More ways suggested to lower Caltrain ticket costs
QI think that most people have little understanding of just how expensive our car addiction is because so much of the cost is indirect, from driving costs to parking to taxes. — Chris Johnson
ALast week reader Kim Thorpe wrote in about her commute from Campbell to Redwood City by car. She tried and liked riding Caltrain but found the $16.50 fare for a round-trip ticket too expensive. Around $8 she thought would be right. Yet the cost of gas and wear and tear on her car could cost around $24 for a round-trip trek for one day. Those are costs we often don’t factor on a daily basis. And others say there are ways to lower the price of a ticket.
QCaltrain is considerably cheaper if you get a monthly pass. Santa Clara to Redwood City is $231, or about $10 to $12 per day. Even cheaper is riding a bike and taking it on the train. You don’t have to pay for parking, you get a bit of exercise and escape from being stuck in traffic. And, if you get off in Menlo Park, you can get a cheaper pass. Only $163, less than the $8 she is willing to pay. — Giuliano Carlini, Belmont
AOK, Kim, the choice is yours. Caltrain or driving solo?
QDo you know if there is any conversation around having a bullet Caltrain run from Gilroy to the Diridon Station? I live in Hollister, so this would be very convenient. — Jaclyn Smith, Hollister
ACaltrain is exploring how to increase service south of Diridon, but a bullet train won’t be possible in the near term. It has seen increases in ridership at many of those stations, making it hard to justify a bullet train that would skip them. High-speed rail would provide an express option from Gilroy to Diridon, but that is many years in the future.
QCrews have been slowly working on Prospect Road from De Anza Bouevard to Lawrence Expressway for months. They have also messed up the sensors for the traffic lights. The light at Miller Avenue is particularly annoying, as the straight and left turn will go green for an extended period, even at 5:45 a.m. when there are absolutely no cars on the road but mine. But each light is very out of sync.
I’d love to know when they plan on finishing what they’re doing. Can you get some answers? I dread driving on Prospect now. — Marcia Kearns, Kary Lynch and others
AFor you and many others. The loops were recently cut during the demolition for new medians and are on recall. Repairs should be done in a couple of weeks. Crews are adding 16 new medians, adding ADA compliant ramps, installing bicycle detector loops at signalized intersections, green bike lanes at heavily congested intersections and audible signals at Cox Avenue and Bellgrove Circle. Work on much of this could end before Christmas.