tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8419444332771213285.post5779300411086712883..comments2024-03-28T11:51:19.078-07:00Comments on Caltrain HSR Compatibility Blog: CalMod 1.1Clemhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01374282217135682245noreply@blogger.comBlogger87125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8419444332771213285.post-89966933451313516352017-07-19T21:02:45.809-07:002017-07-19T21:02:45.809-07:00Caltrain only has an easement to operate a rail ya...Caltrain only has an easement to operate a rail yard at 4th and Townsend. The subterranean and air rights were sold by Catellus, an ex-subsidiary of Southern Pacific, to Farallon Capital Management in 2003..Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11779154407024588438noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8419444332771213285.post-2825428999777980232017-07-09T10:23:01.685-07:002017-07-09T10:23:01.685-07:00Can't we just computerize the entire driving s...Can't we just computerize the entire driving system? Maybe have a control center with remotely linked drivers. I think the Japanese call them ATC's? The win would not so much be the cost of the train engineer, but instead it would be that trains could operate super densely, way more than human drivers can do. Plus you could then start having 1-car or 2-car continuously distributed service.<br /><br />Also ... isn't the 4th & King station kind of a huge waste of money that is just sitting on the table? Maybe you've already done the financial analysis, but I'd bet that it would be a major net positive if all the tracks were just undergrounded after the curve and the surface-level land was leased out or developed.apullinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09629586301927626986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8419444332771213285.post-33457193280623183332017-06-23T11:53:34.508-07:002017-06-23T11:53:34.508-07:00http://www.eastbaytimes.com/2017/06/22/new-sales-t...http://www.eastbaytimes.com/2017/06/22/new-sales-tax-for-caltrain-a-18-cent-levy-is-in-the-works/Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8419444332771213285.post-67821861066997819022017-06-23T10:53:03.550-07:002017-06-23T10:53:03.550-07:00We're gonna be hearing about that flash mob mu...We're gonna be hearing about that flash mob mugging though any time anyone wants to reduce per-train staffing.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8419444332771213285.post-37055448293246525682017-06-23T10:06:07.841-07:002017-06-23T10:06:07.841-07:00Karlsruhe is much smaller than San Francisco, and ...Karlsruhe is much smaller than San Francisco, and runs a less frequent service.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8419444332771213285.post-17209870313314201812017-06-22T00:10:27.680-07:002017-06-22T00:10:27.680-07:00Not that it will be easy ... but it doesn't ha...Not that it will be easy ... but it doesn't have to win 2/3 approval in all 3 of the counties. According to <a href="http://sd13.senate.ca.gov/sites/sd13.senate.ca.gov/files/sb797_caltrain_0.pdf" rel="nofollow">the current SB 797 text</a>, it just has to meet with approval of 2/3 of all voters voting on it: <br /><br />"The measure shall be approved if two-thirds of all of the voters voting on the measure approve it."Reality Checkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06974156676436895262noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8419444332771213285.post-3191467305560223532017-06-21T23:28:17.208-07:002017-06-21T23:28:17.208-07:00http://www.greencaltrain.com/2017/06/aceforward-co...http://www.greencaltrain.com/2017/06/aceforward-community-meetings/Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8419444332771213285.post-70850829186409093892017-06-21T23:21:05.141-07:002017-06-21T23:21:05.141-07:00Best of luck passing this in Santa Clara County!!!...Best of luck passing this in Santa Clara County!!!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8419444332771213285.post-70280093570056924622017-06-21T22:16:40.750-07:002017-06-21T22:16:40.750-07:00Breaking news: SB797 authorizes Caltrain to ask vo...Breaking news: <a href="https://patch.com/california/sanmateo/proposed-tax-would-help-caltrain-fund-improvements-operations-peninsula" rel="nofollow"><b>SB797 authorizes Caltrain to ask voters for a permanent 3-county 1/8-cent sales tax</b></a><br /><br />"Caltrain, which runs from San Francisco to Gilroy, is the only passenger rail service in the U.S. that relies on voluntary contributions from the transportation agencies that formed a partnership to operate the service. The partners that make up the Peninsula Corridor Joint Powers Board are the City and County of San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency, the San Mateo County Transit District and the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority.<br /><br />"SB 797 lays the foundation to end fluctuating voluntary contributions by authorizing the Peninsula Corridor Joint Powers Board to seek a perpetual one-eighth-cent sales tax. Several conditions would have to be met before such a measure is put on the ballot in San Francisco, San Mateo and Santa Clara counties."Reality Checkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06974156676436895262noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8419444332771213285.post-39822486633845850462017-06-21T16:32:00.377-07:002017-06-21T16:32:00.377-07:00By that metric the Altamont Commuter Express is in...By that metric the Altamont Commuter Express is indeed setting speed records.Clemhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01374282217135682245noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8419444332771213285.post-74253647723571011322017-06-21T13:44:24.805-07:002017-06-21T13:44:24.805-07:00Adirondacker1280021 June, 2017 11:04
The biggest ...Adirondacker1280021 June, 2017 11:04<br /><br />The biggest problem with any alignment is that no one is proposing to build any of them. <br /><br />Trains that actually run are much faster than trains nobody is building. Adirondacker12800https://www.blogger.com/profile/17108712932656586797noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8419444332771213285.post-54053139963028853402017-06-21T13:13:14.676-07:002017-06-21T13:13:14.676-07:00Prepare to throw shade on the abysmally slow Capit...Prepare to throw shade on the abysmally slow Capitol Corridor, which would need billions to become time-competitive with Altamont HSR for any Bay Area - Sac trip!Clemhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01374282217135682245noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8419444332771213285.post-7972938092347883632017-06-21T12:49:46.109-07:002017-06-21T12:49:46.109-07:00Yes, but demonstrably better? If so, don't ho...Yes, but demonstrably better? If so, don't hold back ... details please!Reality Checkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06974156676436895262noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8419444332771213285.post-18071741222458440282017-06-21T12:37:53.707-07:002017-06-21T12:37:53.707-07:00I realize that Altamont is mesmerizing but there a...I realize that Altamont is mesmerizing but there are other ways to get from the Bay Area to Sacramento. Which are even shorter. Adirondacker12800https://www.blogger.com/profile/17108712932656586797noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8419444332771213285.post-78325863193803838232017-06-21T12:30:21.165-07:002017-06-21T12:30:21.165-07:00Of course I'm serious. Are you? It's pat...Of course I'm serious. Are you? It's patently obvious without even checking the mileage.<br /><br />Sacramento via Altamont to SJ Diridon is about 123 miles (150 miles to SF)<br />It's about 230 miles via Merced & Pacheco to SJ (280 miles to SF)<br /><br />So compared to Altamont, Pacheco adds about 100 miles to SJ-Sac, and about 130 miles to SF-Sac.<br /><br />Reality Checkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06974156676436895262noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8419444332771213285.post-84360074759893737242017-06-21T12:24:14.533-07:002017-06-21T12:24:14.533-07:00Oh, no, that's not nearly the biggest problem....Oh, no, that's not nearly the biggest problem. By far the biggest problem with any alignment is that there isn't enough money to build it.Clemhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01374282217135682245noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8419444332771213285.post-38288192976528394772017-06-21T11:48:56.644-07:002017-06-21T11:48:56.644-07:00"even longer dogleg between Sacramento & ..."even longer dogleg between Sacramento & Bay Area". You can't be serious(?)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8419444332771213285.post-3291257973659850462017-06-21T11:04:48.442-07:002017-06-21T11:04:48.442-07:00The biggest problem with any alignment is that no ...The biggest problem with any alignment is that no one is proposing to build any of them. Adirondacker12800https://www.blogger.com/profile/17108712932656586797noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8419444332771213285.post-65718567237085712472017-06-21T09:46:23.901-07:002017-06-21T09:46:23.901-07:00The biggest problem I had with the SETEC alignment...The biggest problem I had with the SETEC alignment was that it used French norms for construction cost, including for a substantial bridge across Dumbarton, which we all know don't really apply to the US, for various reasons. It was still far superior to any of the Altamont alignments proposed by CHSRA.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10570027785365903956noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8419444332771213285.post-62176613167557563602017-06-20T20:20:28.521-07:002017-06-20T20:20:28.521-07:00Right. And without one-conductor operations on 4-c...Right. And without one-conductor operations on 4-car EMUs, my point is that you can basically forget the idea of frequent off-peak service!Clemhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01374282217135682245noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8419444332771213285.post-10163317622813974032017-06-20T19:01:27.041-07:002017-06-20T19:01:27.041-07:00Nah, if you're up against someone who is viole...Nah, if you're up against someone who is violent, or threatening violence, particularly if armed or large and strong, drawing the engineer out of the (presumably locked cab) is wrong on many levels. S/he would best remain in the locked cab and concentrate on bringing the train to a police-accessible location (typically the next station) as quickly as possible while radioing for urgent police assistance from the local police, who can nearly always get to the train faster than the Caltrain-Samtrans "Transit Police" (a special, and small, division of the SMCo. Sheriff's Department). Meanwhile, the conductor should be doing their best to de-escalate/deflect while avoiding physically engaging the suspect(s).<br /><br />Anytime there's a threat of violence or brandishing of fists or weapons, it's not going to be a good or easy situation until police can intervene regardless of whether there are one, two or three conductors. As recent real-world examples show, shit happens and you just do the best you can to avoid it and deal with it prudently when it does. Needlessly overstaffing trains with costly conductors "just in case" it <i>might</i> just help win an extremely rare (and probably avoidable and ill-advised) wrestling match is just not a good answer in terms of its larger operational opportunity costs.Reality Checkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06974156676436895262noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8419444332771213285.post-45446819135840001022017-06-20T17:58:23.667-07:002017-06-20T17:58:23.667-07:00Perhaps the counter argument could be made that th...Perhaps the counter argument could be made that the engineer, no longer being sequestered on the other side of a locomotive, could provide backup in extreme cases where the personal safety of the conductor becomes of greater importance than continued operation of the train.Clemhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01374282217135682245noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8419444332771213285.post-21204979030578960482017-06-20T12:01:58.235-07:002017-06-20T12:01:58.235-07:00So, what would the choice for the UTU be if one co...So, what would the choice for the UTU be if one conductor, or no conductor at all. <br /><br />Keep in mind that the civilized world essentially operates without conductors…<br /><br />And, as Reality Check states, a railroad police force is needed anyways.<br />Max Wysshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07828566935411668866noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8419444332771213285.post-26425577844518796022017-06-20T10:53:52.601-07:002017-06-20T10:53:52.601-07:00Onboard staff is not trained or equipped for law e...Onboard staff is not trained or equipped for law enforcement, and apart from summoning police, would not and should not be expected to have anything to do with intervening in violent crimes such the referenced "BART flash mob mugging." So that's a non sequitur.<br /><br />If you check the breakdown, you'll find that like with BART police, onboard incidents constitute only a small fraction of calls for service. By far, most are outside the trains at stations, parking lots and along the right of way.Reality Checkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06974156676436895262noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8419444332771213285.post-26810471377751118512017-06-20T10:41:04.931-07:002017-06-20T10:41:04.931-07:00The UTU won't agree with reducing staffing red...The UTU won't agree with reducing staffing reductions because nobody wants to be working alone on a train having to fend for themselves against an unruly passenger. Would you? Remember the Bart flash mob mugging? The UTU will undoubtably bring this up during their contract negotiations. <br /><br />As a union worker myself, I would never want to sacrifice workplace safety even if it meant more work for me and my coworkers. Operating more frequent trains means more security exposure and which will cost more to mitigate. Having only 1 train conductor when there's no Caltrain police force and only sporadic local law enforcement is a recipe for a disaster. <br /><br />According to Caltrain, there were 1,491 calls for police service in 2017 alone, dwarfing the 793 calls during all of 2016. Expanding service will presumably need a coresponding increase in the costs of security. <br /><br />Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13830806890136251836noreply@blogger.com