Legislature must help complete Caltrain electrification

Innovation is synonymous with the San Francisco Bay Area. From academic research and education, to high tech and social media, to life sciences and medicine, our home is a global leader in curing disease, deploying technology and creating sustainable solutions to protect the planet. Just as this region innovates technology for the world, the electrification of the 51-mile Caltrain corridor from San Francisco to San Jose will be state-of the-art.

Caltrain is taking the next step in its evolution by becoming the first modern, electrified railroad in California, completing a decades-long transformation of the 150-year-old diesel system. The upgrade will provide high-performance electric train cars offering faster, quieter service while helping California meet its ambitious climate change goals.

• Caltrain electrification is essential to our local economies. What started as commuter rail service moving suburban workers to the San Francisco job centers utilizing the Union Pacific freight line has transformed into a regional economic engine. With the Peninsula home to major employers, educational and health care institutions, this project is critical to the region's and state's economic growth. Caltrain is projecting a 40% increase in people and jobs within 2 miles of the corridor by 2040. That is because this region and this corridor is a hub of creativity and entrepreneurship that has changed our country. Caltrain is the spine that helps support our innovation economy.

• Caltrain electrification is crucial to our housing goals. As transit-oriented development is embraced, Caltrain stations have become magnets for housing and jobs. The renaissance of downtowns and communities along the corridor, from Fourth and King in San Francisco, to the proposed “Google Village” around San Jose's Diridon station, would not be as robust without Caltrain. More frequent service to downtown stations becomes an additional draw for developers and residents, moving the needle to address our housing crisis.

• Caltrain electrification is needed for mobility. An electrified Caltrain provides a key transportation option for people working, living or visiting anywhere along the corridor. Public transit will remain a primary choice for those who need an alternative to driving alone on busy roadways that are already filling to pre-COVID traffic levels. A modern, comfortable, reliable, efficient and fast Caltrain will be a desirable option for residents and businesses.

• Caltrain electrification is necessary for our climate-resiliency goals. A modernized Caltrain will reduce air pollution, including particulates from old diesel trains. Corridor communities will breathe cleaner air and will hear less noise from train engines. This project lays the groundwork for Caltrain's 2040 Service Vision that will provide service for the equivalent of 5.5 lanes of traffic on U.S. 101 and take nearly 1 million vehicle miles off Bay Area roads, reducing 110 metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions every day. All of these improvements result in a better quality of life for those who live near the railroad and beyond.

A longtime supporter of this transformational project, I proudly authored AB 1889 in 2016 to ensure state funds were available for Caltrain electrification, and introduced AB 2197 this year to provide $260 million to finish the job.

I support Gov. Gavin Newsom's proposed budget recognizing that California needs to make wise and strategic investments in critical transportation infrastructure projects with the state's budget surplus.

As AB 2197 moves through the legislative process, I will urge my colleagues to use this unique budget surplus to address our state's critical infrastructure needs. The Legislature needs to do our part to complete the Caltrain Electrification Project and work toward a more sustainable, equitable transportation system that ensures transit riders are provided with the world-class public transit experience they deserve.