2) RM has trouble forming a committee to deal with any bus lines. I
suggest that we form a virtual committee. Perhaps people with particular
problems can write a proposed policy position for the Steering Committee
to enact. If people stick to a problem on the RM discussion list, after a
while a basic policy may be written. The writers may have to come to a
Steercom meeting to explain their proposal. The writers could also be
ready write the position letter and possibly testify before the
commission.
3) The purpose of the Caltrain extension is not only to increase
ridership by people who don't want to transfer or walk too far. The
purpose is to create a major modal transfer point. Golden Gate, Muni,
Greyhound, Caltain, AC, Sam Trans all come to the same place. BART and
Metro are only a block away and there is a proposal to build an
underground moving sidewalk to contact them to this new major hub. The
ridership on all modes will increase because of this convenient hub. This
will make it much easier to get from San Rafael to Palo Alto and many
other combinations that are now a drag. This extension also provide the
fastest way for many people to get to the airport.
4) The first study I refer is themany joint meetings of all of the
transit advocates in the Bay Area about fifteen years ago. We found for
many reasons but mainly the total cost the fixing Caltrain was a much
better buy for transit the extending BART. The other study I refer to is
the original BART studies which showed high ridership and interchange
for a Caltrain, BART, people mover hub on the west side of the Freeway
near SFO. More recently BART change their design and coopted every new
rider from Caltrain to BART. In spite of steealing so many riders in
attempt to meet Congressional requirements for funding, The BART capital
cost per new rider is setting a new new record. It seems now that the
contractor desire to bend rebar and pour concrete may delay good
transit improvements around the Bay for many years.
Howard Strassner
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