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Palo Alto seeks input about Caltrain corridor tonight

Public hearing at Lucie Stern Community Center will focus on Rail Corridor Task Force report

Palo Alto residents will have a chance to share their vision for the Caltrain corridor and provide feedback about a recent report on the subject at a community meeting tonight.

The meeting will focus on a recent study by the Rail Corridor Task Force, a 17-member panel that evaluated land-use and circulation challenges and opportunities along the corridor, Alma Street and El Camino Real. The group's recommendations include adding more grade crossings over the tracks and building more schools, parks and other amenities near the Caltrain corridor.

The meeting will begin at 6:30 p.m. tonight at Lucie Stern Community Center, 1305 Middlefield Road.

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Gennady Sheyner
 
Gennady Sheyner covers the City Hall beat in Palo Alto as well as regional politics, with a special focus on housing and transportation. Before joining the Palo Alto Weekly/PaloAltoOnline.com in 2008, he covered breaking news and local politics for the Waterbury Republican-American, a daily newspaper in Connecticut. Read more >>

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Palo Alto seeks input about Caltrain corridor tonight

Public hearing at Lucie Stern Community Center will focus on Rail Corridor Task Force report

Palo Alto residents will have a chance to share their vision for the Caltrain corridor and provide feedback about a recent report on the subject at a community meeting tonight.

The meeting will focus on a recent study by the Rail Corridor Task Force, a 17-member panel that evaluated land-use and circulation challenges and opportunities along the corridor, Alma Street and El Camino Real. The group's recommendations include adding more grade crossings over the tracks and building more schools, parks and other amenities near the Caltrain corridor.

The meeting will begin at 6:30 p.m. tonight at Lucie Stern Community Center, 1305 Middlefield Road.

Comments

YIMBY
Registered user
University South
on Mar 29, 2012 at 1:12 pm
YIMBY, University South
Registered user
on Mar 29, 2012 at 1:12 pm

Please come tonight! The Rail Corridor Task Force needs to hear from you! Do note though that this deals with the corridor itself, not high speed rail - that is the domain of the City Council Rail Committee.

But items like grade separations, new crossings to connect east and west sides of town, and even nearby cross-town streets like Alma and El Camino are part of the scope of the study.


yes yes yes
Old Palo Alto
on Mar 29, 2012 at 1:43 pm
yes yes yes, Old Palo Alto
on Mar 29, 2012 at 1:43 pm

Yes from me, too. Electrifying Caltrain will make it so much easier to get around the peninsula. Say goodbye to traffic jams and exorbitant gasoline prices.

Don't try to stall this project unless you are pro-BP and pro-OPEC.


Stan
Duveneck/St. Francis
on Mar 29, 2012 at 8:27 pm
Stan, Duveneck/St. Francis
on Mar 29, 2012 at 8:27 pm

The electrification of Caltrain could be a great development on the peninsula. The primary goals are to increase the frequency of train service, and decrease transit times. However, simply electrifying Caltrain as it is will NOT make traffic jams disappear. On the contrary, unless road-rail crossings are fully separated, allowing the simultaneous free flow of rail, auto, and pedestrian traffic, traffic congestion will increase everywhere on the peninsula. Obvious safety issues arise as well. More trains means more frequent rail crossing closings, more backed up traffic, and more opportunities for accidents.

I encourage the city to support the electrifying Caltrain. However, the city should support this project only if grade separations everywhere are included as a part of the package.

I read the report being discussed tonight and thought highly of it. I encourage the city to pursue the trenched rail corridor through Palo Alto. I realize it's undoubtedly an expensive option. However, once the train tracks are in a trench, well below grade, the issue of rail crossings becomes a non issue, and real rail safety becomes a reality, and most likely, noise associated with truly fast trains may be sufficiently mitigated. It's also possible to cover the trench, and turn the rail corridor at the surface into more usable space up and down the peninsula


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