Getting Caltrain extended to the new Sales Force Transit Center has long been recognized as one of the most important projects in the Region. In fact it was approved overwhelmingly by 69.3% of San Francisco’s voters way back in 1999. Since then, despite being held up for six years by the Lee Administration, City Planning Department and SFCTA, much as been accomplished. The project is now environmentally cleared ready to head into engineering design.
At MTC’s July 22nd meeting the DTX project was threatened by a weak but aggressively promoted effort to build what could best be described as the “mostly single track, Toonerville Trolley to Tracy” line.
But things are looking up!
In response to this threat San Francisco and the other West Bay Counties came out in force in support of advancing DTX to Period 1 (in line for early funding). Weighing in on behalf of DTX were Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi, SF Mayor London Breed, State Senator Scott Wiener, Assemblyman David Chiu, Supervisor Aaron Peskin and other members of the SF Board of Supervisors, the SF County Transportation Authority, the Transbay Joint Powers Board, SaveMuni, SF Transit Riders (SFTR), SPUR, Seemless Transit and many other San Francisco-based groups and individuals.
Speaker Pelosi Makes the Case!
(resume reading here)
There were also expressions of support from the North Bay counties as well as from the Peninsula including Jim Hartnett, Executive Director of Caltrain and Friends of Caltrain.
The following regional and statewide groups also expressed strong support for DTX: Bay Area Transportation Working Group (BATWG), Transportation Solutions Defense and Education Fund (TRANSDEF), Train Riders Association of California (TRAC) and Rail Passengers Association of California and Nevada (Railpac).
It is hoped that this surge of support for a long-delayed project of major importance will signal a new commitment to working together to get the job done.
Here is Speaker Pelosi’s letter:
Bay Area Transportation Working Group 