Caltrain lays out plans for Belmont’s station

That plan is a comprehensive policy document that explores three growth scenarios — baseline, moderate and high-growth — for the railroad by 2040, when Caltrain expexts to see 1.2 million additional people and jobs on its corridor. Caltrain’s board of directors will vote on one of those growth scenarios in August. 

The baseline scenario entails changes that are already in the works, including increased service from five trains per hour to six trains per hour once electrification is complete in 2022. And while it is uncertain if high-speed rail will ever come to the Peninsula, each of the scenarios assumes four high-speed rail trains will also travel along the Caltrain corridor each hour.

So that brings the baseline scenario up to 10 trains per hour, while the moderate growth scenario examined 12 trains per hour and the high-growth scenario contemplated 16 trains per hour.

Of the three potential expansion options, only the high-growth scenario will require additional tracks, known as passing tracks. Currently, the Caltrain corridor is primarily a two-track system, but if the high-growth scenario were to be adopted, then two additional tracks would have to be installed between Caltrain’s Hayward Park station in San Mateo and the Redwood City station, said Sebastian Petty, Caltrain’s director of policy development.

“The high-growth scenario has a lot of infrastructure associated with it that’s very daunting and it has some very real community impacts,” Petty said.

The baseline projection expects 161,000 riders every weekday by 2040, while the moderate and high-growth scenarios predict 185,000 daily riders and 207,000 daily riders each day respectively. Caltrain currently serves 65,000 passengers a day. 

The Belmont station today sees an average of 600 riders on weekdays with one train stop per hour per direction for a total of 46 total train stops a day. Under the baseline and moderate growth scenarios, there would be 58 total train stops a day during peak hours and two train stops each hour instead of just one. The high-growth model would bring 116 train stops a day with four stops per hour during peak hours.

Anticipating pushback to Caltrain’s future plans, Councilman Charles Stone reminded residents that only one growth scenario entails passing tracks and that if such a project were to get a green light, it wouldn’t happen any time soon.

“If passing tracks are ever going to come to pass, it’s not going to be for a long time, we’re going to have plenty of notice and despite what High-Speed Rail was saying just last year, that’s not a huge issue confronting Belmont right now,” he said. Stone is also a member of the Caltrain Board of Directors.

Moving beyond current conditions

Mayor Davina Hurt hopes the increase in ridership means Caltrain will serve different types of people beyond commuters and baseball fans. 

Petty said the business plan will explore strategies for achieving that goal, including improved frequency and reliability of service as well as potential fare reductions.

Hurt also wants to see the Belmont Caltrain station’s underused parking lot put to better use — she mentioned housing and placemaking — and Councilwoman Julia Mates said she’s talked to many Belmont residents who would take the train from their city’s station rather than drive to the Hillsdale one if service improved.

Between September and February 2020, service will temporarily improve at the Belmont station. The Hillsdale station, one of the railroad’s busiest, will be closed during that time while it is relocated further north as part of a San Mateo grade crossing project and, as a result, the Belmont station will see more passengers and train stops. 

Caltrain riders who drive or get dropped off at Hillsdale are being asked to drive to Belmont and park at that station during those six months, said Project Manager Rafael Bolon. Anyone whose final destination is Hillsdale or who walks or bikes there, is being asked to get off at Belmont or Hayward Park and take a bus on El Camino Real or rely on enhanced shuttle service that will be offered at those two stations during that period, he said. 

“We think six months is as quick as we can get [the station relocation] done,” Bolon said.

Potential impacts, opportunities

Councilmembers embraced the temporary change as they felt the enhanced service will offer a helpful preview of what’s to come. But they also noted several potential impacts of Hillsdale service being redirected to Belmont and offered up tips for mitigating them.

Hurt was concerned that during those six months, the streets surrounding the Belmont Caltrain station would be over-parked because the additional riders would seek free parking there rather than use the station’s paid lot. She suggested offering a parking fee waiver at the Caltrain station during those months and Bolon said that suggestion will be discussed amongst Caltrain and city staff. He also said an area immediately across from the Belmont station will be reserved for dropoffs during those six months.

Caltrain already handles maintenance at its stations, except for the elevator and other “ancillary” spaces, and Hurt also suggested Caltrain somehow help offset that impact as well. 

In addition to offering a preview of expanded service in the future, Stone saw another opportunity in the six-month period of having more Caltrain riders in Belmont. He wants to test pop-up business concepts at a corner space at the station.

“There may be some unique opportunities for the six months we have this captive audience,” Stone said.

zachary@smdailyjournal.com

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