By Transit California Staff
Caltrain Welcomes First Passengers on New Electric Trains 
Caltrain debuted its cutting-edge electric fleet, hosting a VIP tour where participants boarded the trains for its historic inaugural service. After nearly a decade of construction, these new trains signify a landmark shift towards a faster, more frequent and environmentally friendly public transportation network along the San Francisco Peninsula.
The event included a 30-minute round-trip experience, starting in San Francisco with the opportunity to engage with federal, state, local elected officials as well as transportation, business, labor and community leaders. Sunday, August 11, the electric trains ran their first regular service. Additional electric trains will be introduced every week until the launch of the new schedule and full electrified service between San Francisco and San Jose on Saturday, September 21.
The new high-performance electric trains offer a better experience for Caltrain riders while providing faster and more frequent service. Express service will allow commuters to travel between San Francisco and San Jose in under an hour. The new trains will also increase service by 20% because they can accelerate and decelerate much faster than diesel trains. This provides more robust and flexible access to cities throughout the rail system, with 16 stations seeing trains every 15-20 minutes at peak hours and all stations receiving service every 30 minutes on the weekend compared to hourly service today. Additionally, electrified service will advance equity along the corridor by reducing noise and air pollution while increasing access and service for equity priority communities by 26%.
Electrification will help meet ambitious regional and state climate action goals by lowering greenhouse gas emissions, improving air quality and relieving traffic congestion. By transitioning from diesel to electric trains, carbon dioxide emissions will be cut by 250,000 metric tons annually - equivalent to removing 55,000 cars from the road each year. The Electrification Project not only decreases emissions and noise pollution in priority equity communities, but also provides better access and more robust and flexible service for everyone.
Additionally, the new vehicles offer enhanced amenities, including customer-facing Wi-Fi, new digital onboard displays, power outlets at each forward-facing seat, energy-efficient lighting, an improved climate control system, baby-changing tables in the bathroom, security cameras, and expanded storage under the cantilevered seats. They will also generate less noise than their diesel equivalent, making the trip more enjoyable both for riders and residents that live near Caltrain tracks.
The project has created 33,000 jobs in 36 states, fueling economic growth and innovation within the local communities and nationwide. The collaborative effort to manufacture the electric trains and infrastructure underscores a commitment to sustainability and job creation.
Caltrain is the oldest continuously operated railroad in the West, starting steam train passenger service 160 years ago when Abraham Lincoln served as President. After 70 years of diesel trains, the Caltrain Electrification Project, with substantial federal and State investment, will introduce the new era of electrified service on the corridor.
AC Transit: Automated Camera Enforcement Expands Across Bus Lines
AI-powered cameras on 100 buses are detecting vehicles illegally stopped or parked at bus stops
The Alameda-Contra Costa Transit District (AC Transit) announced that beginning August 7, 2024, automated camera citations for illegally parked or stopped vehicles are now expanded to cover bus stops on all bus lines throughout its service area.
AC Transit is expanding its use of automated cameras equipped with artificial intelligence (AI) after evaluating their effectiveness in detecting illegal stopping and parking at Tempo Line 1T stations and bus only lanes. Tempo Line 1T is AC Transit's highest ridership bus line.
Like Tempo, the AI-powered cameras detect and issue citations to any vehicle, including taxis, Uber and Lyft, and delivery trucks, that are stopped or parked at AC Transit bus stops.
During the initial 60 days, motorists identified by law enforcement as violating the bus stop law will receive a warning notice that will be sent to the vehicle’s registered owner by USPS mail.
Starting October 7, warnings will be replaced with a $110 citation, which will also be issued via USPS mail.
How Automated Enforcement Works
AC Transit has equipped 100 buses with two small forward-facing cameras mounted on the front windshield to detect potential bus stop violations.
Developed by Bay Area-based Hayden AI, its AI technology employs innovative computer vision to monitor bus stops for potential parking violations. Instead of sending the data to a central server, an onboard processor analyzes the information in real-time.
When a violation is suspected, the system produces an evidence package, which includes:
- A 10-second video of the violation, a photo of the license plate, and the time and location of the incident.
- The evidence package is transmitted to a secure cloud accessible only by transit law enforcement.
- Trained law enforcement, and not the AI software, review the evidence packages and determine if a citation should be issued to the registered vehicle owner.
Automated Enforcement Background
AC Transit played a central role in passing AB 917, which now permits transit agencies statewide to use forward-facing cameras to issue citations for vehicles illegally parked at bus stops and in transit-only lanes.
In June 2024, AC Transit upgraded from its legacy software on Tempo buses to more advanced AI hardware and software designed to recognize lane lines, bus lanes, bus stop dimensions, and bus sizes, ensuring accurate violation detection. This upgrade follows four years of issuing citations for station and bus only lane violations along the Tempo Line 1T corridor.
From the activation of AI cameras on June 16 through July 25, 2024, along the 9.5-mile Tempo corridor, onboard AI cameras documented 1,102 potential illegal parking evidence packages for review by the Alameda County Sheriff's Department, resulting in 787 citations to date.
In comparison, during June and July 2023, the legacy system, which required manual camera activation, produced 879 evidence packages, leading to 22 citations. This represents a 34.4-fold increase in citation efficiency with the AI cameras compared to the legacy system.
Although the transit district anticipated an increase, the actual number of motorists cited for violating the bus only lane laws reinforced the safety imperative to expand AI-powered camera use across its bus network.
Privacy Controls and Safeguards
AC Transit acknowledges the concerns surrounding the application of AI technology. This is why we have collaborated with a leading AI developer to ensure the responsible deployment of this automated camera enforcement and that the deployment closely adheres to California law including:
- Cameras will not capture anything inside the bus and are angled to focus solely on cars parked on the lane.
- Any image that does not contain evidence of a parking violation must be destroyed within 15 days.
- Any image evidence of a parking violation captured by the system will be destroyed within six months of the incident unless the citation is under dispute. In such cases, the evidence will be retained until 60 days after the final resolution of the citation.
- The AI camera system has no facial recognition or other biometric detection abilities.
Additional information on parking citations is available here.
LA METRO’s GOPASS Program Reaches 40 Million boardings
The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) is celebrating surpassing 40 million student boardings and more than 400,000 registered students using the free fare student GoPass for unlimited travel to school, work and leisure activities.
The free fare program, launched in October 2021, was made permanent by Metro’s board in April of this year after a successful two-and-a-half-year pilot. All schools in the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) offer GoPass to their students along with schools in 124 additional participating school districts (including public districts, charter networks, community colleges). Metro encourages students, families and school districts to participate in the GoPass program which provides free transit on Metro buses and trains to students in K-12 and community college.
“Transportation needs shouldn’t get in the way of any student’s education,” said Los Angeles Supervisor and Metro Board Chair Janice Hahn. “For many students and their families across LA County, the free Metro rides through our GoPass program has made all the difference.”
Metro’s GoPass is available to all students whose school district has registered with the program. Participating schools distribute TAP cards and activation codes so students can ride transit to school, extracurricular activities, or work without the worry of paying fares. Students can activate their cards on the online GoPass portal or by calling 866.TAPTOGO. They also have the option of using a virtual TAP card on the TAP LA App.
“GoPass has introduced nearly a half million students to transit, so they feel confident riding it to school, or wherever they need or want to go,” said Metro CEO Stephanie Wiggins. “These young people are helping Metro grow its student ridership and realizing all the benefits that a safe, clean, and efficient transit system can deliver for them and their communities. We look forward to welcoming even more students onto our system in the coming school year.”
GoPass participants can take unlimited free rides on Metro bus and rail, AVTA, City of Commerce Transit, Culver CityBus, Foothill Transit, Glendale Beeline, GTrans, LADOT DASH, LA County Shuttles, Long Beach Transit, Lynwood Trolley, Montebello Bus, Norwalk Transit, Pasadena Transit, Santa Monica Big Blue Bus and Torrance Transit. Together we are opening destinations for young people to experience throughout the region. Now museums, parks, the beach, concerts, and more are available to them with no transportation costs.
For more information on the Metro GoPass program visit: Metro.net/GoPass.
Bay Area Rapid Transit: Unified Schedule Changes Will Improve Transit Service in the Bay Area
Bay Area transit agencies are syncing schedules in a whole new way with a focus on improving transfers between systems and making schedule changes at the same time.
Most Bay Area transit agencies are rolling out new schedules next week in coordination with each other and are working to align the timing of schedule changes twice each year, once in summer and once in winter. There has been a 250% increase in the number of transit agencies changing their schedule concurrently twice each year, and six of seven major transit providers are syncing their schedule changes at least once a year.
Agencies convened a meeting in March 2024 to share planned changes for mid-August and to look for opportunities to improve transfers. Advancing schedule change alignment is a key priority for Bay Area transit general managers who meet on a weekly basis to make transit more rider-focused and efficient. The major agencies are already working on another iteration of a coordinated schedule change to go into effect in January 2025. These coordinated schedule changes will benefit current transit riders while attracting new riders.
Some key examples of improved coordination from the mid-August schedule changes:
- In the North Bay, a series of coordinated changes between SMART, Golden Gate Transit, and Marin Transit will improve service and connections along the congested Highway 101 corridor.
- The Napa Valley Transportation Authority is making changes to Route 29 from Redwood Park and Ride to the El Cerrito del Norte BART station to enhance the bus-to-train transfer timing. 71% of the trips will now have a 5- to 10-minute transfer time at El Cerrito del Norte, as opposed to 23% with the current schedule. The change will positively impact as many as 16,465 riders annually.
- AC Transit and Golden Gate Transit have improved schedules to be more coordinated at El Cerrito del Norte Station and along Cutting Boulevard west of the BART station. This alignment enhances reliability for riders traveling between Marin and West Contra Costa counties via the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge
- In San Francisco, Muni is making changes to improve regional connections, specifically, the 28 19th Avenue bus schedule serving Daly City BART station is changing to ensure East Bay riders can catch the last BART train to Oakland late at night.
- VTA is making changes to match upcoming BART and Caltrain schedule changes to ensure timed transfers are maintained at various locations across the South Bay and Peninsula.
- SamTrans is improving several bus routes that serve BART stations. One noteworthy change is to bus route 292, serving both Millbrae and SFO BART stations, with frequency (the time between bus arrivals) to be every 20 minutes from 6am- 6pm to match BART’s frequency.
- Both BART and Caltrain will make changes to improve some of the rail transfers at Millbrae Station that will go into effect when Caltrain launches its electric service on September 21. With BART’s schedule change on August 12 and Caltrain’s schedule change on September 21, ~85% of all weekday trains will have a transfer between 5 and 19 minutes at Millbrae Station. On the weekend, ~90% of trains will have a transfer between 5 and 19 minutes, allowing for both systems to be off schedule a bit but still provide a reliable connection. If trains were scheduled with less than a 5-minute wait, delays would frequently break the transfer and result in a longer wait.
Balancing Service Complexities
While all transit agencies are working to improve transfer timing for Bay Area transit riders, several challenges continue to exist making transfer timing difficult:
- A better transfer for one end of a route may create a worse transfer for other areas of the route.
- Adding service to allow frequencies to match each system requires new funding at a time transit agencies are facing significant budget challenges.
- Transfers between BART and Caltrain at Millbrae Station don’t always line up perfectly because Caltrain has four trains per peak hour and two trains per off-peak hour/weekends. BART has three trains per hour at all times. Both systems are also limited in flexibility due to key system timing points elsewhere.
Other Coordinated Improvements to Come
In addition to schedule coordination, Bay Area transit agencies are working together, along with the Metropolitan Transportation Commission, on significant regional projects that will transform the rider experience, such as unified transit maps and directional signs and fare integration and affordability programs such as the implementation of free and discounted transfers.
San Diego MTS: New ‘Color the Corridor’ Murals in La Mesa Unveiled
San Diego Metropolitan Transit System (MTS) passengers in La Mesa can now enjoy two new murals at the city’s Grossmont Transit Center along the Green Line and Orange Line Trolleys. Today, MTS unveiled two new works by local muralist and graffiti artist Maxx Moses. The Grossmont murals are part of a larger effort by MTS to provide a better, more inviting experience for passengers using the transit system.
“These murals are a way to represent our community and improve our rider’s comfort while waiting for their next ride,” said Patricia Dillard, MTS Board Member and City of La Mesa Vice Mayor. “Creating more inviting spaces along our system is a small way in which MTS is delivering better transit to everyone today.”
In the efforts to provide a more inviting experience on the transit system, MTS approached international muralist Maxx Moses for a new mural installation; he proposed two new works for the Grossmont Transit Center.
“I hope that the artwork brings a sense of liveliness; I hope that it brings a sense of curiosity,” said Maxx Moses. “I want the artwork, of course, to convey this liveliness, but connection to communities as well, where people can do some exploration. It's not just a visual impact, but I wanted to create an economic impact as well – that people support these communities and use the Trolley to go and visit them.”
The first mural, located on the bus side of the transit center, is titled “Succession.” This mural is about harmony, inner peace and order. Maxx says he was inspired by “a simplicity in life within the quiet spaces between our hearts and minds when we take the time to listen.”
The second mural, located on the train side of the transit center, is titled “Float On.” The complexities of life’s experiences inspired Maxx to create this work that represents grace, stillness and serenity.
Since 2022, MTS has partnered with Maxx Moses on the highly successful “Color the Corridor” beautification project. The community artist previously completed works of art on Massachusetts Avenue, 62nd Street, Euclid Avenue, and 47th Street Trolley stations.
MTS also announced three more murals in the works with other artists along the UC San Diego Blue Line at E Street Transit Center, to be completed December 2024, and at Beyer Blvd. Trolley Station, to be completed in 2026.
SunLine Transit Agency Presented with $500,000 Funding Award Secured by Congress Representative Raul Ruiz & Senator Alex Padilla
On Monday, August 5, 2024, Congressman Raul Ruiz presented SunLine Transit Agency with a check for $500,000 to support facilitating the Agency’s energy independence and efforts to reduce its carbon footprint. This funding was included in the FY 2024 Senate Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development (THUD) bill as part of the annual Community Project Request process. The check presentation was held at SunLine’s headquarters.
Congressman Raul Ruiz and Senator Alex Padilla collaborated to secure this new funding for SunLine Transit Agency. It will help fund a battery storage package that can be plugged into SunLine’s existing substation in order to store energy coming from the existing infrastructure including the grid and solar. The engineering work required to allow for the ultimate delivery of this project will now be able to start as a result of this new federal funding award.
“We are so appreciative of the work Congressman Ruiz and Senator Padilla have done on SunLine’s behalf to assist the Agency as we continue to expand our use of renewable energy,” said Mona Babauta, CEO/General Manager of SunLine Transit Agency. “Together, we strive towards the goal of improving air quality in our region by utilizing state-of-the-art technologies that continue to advance clean energy initiatives.
SunLine Transit Agency intends to construct a solar microgrid that will provide renewable fuel to its fleet of clean buses. The Coachella Valley is severely impacted by emissions, and this project enables SunLine to do its part to reduce emissions and facilitate health benefits for all residents.