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Forum: Governing Caltrain in the Age of Electrification

From the Bay Rail Alliance:

From the Bay Rail Alliance:

How does it make sense to govern Caltrain in the age of electrification?

The Transbay Joint Powers Authority is considering the creation of a public-private partnership, charging a toll on Caltrain and HSR riders to help fund the Downtown Extension to the Transbay Terminal.  Would it make sense to have a single private entity operating Caltrain and DTX? Or a single entity operating High Speed Rail, Caltrain, and DTX? Should Caltrain and BART be run by the same entity?  Or should Caltrain stay as it is with more stable funding, better schedule and fare integration?  What can we learn from examples of how rail systems are governed in other places around the world?   What are the considerations here in the Bay Area that affect our choices?   Now is the time for riders, stakeholders, and decision-makers to understand the options that might transform Peninsula Corridor rail in the coming years.

Panelists:

Lou Thompson, Chair, High Speed Rail Peer Review Group and Principal, TGA Assoc, LLC, global consulting for rail systems in the U.S., Europe, South Africa, Latin America and Asia.

Jessica Zenk, Senior Director for Transportation Policy for the Silicon Valley Leadership Group

Ratna Amin, Transportation Policy Directory, SPUR

Yoriko Kishimoto, former board member, Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority

Representatives of High Speed Rail and Caltrain will be present to answer questions.

Photo of Aaron Bialick
Aaron was the editor of Streetsblog San Francisco from January 2012 until October 2015. He joined Streetsblog in 2010 after studying rhetoric and political communication at SF State University and spending a semester in Denmark.

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