the distance
travelled. Costs to build and operate stations and handle tickets are
just as great for a three mile trip as for a fifty mile trip.

This $2.00 fixed fare is the same amount as is charged by a typical taxi service:

Short trips are well served by local buses. Caltrain is unique in that
it offers regional service through three counties. The fare system
should not penalize riders who use it as a regional system, and
already wait through many stops before getting to their destination.

Short distance riders have alternatives: county busses from VTA, SamTrans
and Muni, or local busses. What's more, if a commuter is dissatisfied with
their local bus service, they can appeal to their local agency for improvements.
If I want to go from central Sunnyvale to north Sunnyvale, I can choose
between Caltrain, VTA light rail, and local busses. Many local cities
fill in gaps in County bus systems with their own busses, such as
Santa Clara city's BEE bus.

But for a commuter going from Milbrae to Santa Clara, there is no choice
but Caltrain. Caltrain must not penalize or discourage this captive market.

The proposed zone consolidation pricing plan is wrong by penalizing
loyal long distance riders.

Moreover, the fares need to offer discounts for off peak time usage
and reverse commute usage. There should be discounts for using
less crowded trains. Caltrain's proposed fares fail on all accounts.

Other proposed ticket changes have some merit.
One-way tickets valid for three hours is fine, but the expiry clock should
start ticking when the tickets are validated, not when they're bought.
I'd love to be able to mail out Caltrain tickets with invitations
for next month's s, or carry a few spare tickets for when
I'm running late or the ticket queue is long. ACERail and
have managed successful advance ticket sales for years.

Also, parking coupons (tickets for valid use of parking, not citations
for wrong parking) should also be sold by Caltrain ticket machines.
Adding (and paying for) parking to my train ticket should be as easy
as adding fries to my hamburger.

Existing parking vending machines are a failure: they are hard to find,
don't make change, and don't accept credit cards. Take this opportunity
to remedy this situation.

Phasing out on-board ticket sales might work, but I'd like to see a
full year of successfully functioning ticket vending machines before
on-board ticket sales are abandoned. Perhaps raise the on-board
service charge to $5 from $3 and reconsider abandoning on-board
ticket sales in January 2005.

Replacing the round-trip ticket with a Day Pass is excellent.

Submitted to:
fares@caltrain.com
and by sending postal mail to
Caltrain Board Secretary,
1250 San Carlos Ave.,
San Carlos, CA, 94070

Oakland

Oakland: A city overshadowed by San Francisco on the west,
outpaced by the rapidly developing high-tech metropolis of
San Jose on the south, less media spotlighted and exposed
than the politically legendary university town of Berkeley to
the east, and far less of a tourist mecca and destination than
the Napa-Sonoma wine country to the north, Oakland seemingly
exploded out of its anonymity through the images, actions
and unparalleled successes of the Raiders, the A's and the
Golden State Warriors in the 1970s.

-- Harry Edwards, former UC Berkeley professor who now
leads the city's parks and recreation agency, 2002.

Bay Bridge

NewBayBridge.org was designed by the California Alliance for Jobs, a
nonprofit labor-management partnership representing the heavy
construction industry of Northern and Central California.

The Web site is described as providing a "front-row seat" view as the
new $2.6 billion east span of the bridge is being constructed. The
site provides a detailed history of the Bay Bridge, going back to its
opening in 1936. It also has a photo gallery, with shots of bridge
workers in action. The site is obviously a work in progress.