Editor,
And so the Caltrain fear campaign begins. The agency is threatening system closure [https://www.smdailyjournal.com/news/local/caltrain-warns-of-system-closure-after-bart-s-tentative-plan-to-close-15-stations-without/article_e9de5796-090d-460c-957b-5db821320d01.html] to get voters to approve a ballot measure this November, which would raise the sales tax in San Mateo County to fund Caltrain’s budget deficit.
Yet Caltrain fails to make the case that closing stations will save any money. It’s not like their staff work there anymore. Trains operated by humans run through stations whether they’re open or closed. What is the agency going to do, turn off the Clipper machines? Right, they don’t work at stations anymore either.
The only way Caltrain would save money is to cut the number of trains, which they’re also threatening. But that would be an uphill battle considering the agency renewed its contract [https://go-769.smart-local.org/system/files/smart_td_tasi-_caltrain_executed_agreement_2025.pdf] with the conductors’ union. So why the fear campaign now?
Perhaps Caltrain lured riders into a false hope it could sustain all those additional trains after electrifying the fleet.
Voters shouldn’t succumb to this bait and switch.
The only cuts Caltrain ought to make are to the staff who overran the budget in the first place. There are plenty of engineers and financial planners in the area, or even AI, who could do the job better for less. Now that might make the case Caltrain would be a good steward of taxpayer money.
Dennis Bogusz
San Mateo
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(3) comments
Well written, Mr. Bogusz. Caltrain is again crying wolf. Call Caltrain’s bluff. Until Caltrain or public transportation practice fiscal management, we need to vote NO on any measures taking more of our hard-earned money. If public transportation is already operating at 100% capacity, what would our taxes pay for? It’s not more capacity, it’s for ever increasing raises, pensions, and benefits.
No one overran a budget at our transit agencies. The federal government and state yanked funding that was necessary to provide adequate service.
Maintenance of our roads is paid for by all taxpayers, not just those who drive. It is subsidized. Should we close two lanes on the freeway so that maintenance and paving costs are in line with revenues from drivers?
Nice try joebob - our transit agencies are set up for an elusive ridership that is not materializing. They have become burdensome employment agencies driven by aggressive labor unions. Why keep on pumping money into systems that are superfluous? And, we all know that our road maintenance is pathetic because earmarked funding is diverted to other frivolous pet projects. Essentially, just the opposite is true, let's redirect funding from the 'train to nowhere' and underutilized transit agencies to maintain our roads which are 'over utilized.'
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