Once in a while a project comes along that warrants special attention, respect and  support.  The Capitol Corridor Joint Powers Authority and BART’s planned upgrading of the high quality Capitol Corridor passenger rail service  that runs from Auburn via Sacramento and Oakland to San Jose is such a project.  On April 26, 2018, the Capitol Corridor Joint Powers Authority (CCJPA) received notification from the California State Transportation Agency (CalSTA) that it had received $80,340,000 in State grants from Senate Bill 1 and the Cap and Trade program to be used to execute the project.

Here are some excerpts from the CCJPA’s announcement:

According to CCJPA Managing Director David Kutrosky. “The CCJPA is committed to providing premier service to travelers in the Northern California mega-region and this round of Transportation Intercity Rail Capitol Program (TIRCP) funding will allow us to begin implementing projects, facilitating a statewide integrated travel and ticketing system, and providing faster and more efficient service to Silicon Valley.”

“The CCJPA’s total award of $80,340,000 will support projects under its Northern California Corridor Enhancement Program, with a total budget of $275,041,000 and an expected GHG reduction of 1,348,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions.”

The key CCJPA projects being supported by TIRCP funding are:

“Oakland to San Jose Project Phase 2A: This project would reroute the Capitol Corridor trains between Oakland and Newark, with the proposed establishment of a new intermodal station linking to ACE and a Dumbarton rail service in the Fremont/Newark Area. This rerouting would reduce train travel time from the Oakland Coliseum Station to the Santa Clara-Great America Station to about 30 minutes, providing new travel opportunities to the schools and businesses located along the often backed up I-880 highway corridor. in Silicon Valley, that parallel the backed up I-880.”

“Statewide Integrated Travel Program: Investment in statewide service and ticket integration, providing opportunities for riders on at least 10 rail and transit systems to plan travel and purchase tickets in a single, seamless transaction. This investment will lead to significant improvements in ridership, efficiency, and connectivity on rail and transit systems across California and will be developed with a framework that allows for rapid expansion following the pilot program to interested public and private sector partners.”

Partners of the CCJPA were also recipients of TIRCP funds. A number of those partner projects will complement the Capitol Corridor train service and contribute to overall transportation network improvements, such as safer grade-crossing and better bus-train connections.

The Service Today:  The Capitol Corridor trains, managed by the CCJPA already provide convenient, reliable comfortable rail connections between Sacramento, Silicon Valley, San Francisco, Oakland, and Berkeley along the often backed up I-80 and I-880 freeways.  For additional information about the Capitol Corridor trains and the CCJPA, visit www.capitolcorridor.org.

This article was featured in Newsletter Issue 1. Click here to go back to the newsletter.