Silicon Valley Leaders Brainstorm To Create Caltrain Funding
SAN JOSE (KCBS) – Could the Bay Area exist without Caltrain? Silicon Valley companies, along with public agencies think not. So Silicon Valley leaders are planning a meeting to figure out how to save commuter trains.
KCBS' Betsy Gebhart Reports:
Commuters have depended on Caltrain to get to work for dozens of years now, but the problem is that Caltrain is experiencing a serious money shortage. Caltrain has a $100 million budget, and it's running a $30 million deficit this year.
"It's not because the line isn't well-run, or well-used," said Silicon Valley Leadership Group CEO Carl Guardino. "It has 42,000 daily passenger trips, a fare box return of 45 cents, which is one of the highest in the United States, but they have no dedicated revenue stream."
If Caltrain goes under, Guardino said we will all suffer. He points to a UC Berkeley study that shows that if Caltrain's Gilroy to San Francisco line is eliminated, drivers would need 2.5 more lanes on 280 and 101, just to handle current traffic.
Guardino's leadership group, Silicon Valley companies, and public agencies will be putting their heads together at Stanford on Friday to try to come up with ideas on more revenue options to keep Caltrain rolling.
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