MINUTES OF MARCH 17, MEMBERS PRESENT: J. Brazil, D. Forsell, R. Kaufmann, J Manzi, J. Meyer

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3 DRAFT Caltrain Bicycle Advisory Committee (BAC) San Mateo County Transit District Administrative Building 1250 San Carlos Avenue, San Carlos CA MINUTES OF MARCH 17, 2011 MEMBERS PRESENT: J. Brazil, D. Forsell, R. Kaufmann, J Manzi, J. Meyer MEMBERS ABSENT: C. Babcock, S. Johnson (Chair) STAFF PRESENT: R. Degman, C. Harvey, R. Lake, T. McIntyre, M. O Donnell The committee designated Jerri-Ann Meyer chair pro tem (Chair). She called the meeting to order at 6:49 p.m. and led the Pledge of Allegiance. Approval of Minutes of January 20, 2011 Chair Meyer said Chair Shirley Johnson requested, Brown Act, on page one under the approval of the December 13, 2010 minutes, be changed to read, Goggle Group. Jessica Manzi requested a change in the first paragraph on page eight: The BAC could put an item on the agenda and it could be debated and adopted at the same meeting, should read, An item on the agenda could be debated and adopted at the same meeting. The minutes were approved with these changes (Brazil/Kaufmann). Public Comment None Chairperson s Report Chair Meyer Chair Meyer reviewed five items at the request of Chair Johnson: 1. Review of follow up items from the January 20, 2011 meeting, which are posted on the website: Action items on the March 17 agenda: o Signage in bike cars suggesting non-cyclists sit elsewhere; modify wording proposed by staff at the December 17 BAC meeting so non-cyclist understand the reason; and determine where to place the signage. o Revisit the age restriction for bringing a bike onboard. o Present subcommittee recommendation on bike capacity. o Present subcommittee recommendation on station improvements. o Trains with two Gallery cars reworking consist turns. Bike lockers consider consolidating management of all bike lockers: could Clipper and bike link be used for on-demand access to bike lockers: Staff is looking into this in terms of what may be possible and hopes to report at the May meeting. Making destination tags more available on the trains: Operations reviewed and decided against placing tags on trains primarily due to the high costs of the tags. Tags have been stocked at Warm Planet Bikes and crews take tags onboard for distribution to passengers who ask. Page 1 of 8

4 BAC Meeting Minutes March 17, 2011 DRAFT Ryan Kauffman said the goal was to get the tags on the actual cars adjacent to schedules. Manager Rail Operations, Degman said the cost is prohibitive and Caltrain wants them distributed as needed. Chair Meyer asked if conductors can have some tags on the trains even if they don t carry them in case someone needs one. Mr. Degman said conductors who take them onboard usually have them in their pockets but many keep them in their grip in the cab compartment so they can replenish in between turns, which is a voluntary program. Post charters of other SamTrans related committees on the website: These have been posted on the other agency websites. Address the Diridon transit center: John Brazil said the station area planning process has been going on for a while and he would like to provide a status update to the BAC. He wants to see if there are opportunities within that process to implement upgrades the committee has discussed. This will be agendized for the May meeting. Address need to help some cyclists lift their bikes on to trains: Those bringing their bikes on Caltrain must be able to lift their own bikes on and off the trains. Mr. Degman said there are concerns of liability and injuries to conductors and it is not required of conductors. This may create a tripping hazard or hinder entry and exit of regular passengers. Chair Meyer suggested some sort of ramp be available for a bike to be rolled up. Mr. Degman said he was not aware of any system that uses this type of ramp for loading. This item will remain opened on a low priority. What are the issues that arise from having the wheelchair lift and the bike car in the same car: In order to maintain accessibility at the same high levels for passengers needing assistance, Caltrain operations do not want to mix wheels and have bikes and personal mobility devices in the same car. Consider counting bumped bikes in the 2012 February annual passenger counts: Counting bikes could not be done as part of the February 2011 passenger counts, but will be evaluated for potential inclusion in subsequent years. Provide passenger count data showing seated capacity of Train 324 at peak load: Staff is gathering data. Train 324 is a high-demand train for passengers without bicycles and Caltrain does not want to convert it at this point from a Bombardier set to a Gallery set. How many seats are there in Bombardier versus Gallery cars: The Gallery cab car has 88 or 107 seats, Gallery trailer car has 148, Bombardier cab car 124 and Bombardier trailer car 148. Provide a copy of Caltrain s policy stating that Caltrain requires all committees to be subject to the Brown Act: This will be finalized at the May meeting. Discuss with the Executive Team whether the BAC report can be agendized at Peninsula Corridor Joint Powers Board (JPB) meetings: Executive Director Michael Scanlon has indicated it would be appropriate for the BAC to report out to the JPB Citizens Advisory Committee. An update will be provided at the May meeting. John Brazil asked if other committees or the JPB itself receive reports about BAC status. Manager, Community Relations Todd McIntyre said the request is that the BAC chair report directly to the JPB. The CACs that report to the JPB are appointed by the JPB and that is part of their charge. The Centralized Equipment Maintenance and Operations Facility (CEMOF) does not report directly to the JPB. In order to be responsive to this request, staff is looking to include this Page 2 of 8

5 BAC Meeting Minutes March 17, 2011 DRAFT on the JPB CAC agenda. Updates of the BAC are reported by staff to Mr. Scanlon who reports to the JPB. Correct the posted meeting summary for the December 13, 2010 meeting: completed. Schedule a special BAC meeting to include the resolution for consistent and sufficient bicycle capacity onboard Caltrain, present the San Mateo County Transportation Authority s bike and pedestrian call for projects and committee requests: Attempts failed to schedule a special meeting due to lack of a quorum. Under the Brown Act, can a special meeting directly follow a regular meeting in the same room with the same attendees, with the special meeting agenda items being posted 24 hours in advance: Follow up will be provided by the May meeting. 2. Bump report: There were 194 bike bumps reported in January 2011, which is 15-fold increase over January 2010; Train 324, which is the 8:14 a.m. departure from San Francisco continues to bump the most bikes. More bikes will be bumped as the weather improves. 3. Caltrain onboard user survey: Caltrain conducted an onboard user survey on every train in October 2010 with an 83 percent response rate. The survey showed that 13 percent of passengers biked to and from the station but the survey did not ask how many brought their bikes onboard. It is suggested the next survey include this information. There was a multiple choice question on why the person rides Caltrain and it was requested to include a checkbox that allows a person to say it is because they can bring their bike onboard. Mr. McIntyre said he would share this with the Marketing Department. 4. Form a project prioritization subcommittee: This will be discussed under committee requests. Criteria for prioritization include cost, time to implement, impact on customer satisfaction, etc. 5. Upcoming items for the May BAC agenda: Caltrain annual February passenger counts, update on Caltrain service cuts, etc., update from the project prioritization subcommittee, presentation from Warm Planet Bikes and a request the BAC support a resolution for bikes onboard High Speed Rail (HSR). The San Francisco Bike Coalition has written a resolution to accommodate bikes on HSR. Mr. Brazil asked if staff could update the BAC on the status of Caltrain budget issues. Mr. McIntyre said staff can report at the May meeting. Mr. McIntyre said staff is involved with a Request For Proposals (RFP) process for the 4th & King bike parking facility and it would be appropriate for a presentation to be made once the contract is awarded. Mr. Kauffman asked if this involves the lease. Mr. McIntyre said a lease and operation of the facility. Mr. Brazil asked that station area bike parking be included in the resolution on HSR. Darcy Forsell said she didn t know to what extent Caltrain interfaces with HSR. Mr. McIntyre said Caltrain and HSR are two separate agencies and it s too early to know what HSR will look like on the Peninsula. Page 3 of 8

6 BAC Meeting Minutes March 17, 2011 DRAFT Mr. Brazil asked if Caltrain owns the right of way and said HSR needs to communicate at some point with the JPB. Mr. McIntyre said Caltrain owns the right of way. Mr. Brazil said it is early in the process but wants to raise this as one of the issues that needs to be discussed. Staff Report Mr. McIntyre reported: David Cade and Cindi Choi resigned from the BAC due to other commitments. They were thanked for their time. Staff will look at BAC applications on file and look to Staff Coordinating Council for any appointments. If criteria are not met, staff will begin the recruitment process. Upcoming events: o Sunday Streets kicks off in San Francisco on March 20. o Silicon Valley Bike Coalition s Bike Summit on April 6 and 8. o Streets Alive San Mateo County on May 1. Bicycle Capacity Subcommittee Report (Subcommittee S. Johnson and D. Cade) Chair Meyer reported: The subcommittee recommends the BAC approve the resolution consistency is key in providing reliable service. Currently, bike capacity varies from 40 to 80 bikes per train, which is a two-fold difference. After Caltrain upgrades all Gallery trains to two bike cars, bike capacity will vary from 48 to 80 bikes per train, which is a 1.7 fold difference. This is an improvement but there is inconsistency with bike capacity across the fleet. The resolution is to provide a consistent minimum 72 bikes per train. Bombardier trains with three bike cars will hold 72 bikes and Gallery trains with two bike cars will hold 80 bikes, which is a 1.1 fold difference. Ms. Forsell has concerns about how appropriate is it to have a subcommittee prepare a resolution versus staff and how does the committee feel about a resolution that may include items that she understands are not completely factually correct with a strong conclusion. Mr. McIntyre said it is not unusual for the chair of other advisory committees to propose a resolution. He agreed the resolution did include some misleading information. Mr. McIntyre said since 2008 with the completion of the project to convert more cars, Caltrain s overall bike capacity will have increased by over 50 percent on the trains. When the current project is complete, approximately 70 percent of the trains on the current schedule will have 80 bike spaces. Ms. Forsell asked how capacity will be increased. Mr. McIntyre said Caltrain has done a great job with consist turns to address the biggest demand trains. Staff has said operationally it makes sense to go to a two bike car configuration on every train, which would be 80 slots on the Gallery sets and 48 slots on the Bombardier sets. This will provide enough schedule flexibility for cyclists to adjust their schedules accordingly. Mr. Scanlon said at the February meeting, staff will not recommend a third bike car on Bombardier sets due to concerns with cost, different train configurations and/or removing seats for the other 90-plus percent of ridership. Mr. Brazil asked if this item should be deferred to the next meeting because this is a very passionate issue for Chair Johnson and it isn t a critical issue. Page 4 of 8

7 BAC Meeting Minutes March 17, 2011 DRAFT Ms. Forsell asked if the information about additional bike capacity on the Gallery trains should be included in the resolution. She is concerned about the huge cost implications with the Bombardier trains, conductor costs and Caltrain s anticipated $30 million deficit. She asked for conductor costs and retrofit costs. Mr. Brazil said it would be good to modify the motion with current information. A motion (Kauffman/Brazil) to defer the bike capacity discussion to the May meeting was approved. Station Improvements Subcommittee Report (Subcommittee C. Babcock, R. Kauffman, and J. Meyer) Mr. Kauffman reported: The purpose of the report was to look at things to improve the Caltrain experience for new and existing cyclists by addressing platform improvements, signage suggestions and right-ofway/wayside improvements. A plan should delineate a platform area designated for cyclists boarding the train considering constraints for width, Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) access and pedestrians. Signage could include bike etiquette, revenue generating advertising, boarding and queuing instructions, rules, links to Twitter, for BAC contact and suggestions for safety. Directional signage and location of timetables can be improved. Lockers should be available for short or long-term rentals on a first-come/first-served basis. Locker use should be centrally managed. Last mile facilities will improve ridership. There is a possibility to use BikeLink and/or Clipper. Bike racks should be well lit and visible and protected with security cameras. Bike ramps could be fitted with a gutter for bike use. It is in Caltrain s best interest to promote safe routes to and from transit. Mr. Brazil suggested adding there are cost savings for adding parking at the station area. Ms. Forsell said new locker technology provides as-needed lockers and people, in many cases, pay a fee for monthly use lockers but do not use the locker, thereby taking up valuable space. This could be tied to Clipper. Chair Meyer said there is a bike shelter at the Mountain View station run by the city and the $25 fee is refundable. Mr. Brazil said Menlo Park also has this feature. Mr. Degman said it is good to get the perspective of the user of a system. He said staff must prioritize what can be done at stations and he looks forward to seeing how some of the suggestions can be implemented. Gallery Train Bike Rack Installation Mr. Degman said the JPB agreed to convert 10 standard Gallery trailer cars so every Gallery set would have two bike cars and 80 bike capacity. The Bombardier trains will continue to have two bike cars for 48 bike slots. Upon completion, Caltrain will have increased onboard bike capacity by 56 percent since 2008 at a cost of $650,000 and 70 percent of all trains will have a capacity of 80 bike slots, which will make a big difference in making the Caltrain experience much more consistent for bicyclists. Completion is expected no later than December Page 5 of 8

8 BAC Meeting Minutes March 17, 2011 DRAFT Mr. Forsell said it is not easy to re-appropriate funding and appreciates staff s efforts. Mr. Brazil asked if there is a number for the increase in capacity from today until the project is completed. Deputy CEO Chuck Harvey said it is about 20 percent. Onboard Bicycle Signage Mr. McIntyre said the committee asked for some type of advisory signage to try to inform nonbike users of the need for bicyclists to be close to their bikes. Staff examined past verbiage and guidance on reserving seats. ADA and Department of Transportation guidance asks that easily accessible seats are set aside for persons with disabilities with the advisory that room is made when these customers board transit. Transit operators are not able to force people to move and could not do for bicyclists. Staff will provide advisory signage that says, As a courtesy, please allow customers with bicycles to sit in this area of the bike car. The sign will be posted in the area of entry to the bike car and includes succinct, easily read text, and does not obscure windows. Mr. McIntyre said a linear station map locations can be placed along the edge of the sign that provides information on bike rack usage. Chair Meyer asked if there would be signage so people could align their bike with affinity where bikes were getting on and off. Mr. McIntyre said the placard in the bike car with bike rack usage will include station dots along the linear edge so people will understand which stations come first in the direction they are heading. A motion (Forsell/Kauffman) to support the signage as proposed was approved. Youth Onboard Bicycle Policy Update Mr. Degman said the BAC asked if Caltrain could do anything to relax current restrictions for youth with bikes on trains. He talked with Amtrak conductors and managers and staff about their concerns and the policy, which required a child be at least 12 years old. After consultation with Caltrain s operating and marketing staff, the decision was made that as long as the child is accompanied by an adult, there is no problem with the child bringing a bike on the train and six years old is a good cutoff in terms of the ability to handle a bike up steps. Children must be able to bring their own bikes on to the train, which addresses safety and dwell time issues. Training wheels or a third wheel on the bike will not be allowed. This policy will be effective seven days a week but it is a trial program and Caltrain reserves the right to reconsider or modify the policy if there are any safety or delay issues. The policy is expected to go into effect April 4, Chair Meyer said she raised this issue based on the request from a member of the public. She asked if the age requirement could be relaxed because a five year old may be able to bring a bike onboard. Mr. Degman said if the BAC recommends a change in the proposed policy it will delay implementation. Chair Meyer asked if there would be a problem with some child seats on a parent s bike. Mr. Degman said the pop off child seat should be detachable so it does not protrude. Mr. Degman asked if the BAC wanted to hold off on the youth policy for additional modifications. Ms. Forsell said she would like to see the policy go ahead. She hopes people are Page 6 of 8

9 BAC Meeting Minutes March 17, 2011 DRAFT cognizant and sensitive about bike size and there may even be a need to specify a minimum size for a bike. Mr. Kauffman said there are differences in loading a bike on Bombardier and Gallery cars. He supports moving on with the policy. Ms. Manzi supports the policy and said most children will probably not be able to board a Gallery car with a bike until they are about eight or nine years old or older. She said it will be interesting to see if there is conflict between conductors and parents if they load their bike and a child s bike together. Mr. Degman said the major concern is leaving a bike or child unattended. Ms. Manzi asked if detachable or other bulky attachments that expand bike width are not allowed. Mr. Degman said these detachable items must be removed. Chair Meyer said this is a significant improvement and appreciates the effort to bring the policy forward. A motion (Forsell/Kauffman) to support the youth onboard bicycle policy was approved. Mr. Kauffman asked if the Bombardier trains are prioritized on weekends to target family audiences. Mr. Degman said the Bombardier are generally used because they have less mileage and mechanical issues. They are also used on the weekend Baby Bullet express pilot program, which is being extended into June. Train Consist Turns to Address Denied Boardings Mr. Degman said Caltrain did the first adjustment in December 2010 after results were available from the Bike Count and Dwell Time Study, which identified trains with significant bumping. Train 267 disappeared off the complaint list. Trains 138, 233 and 275 had the highest number of complaints. A minor tweak was done at the end of February and those three trains were reassigned to two bike cars. These trains do three to five round trips per day with different layover times associated with San Jose or San Francisco. When a train is taken out of a consist group for another, it means adjusting the work schedule for the employees assigned to those trains, which creates union issues. He said the car that was damaged earlier in the year is back as an extra bike car roaming around to fill in. Mr. Degman said Caltrain is trying to take the equipment it has and fine tune it to where the peak demand is for bicyclists. He looks forward to hearing from the BAC about bike bumps at the next meeting. Chair Meyer thanked staff for the great improvements. Committee Comments Chair Meyer said a request has been made to form a project prioritization subcommittee to create a list of projects, look at criteria and create a priority list. Chair Johnson has volunteered to be on the subcommittee. Chair Meyer asked if this duplicates work that is being done by staff. Mr. McIntyre said Caltrain has a Bike Access and Parking Plan and has adopted an Access Policy. He will check on the status of the projects that have come out of previous planning processes to see how they may be incorporated with what comes out of the station area subcommittee. He suggested a report on the status of past planning efforts and then moving forward with a subcommittee or appointment of a subcommittee to work between meetings. Page 7 of 8

10 BAC Meeting Minutes March 17, 2011 DRAFT Mr. Brazil asked for clarification of the purpose of the subcommittee. Chair Meyer said the purpose is to list all bike projects and prioritize the objective criteria, which can include cost, time to implement, impact on customer satisfaction, carbon reduction and payback period. The subcommittee could include the chair from the station improvement subcommittee and potentially a couple of other people along with herself. Mr. Brazil does not want to duplicate staff s efforts and the subcommittee may want to do an unconstrained wish list but would like some reality checks to make it the best use of time. Mr. McIntyre said the report could include different criteria that staff uses in evaluating different projects and questions about funding processes, etc., for a basis and foundation on how the subcommittee wants to proceed. Mr. Brazil sees value in a big unconstrained list but big has to be possible. Chair Meyer said she didn t think Chair Johnson was proposing an unconstrained pie-in-the sky, unrealistic list. Mr. Brazil said the committee needs staff to help educate the subcommittee to make it a useful product. Chair Meyer asked if the suggestion is for staff to come back to the May meeting to provide an overview of criteria currently used and go from there. Chair Meyer said Chair Johnson asked that a charter subcommittee be formed to potentially look at additional changes to the charter for further refinement. Ms. Manzi said San Francisco is starting to think about the America s Cup and this is probably not at the top of the list with all the Caltrain budget issues. She said when there are discussions on station improvements, especially bike capacity at stations, concerns should be addressed because it is a huge event beginning as early the middle of Mr. Brazil asked if there was any interest on a staff report on the status of the regional bike share implementation. Mr. McIntyre said he would check to see if an update could be discussed at the July meeting due to an extensive list of follow up items for the May meeting. Ms. Meyer said Bike-to-Work Day is on May 12 and there will be more people with bikes using transit and conductors will need to be aware of this event The date of the next meeting is May 19, Adjournment at 8:32 p.m. Page 8 of 8

11 AGENDA ITEM 8 MAY 19, 2011 TO: FROM: SUBJECT: Caltrain Bicycle Advisory Committee Shirley Johnson, as a member of the Bicycle Capacity ad hoc committee UPDATES TO RESOLUTION CALLING FOR CONSISTENT AND SUFFICIENT BICYCLE CAPACITY ON-BOARD CALTRAIN UPDATES TO THE RESOLUTION Based on Darcy Forsell s comments at the March 17, 2011 BAC meeting, the Bicycle Capacity ad hoc committee has updated the resolution calling for consistent and sufficient bicycle capacity on-board Caltrain as follows: 1. Removed the word unpredictably in line 26 in the statement bicycle capacity on-board Caltrain varies unpredictably with 40, 48, or 80 bicycle spaces per train. 2. Changed routinely to frequently in line Rewrote the section beginning on line 35 to clarify the financial benefit of more bike capacity. Other updates include: 4. Removed reference to February 2010 Caltrain Annual Passenger Counts and replaced it with the section starting at line 37, referencing the February 2011 Caltrain Annual Passenger Counts. 5. Instead of including the gallery-train upgrade as part of a request in the resolution, moved it to a new therefore be it resolved starting on line 45 to thank the JPB for approving funding at its May meeting to upgrade all gallery trains to two bike cars. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION A report from the Bicycle Capacity ad hoc committee to support the resolution can be found in the agenda packet for the BAC meeting of March 17, 2011, agenda item 7. To supplement the report and with reference to lines 35 through 40 of the updated resolution, we use the recently released February 2011 Caltrain Annual Passenger Counts to demonstrate that payback period for the bicycle capacity increase completed in November 2009 was six months. Relevant data: Caltrain completed the addition of 35% more bike capacity in November 2009 a at a cost of $350,000. b a. Increased Onboard Bike Capacity Improved Caltrain s Performance in 2009, February 4, 2010, BIKES ONboard Project, San Francisco Bicycle Coalition, p. 4, b Ibid., p. 8 Page 1 of 3

12 Average weekday bike boardings increased from 2659 in February 2010 to 3664 in February 2011, i.e., over 1000 more bike boardings each weekday. c Bicycle boardings increased 37.7% from 2010 to 2011, whereas walk-on boardings increased only 10.7%. d Average ticket price was $3.70 in 2010 and $3.95 in e The increase in bicycle capacity in late 2009 permitted more passengers with bikes to ride the train, resulting in over $900,000 additional ticket revenue annually. The cost for the bike capacity increase was $350,000, so payback period is likely less than six months. Cost to upgrade the remaining half of the gallery trains to two bike cars is $300,000, and cost to retrofit five Bombardier trailer cars to bike cars is estimated at $150,000. A comparable payback period of six months is expected, because bicycle bumps have reached the same level as before the bike capacity increase in 2009, as shown in Figure 1. The strong latent demand for onboard bike space indicates that additional bike capacity would be quickly filled. Bicycle Bumps 2009 to Reported Bumps Caltrain adds bike capacity Feb '09 Apr '09 Jun '09 Aug '09 Oct '09 Dec '09 Feb '10 Apr '10 Jun '10 Aug '10 Oct '10 Dec '10 Feb '11 Month Figure 1: Caltrain passengers denied boarding due to no space for their bikes. Passengers voluntarily report bicycle bumps to the Peninsula Corridor Joint Powers Board (JPB), and these reports become public record through correspondence packets provided at JPB meetings. Not all bumps are reported, so the graph shows a lower bound. John Brazil raised the question at the March 17, 2011 BAC meeting about the incremental increase in bike capacity by upgrading gallery trains to two bike cars. The following table details trains in service for the current schedule of 86 trains per weekday. c Caltrain Annual Passenger Counts for 2010 and 2011, d Ibid. e Based on calculations of total revenue divided by total ridership reported at Joint Powers Board meetings, Page 2 of 3

13 Number of Bike Spaces Train type Number in Service Bike Cars Current After Upgrading Gallery Trains After Upgrading Bombardier Trains Gallery Gallery Bombardier Total Incremental increase n/a 24.1% 8.3% Total bike capacity f 8.0% 10.4% 11.2% Current bicycle capacity is 8.0% and bicycle passengers make up 8.8% of total ridership. g Bicycle passengers are Caltrain s fastest growing customer segment, and Caltrain could readily increase ridership with more bike capacity. Projections suggest there is enough latent demand to fill at least 12% bicycle capacity in h Caltrain s current financial crisis is due to insufficient operating income. More bike capacity is a proven way to rapidly convert capital expense into operating income, thereby benefiting all passengers by reducing the need for service cuts to balance the budget. We commend Caltrain on its commitment to upgrade all gallery trains to two bike cars by December 2011, and recommend upgrading the five Bombardier trains to three bike cars for consistency as soon as feasible. f Bike capacity shows the percentage of onboard floor space devoted to bike racks instead of seats. Bike capacity is calculated as total bike spaces in the fleet divided by total potential seats in the fleet. Caltrain fleet detials can be found on the Caltrain web site at g Caltrain Annual Passenger Counts for 2010 and 2011, h Plan for Bicycle Carriage on Caltrain, December 29, 2008, BIKES ONboard Project, San Francisco Bicycle Coalition, p. 15, Page 3 of 3

14 RESOLUTION NO. 1 CALTRAIN BICYCLE ADVISORY COMMITTEE STATE OF CALIFORNIA * * * CALLING FOR CONSISTENT AND SUFFICIENT BICYCLE CAPACITY ON-BOARD CALTRAIN WHEREAS, the San Francisco Peninsula rail transit service, Caltrain, provides a vital public transportation link and has provided on-board carriage of bicycles in some capacity since 1992, and WHEREAS, bicycles on-board Caltrain is an inter-modal transportation solution that is socially and economically beneficial in eliminating reliance on the automobile, thereby effecting a reduction of the impact of climate change and a reduction in demand for petroleum; and WHEREAS, the State of California is at the forefront of addressing our collective responsibility for developing solutions to climate change and reducing petroleum dependence, and WHEREAS, Caltrain s mandate to get people out of their cars and onto the trains is absolutely fulfilled by its on-board bicycle service, which supports the State of California s greenhouse gas reduction targets and decreases our dependence on petroleum, and WHEREAS, Caltrain s on-board bicycle service allows cyclists to ride their bikes at both ends of their commutes, taking the burden off heavily subsidized feeder buses, shuttles, roadways, and parking spaces, and WHEREAS, Caltrain s on-board bicycle service encourages bicycling, which provides health benefits to communities by reducing both air pollution and noise pollution, and bicycling provides health benefits to riders through exercise to help curb the steep rise in maladies such as hypertension, diabetes, and obesity in America today; and WHEREAS, bicycle capacity on-board Caltrain varies with 40, 48, or 80 bicycle spaces per train, resulting in unreliable service for cyclists that discourages them from using Caltrain and can result in their choosing to drive alone in their personal automobiles instead, and WHEREAS, bicyclists are frequently denied boarding during commute hours due to inconsistent and limited capacity for bicycles on-board Caltrain, and WHEREAS, consistent and sufficient bicycle capacity on-board Caltrain would simplify Caltrain operations and improve service reliability, enable cyclists who have abandoned Caltrain to return, and encourage new customers to bring their bicycles on-board Caltrain, thereby increasing ridership and ticket revenue, and Page 1 of 2

15 WHEREAS, payback period for the past two increases in bicycle capacity in 1995 and 2009 was six months, rapidly converting capital expense into ongoing operating income, and WHEREAS, passengers with bicycles are Caltrain s fastest growing customer segment, with bicycle boardings increasing over three times the rate of walk-on boardings as reported by Caltrain in February 2011 Caltrain Annual Passenger Counts, but continued increase in bicycle boardings is restricted by insufficient bicycle capacity, NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Caltrain Bicycle Advisory Committee congratulates and commends the Peninsula Corridor Joint Powers Board for its delivery of an excellent and forward-thinking transportation solution of bicycles combined with train service, and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Caltrain Bicycle Advisory Committee wholeheartedly thanks the Peninsula Corridor Joint Powers Board for passing a budget resolution in May 2011 to fund upgrading all gallery train sets to 80 bicycle spaces (two bike cars) by yearend, and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Caltrain Bicycle Advisory Committee requests that the Peninsula Corridor Joint Powers Board calls for consistent and sufficient bicycle capacity on all trains by directing staff to upgrade all five Bombardier train sets to 72 bicycle spaces (three bike cars). 53 Regularly passed and adopted this 19th day of May, 2011 by the following vote: 54 AYES: 55 NOES: 56 ABSENT: Chair, Caltrain Bicycle Advisory Committee 59 ATTEST: BAC Secretary Page 2 of 2

16 AGENDA ITEM 10 MAY 19, 2011 TO: FROM: SUBJECT: Caltrain Bicycle Advisory Committee Shirley Johnson, BAC Chair PROPOSAL FOR PROJECT PRIORITIZATION AND TRACKING INTRODUCTION Since the Caltrain Bicycle Advisory Committee was formed in August 2010, BAC members, the public, and our ad hoc committees have raised many suggestions for improvements. Given the long list and limited resources, I would like to propose a method of prioritizing and tracking projects. I have provided an Excel file as an example only to show how this could be done. The proposed method is commonly used to help ensure limited resources are spent on the highest priority projects. PROPOSED PROCEDURE FOR PROJECT PRIORITIZATION The first step is to identify relevant metrics in close coordination with Caltrain staff. Metrics are set at four levels with assigned numerical values of 0, 3, 6, and 9, with higher numbers being more favorable. See the worksheet titled Key. A weighting factor from 1 to 10 is assigned to each metric, with higher value indicating higher importance. See row 3 of the worksheet titled Project List. Projects are listed and assigned a value of 0, 3, 6, and 9 for each metric. A priority number in column K is calculated by multiplying each metric value times its weighting factor and summing all for each project. The projects can be sorted by priority (or any other field), using Excel s autofiltering tool, which has been enabled in the attached file. PROPOSED PROCEDURE FOR PROJECT TRACKING Tracking progress of active projects is commonly done using red/yellow/green color indicators to show a project s status. See the worksheet titled Status of Projects in Progress. ARCHIVING COMPLETED PROJECTS Once a project is completed, it is moved to the worksheet titled Completed Projects for archiving. FEEDBACK I welcome feedback on this approach at the BAC meeting. If the committee finds the methodology useful, I suggest we form an ad hoc committee to work with staff to refine the draft version. Page 1 of 1

17 KEY - DRAFT, FOR EXAMPLE ONLY Metrics Impact on customer satisfaction none slight some much Expected increase in ticket revenue $0 <$1000/mo $ $2000/mo >$2000/mo Implementation cost >$50000 $ $50000 <$10000 $0 Ease of implementation hard moderate easy insignificant Time to iimplement >6 months 3 to 6 months 1 to 3 months < 1 month Post-project operationing expense >$1000/mo $100 - $1000/mo <$100/mo $0 Impact on safety none small medium large Project Categories Onboard Bike Capacity Systemwide Station Access Bike Parking Onboard Operations Policy

18 Project List - DRAFT, FOR EXAMPLE ONLY # Category Project Description Weight factor for metrics -> Impact on Customer Satisfaction Expected Implementation increase in Cost ticket revenue Ease of Time to Implementation Implement Post-Project Operationing Expense Impact on Safety Priority Comment Onboard Bike 4 Provide 72 bike spaces on Bombardier trains Capacity 5 Bike Parking Expand 4th & King bike parking facility Onboard Bike Capacity Onboard 7 Operations 8 Policy 9 Onboard Bike Capacity 10 Onboard Operations 11 Bike Parking 12 Systemwide 13 Systemwide 14 Systemwide 15 Systemwide 16 Station Access 17 Bike Parking Mark minimum aisle width to allow more than four bikes per rack if stacked tightly Provide real-time information of number of bike spaces available in each bike car Prioirty boarding for passengers with bicycles at bike cars Conduct a bump study to measure success of additional bike capacity Ensure specs for new rolling stock for electrification meet all cyclists needs Centralize management of all bike lockers under one agency Delineate an area on the platform for passengers with bikes to queue for train boarding Place mirrors at blind spots in tunnels and under crossings (Palo Alto, San Jose, San Antonio, CA Ave & Lawrence) Provide instructional signage about bikes on Caltrain on the fences between platforms Update the bike FAQ on Caltrain web site: ycle_faqs.html Directional signage around the station area indicating best way in and out of stations for bikes Lockers that can be used for a) short term, b) firstcome/first-served and c) long term rentals Station Access Install stair channels at stations Onboard Find a way to make it easier to get bikes up Operations the stairs onto trains, e.g., a stair channel Systemwide Move bike cars to southern end of trains Place bike racks at stations in well-lighted, accessible areas Suggestions: FAQ, boarding instructions, queueing instructions, rules, links to twitter for up to date information, for BAC contact, suggestions on safety, etc...

19 Status of Projects in Progress Year Month Upgrade gallery trains to two bike cars 2011 May green 2011 June gray 2011 July gray 2011 August gray 2011 September gray 2011 October gray 2011 November gray 2011 December gray Place signs on bike cars requesting noncyclists sit elsewhere Key On track At risk Late Active green yellow red gray

20 Completed Projects Date Completed 2/15/ /4/2011 # Category Project Description 2 Onboard Operations Policy Improve distribution and availability of destination tags Change minimum age from 12 to 6 for passengers to bring a bike onboard Impact on Customer Satisfaction Expected Implementation Ease of increase in ticket Cost Implementation revenue Time to Implement Post-Project Operationing Expense Impact on Safety Priority Comment Tags have been stocked at the following locations: (1) Warm Planet Bikes at 4th & King bike parking facility, and (2) the SF conductor's crew room for conductors to take aboard the train with them. Web site updated.

21 AGENDA ITEM 11 MAY 19, Annual Passenger Counts Caltrain Board Meeting April 2011 Presentation Outline Purpose and Count Methodology 2011 Count Results Summary and Next Steps 2

22 Purpose of Ridership Counts Provide a measurement relative to previous years February counts exist from 1995 to present Data for evaluating service changes Identify trends: station, time, train, direction Allocate resources Comparison to revenue-based ridership estimates Identify potential access issues Parking capacity, connectivity 3 Data Collection Methodology Headcounts on every weekday train averaged over 5 weekdays Headcount on every weekend train for one weekend only Cost - approximately $200,000 Differs from monthly revenue based average weekday ridership (AWR) Monthly pass estimate Go Pass estimate Day pass usage 4

23 Average Weekday Ridership: ,000 40, trains 41, trains Riders 35,000 30,000 25, trains 76 trains 25, trains 28, trains 96 trains 33,841 32,031 39,122 36,993 36, trains 20, Year 5 Riders by Time Period: 2010 vs 2011 Traditional Peak Feb Trains Feb Trains Difference % Change 17,299 19,741 2, % Midday 5,222 5, % Reverse Peak 12,095 14,281 2, % Night 2,162 2, % TOTAL 36,778 41,442 4, % 6

24 Midday Boardings: 2010 to 2011 Train NORTHBOUND Total Boardings % Change 49.5% % Train SOUTHBOUND Total Boardings % Change 54.4% % TOTAL % % 1.4% TOTAL % % 6.9% Reduced 4 midday trains Jan. 1, 2011 Ridership on eliminated trains was redistributed to adjacent trains 2011 Station Ridership 24 Stations: SF to Tamien 27 stations increased ridership 2010 vs San Francisco 1, nd St. 256 Bayshore 19 SSF 78 San Bruno 71 Millbrae 226 Burlingame 89 San Mateo 182 Hayward Park 87 Hillsdale 202 Belmont 22 San Carlos 172 Redwood City 288 Menlo Park 92 Palo Alto 554 California Ave. 151 San Antonio 2 Mountain View stations had no growth in ridership 2010 vs 2011 Capitol -2 San Martin 0 Sunnyvale 195 Lawrence 54 Santa Clara 79 College Park 16 San Jose 211 Tamien 38 Blossom Hill 27 Morgan Hill 8 Gilroy 4 8

25 Station Rank - Top 10: 2010 vs trains trains Change In AWR % AWR Growth Station Rank AWR Rank AWR San Francisco 1 8, ,791 1, % Palo Alto 2 3, , % Mountain View 3 3, , % San Jose Diridon 4 2, , % Millbrae 5 2, , % Redwood City 6 2, , % Hillsdale 7 1, , % Sunnyvale 8 1, , % Menlo Park 9 1, , % San Mateo 10 1, , % 9 County-by-County Comparison County 2010 AWR 2011 AWR Change % San Francisco 9,726 11,120 1, % San Mateo 11,842 13,352 1, % Santa Clara 15,210 16,971 1, % TOTAL 36,778 41,442 4, % All counties saw increases in ridership 10

26 Gilroy Extension Ridership Gilroy extension ridership was declining prior to introduction of Baby Bullet service Numbers represent cumulative ridership for 4 stations 2004: : 636 FY2006 Service was reduced to 3 trains 2006 counts: counts: 441 (-31 average weekday riders) 2008 counts: 450 (+9 average weekday riders) 2009 counts: 421 (-29 average weekday riders) 2010 counts: 341 (-81 average weekday riders) 2011 counts: 377 (+36 average weekday riders) Ridership has decreased 20% since Riders per Train Type: Peak Period Peak-period average ridership per train type Train Type Feb 2010 Feb 2011 Percent Change Baby Bullet % Limited % Local % Robust growth on all service types Demonstrates the need for a family of services including shoulder peak local trains 12

27 2011 Counts Maximum Loads: Top 5 NORTHBOUND February Peak Month (adjusted +16%) Train # Depart SJ Max Load Seats Full Max Load Seats Full 323 7:45 AM % % 329 8:03 AM % % 369 4:45 PM % % 319 7:03 AM % % 217 6:57 AM % % SOUTHBOUND February Peak Month (adjusted +16%) Train # Depart SF Max Load Seats Full Max Load Seats Full 378 5:33 PM % % 372 5:14 PM % % 324 8:14 AM % % 280 5:56 PM % % 382 6:14 PM % % 13 Average Trip Length Average trip length for 2011 has remained steady at 23 miles Average Trip Length Train Type (miles) Weekday 23.0 Baby Bullet 28.5 Peak Non-Baby Bullet 20.3 Off Peak 20.7 All Locals

28 Average Weekday Bicycle Ridership 2011 saw a 37.8% increase in AWBR 33% increase in bike capacity since 2009 AWBR 4,000 3,500 3,000 2,500 2,000 1,500 1,614 2,271 1,860 2,334 2,890 2,382 3,664 2,659 1, Year 15 Bicycle Boardings Top 5 Stations: 2010 vs Station AWBR San Francisco 635 Palo Alto 323 Mountain View 215 San Jose Diridon 181 Redwood City AWBR % Change 40.91% 33.27% 48.93% 26.66% 37.59% 16

29 2011 Bicycle Boarding Top 10 Max Load Train No. # Bike Cars Departs Max Load G 8:59 am SF G 4:39 pm SJ G 7:44 am SF G 5:25 pm SJ G 8:44 am SF B 8:14 am SF G 5:39 pm SJ B 7:59 am SF B 4:45 pm SJ B 5:33 pm SF 50 B - Bombardier Car G Gallery Car AWBR Weekend Service to 2011 % Change Saturday 11,010 13,172 2, % Sunday 7,393 9,100 1, % TOTAL 18,403 22,272 3, % Total weekend ridership increased 1.1% from 2009 to Saturday Sunday Saturday Sunday Broadway Atherton

30 Weekend Pilot Bullet Service Weekend counts include pilot Bullet service Counts after first 5 weeks show robust and growing demand Bullet trains retained existing and gained new ridership Northbound (Sat + Sun) Train Feb 2010 Feb Southbound (Sat + Sun) Train Feb 2010 Feb Summary Ridership exceeds previous high seen in 2009, even in current economic climate and with service reduction Midday service remains steady even with reduction of four trains, riders redistributed to shoulder peak All three counties saw comparable ridership increases Onboard bike ridership increased with expanded onboard capacity Weekend ridership growth shows demand for the full complement of Caltrain services 20

31 Next Steps FY2012 budget remains challenging with projected deficit Weekend Bullet pilot demonstrates that faster weekend service attracts ridership Data used to validate service suspension scenarios that: Impact the fewest number of customers Maintains service productivity and efficiency Secures largest cost reduction with ability to reinstate service when possible 21

32 AGENDA ITEM 13 MAY 19, 2011 TO: FROM: SUBJECT: Caltrain Bicycle Advisory Committee Shirley Johnson, BAC Chair REQUESTING CALTRAIN BAC ENDORSEMENT OF A RESOLUTION FOR ACCOMMODATION OF BICYCLES ONBOARD HIGH-SPEED RAIL Considering the connectivity of California High-Speed Rail with Caltrain in the Bay Area, it is important that High-Speed Rail accommodates bicycles onboard to make the transfer between High-Speed Rail and Caltrain practical for bikes-on-board passengers. While High-Speed Rail is still in the early planning phase, it is prudent to consider accommodation of bicycles now, so that we do not have to implement expensive retrofits later. The BIKES ONboard team requests your endorsement of a resolution as written titled Resolution for the Accommodation of Bicycles Onboard High-Speed Rail. We plan to present a list of supporters to the High-Speed Rail Authority in the near future, and we would like to add the Caltrain Bicycle Advisory Committee to the list. Many organizations have already lent their support to this resolution. The list of supporters to date is shown below. Thank you for your consideration. Page 1 of 1

33 Resolution - Accommodation of Bicycles Onboard High-Speed Rail Whereas Caltrain, ACE rail, Metrolink, and Coaster provide vital regional commuter rail public transit within localized regions of San Francisco, Los Angeles, and San Diego and accommodate onboard carriage of bicycles as unboxed, carry-on baggage without additional charges over passenger ticket cost and without time-of-day restrictions; and Whereas the Capitol Corridor line provides vital intrastate rail public transit from San Jose to Auburn in the State of California and accommodates onboard carriage of bicycles as unboxed, carry-on baggage without additional charges over passenger ticket cost and without time-of-day restrictions; and Whereas High-Speed Rail will transport tourists, students, residents, and business commuters to and from northern and southern California inter-modal transportation hubs, and bicycles provide a convenient and flexible means for passengers to access the stations and to reach their final destinations while reducing both traffic congestion and the need for parking lots; and Whereas bicycling provides health benefits to communities by reducing both air pollution and noise pollution, and bicycling provides health benefits to riders through exercise to help curb the steep rise in maladies such as hypertension, diabetes, and obesity in America today; and Whereas High-Speed Rail can depend on revenue from significant and consistent numbers of bicycle-dependent and bicycle-preferring customers; and Whereas High-Speed Rail needs high volumes of passengers to succeed in offering costcompetitive transportation alternatives to air transit, buses, and the automobile; and Whereas bicycles onboard all rail transit is an inter-modal transportation solution that is socially beneficial in reducing or eliminating reliance on the automobile, effecting a reduction of the impact of global warming and a reduction in the demand for and international conflict over petroleum resources, two of the most critically important issues in the world today; and Whereas our Governor and the State of California have taken a leadership position in the United States with respect to constructively addressing our collective responsibility to participate in developing solutions to global warming and petroleum alternatives; Therefore be it resolved that the undersigned encourage the California High-Speed Rail Authority to deliver an excellent and forward-thinking transportation solution of bicycles combined with train service; and Therefore be if further resolved that the undersigned request the California High-Speed Rail Authority to establish High-Speed Rail service that accommodates onboard carriage of bicycles as unboxed, carry-on baggage without additional charges over passenger ticket cost and without time-of-day restrictions. Signature Organization Title