Caltrain, SamTrans Recognized for Achievements in Sustainability

Article Source: CalTrain

Caltrain, SamTrans Recognized for Achievements in Sustainability

The American Public Transportation Association (APTA) recognized SamTrans and Caltrain with Silver-Level status in the APTA Sustainability Commitment Program for the agencies’ continued achievements in sustainability.

As signatories to the program, SamTrans and Caltrain have pledged to implement processes and actions that create continuous improvements in environmental, social and economic sustainability.

“It is incumbent on all of us to do more to protect our environment,” said Joint Powers Board Chair Jeannie Bruins. “Caltrain is proud of its role in getting cars off the road and reducing our carbon footprint, and we thank APTA for recognizing our efforts.”

Highlights from Caltrain’s sustainability program include:

• Caltrain has the most extensive bicycle access program among passenger railroads in the U.S., accommodating approximately 6,000 bicyclists every weekday. In 2017, Caltrain committed to a new bicycle parking management plan to increase use of wayside bike parking facilities.
• Since the summer of 2017, Caltrain’s electricity has been 65 percent renewable and 79 percent greenhouse gas (GHG) free through participating in local Community Choice Energy programs. Through this effort, Caltrain will reduce its carbon footprint from electricity use by about 20 percent, which is equivalent to the annual carbon emissions of 150 cars.
• Caltrain prepared its first ever Sustainability Report in 2017, which summarizes and highlights the agency’s sustainability achievements from FY 2010 to FY 2016. For the past several years, Caltrain has experienced unprecedented ridership growth, greatly reducing the number of cars on Highway 101. In FY 2016, the average Caltrain passenger helped eliminate 3.2 pounds of GHG emissions with each train trip. In response to California’s historic drought, Caltrain implemented a number of water-saving conservation measures, and decreased water consumption by more than a third between FY 2014 and FY 2016.
• When the ###a rel="nofollow">Peninsula Corridor Electrification Project (PCEP) is complete, Caltrain’s GHG emissions and criteria air pollutants will decrease drastically. The increased ridership resulting from the increase in capacity will lead to additional air quality benefits.

“As the realities of climate change become increasingly apparent, agencies like SamTrans must lead the way in pushing for greener technology and responsible practices,” said SamTrans Board Chair Charles Stone. “By using Peninsula Clean Energy for our power and purchasing new electric buses, we are doing more than ever before to safeguard our world.”

SamTrans was recognized for many notable “Integrating environmental stewardship and sustainability into an organization’s core business practices is the foundation of APTA’s Sustainability Recognition Awards,” said APTA President and CEO Paul P. Skoutelas. “We congratulate the San Mateo County Transit District and Caltrain for gaining Silver Level recognition in 2018 for their commitment to sustainability and environmental stewardship. Their blueprint of implementing sustainable practices makes their communities better and greener places to live.”

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About Caltrain:

Owned and operated by the Peninsula Corridor Joint Powers Board, Caltrain provides commuter rail service from San Francisco to San Jose, with limited commute service to Gilroy. Caltrain enjoyed more than five years of consecutive monthly ridership increases, surpassing more than 65,000 average weekday riders. While the Joint Powers Board assumed operating responsibilities for the service in 1992, the railroad celebrated 150 years of continuous passenger service in 2014. Planning for the next 150 years of Peninsula rail service, Caltrain is on pace to electrify the system, reduce diesel emissions by 97 percent by 2040 and add more service to more stations.

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Photo Credit: San Bruno CA Patch Archives

Source Credit: CalTrain

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