Weekend Roundup: Caltrain Electrification Update, Speed Cameras

Here are a few Streetsblog news nuggets to start your weekend.

All Caltrain's electrification poles are up.

Caltrain's electrification project marked a milestone this week, with the installation of its last catenary pole. From a Caltrain release:

Caltrain and contractor Balfour Beatty have worked to install 2,569 pre-engineered poles and upgraded the existing signal system that will allow the electric trains to operate in an electrified corridor along the nearly 160-year-old right-of-way, which has continued to be active railroad during this process. The work in upgrading the existing signal system included upgrading every grade crossing on the electrified corridor. The steel poles were safely lifted and elevated into place and then mounted on concrete foundation, a process that involved ongoing collaboration and hours of work around the clock to complete. A video of the final pole installation can be found here. 

With the final OCS pole installed, crews can now hang the last of the wire, as well as finish the final work on the OCS that will provide power to the electric trains, which will be tested along the full corridor from San Francisco to San Jose later this year. 

Caltrain is on schedule to begin electrified service in the fall of 2024.

Speed kills: Walk San Francisco is urging people to support A.B. 645

They save lives in Europe and in other American cities, but speed cameras, also know as automated speed enforcement (ASE), are still banned in California. Legislation is sitting on Governor Gavin Newsom's desk right now, waiting for his signature, that could legalize an ASE pilot in cities in the Bay Area, potentially saving lives. From a Walk S.F. statement on this important legislation:

Time is of the essence in showing Governor Newsom that people want him to sign AB 645, the lifesaving speed camera bill. The Governor only has until October 14!

We need to be sure that in the sea of bills on his desk, Newsom sees that AB 645 has strong support.

Walk San Francisco is urging safe-streets advocates and supporters to email the governor. Be sure to click here and follow the instructions to urge the governor to sign A.B. 645 into law.

Last but not least: help keep Shelley Drive in McLaren Park car-free

It didn't get as much attention as J.F.K. Drive in Golden Gate Park, but Shelly Drive in McLaren Park was also made car-free during the pandemic--and remains so. However, that could change. Also from Walk San Francisco:

...the car-free space on Shelley Drive West could become permanent like JFK Promenade!

This is on the agenda at the upcoming meeting of the Land Use Committee of the Board of Supervisors on Monday, October 2 at 1:30PM.

Call in with your support to the meeting (the agenda and call-in info will be posted here).

You can also send an email to the Supervisors on the Land Use Committee: Supervisors Myrna Melgar, Aaron Peskin, and Dean Preston.

Also afoot are ways to improve access, pedestrian use, bike use and calm traffic on other portions of Shelley Drive. Learn more.

Walk San Francisco and other groups urge everyone to strongly support creating a Shelley Drive Promenade.

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Note: Streetsblog San Francisco will not publish on Monday, September 25