I am Voting Yes on Measure RR to Provide Caltrain a Dedicated Revenue Source | Invest & Innovate | Steve Levy | Palo Alto Online |

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About this blog: I grew up in Los Angeles and moved to the area in 1963 when I started graduate school at Stanford. Nancy and I were married in 1977 and we lived for nearly 30 years in the Duveneck school area. Our children went to Paly. We moved ...  (More)

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I am Voting Yes on Measure RR to Provide Caltrain a Dedicated Revenue Source

Uploaded: Sep 27, 2020
Continued and expanded Caltrain service will provide benefits to residents, the environment and the economy. Conversely, the diminished or eliminated service that will occur without additional and dedicated revenue will have the opposite effect.

I do not drive myself but support the tax for those who must drive for commuting. Large increases in jobs and housing are planned in many Caltrain cities (Redwood City, Mountain View, Sunnyvale, Santa Clara and San Jose) and the tax will help save time and money for those who can take the train and save time and really crowded freeways for those who must drive.

Even if readers do not personally benefit from continued and expanded service (I can walk to work or work from home for example), we can understand the benefits to others and the environment.

The capacity increases funded by the tax revenue will take drivers off the road, reduce environmental damage and help remaining drivers by reducing congestion.

The new regional housing allocations ask peninsula cities to plan for and support increases in the number of low and moderate income housing units that by virtue of being here are closer to jobs than if they lived in Tracy or Los Banos. The cost of Caltrain for these riders is increasingly being covered by programs from employers and cities like Palo Alto.

So Measure RR by continuing and expanding Caltrain with firm funding adds equity benefits to the reduction of congestion and pollution.

Yes, these are difficult economic times for many but the threat of diminished or eliminated Caltrain service is real.

I realize there are people who wish there were fewer jobs and residents but that is not going to happen along the Caltrain corridor no matter what Palo Alto chooses.

This is a good investment for people, the environment and the economy.




Local Journalism.
What is it worth to you?

Comments

Posted by stephen levy, a resident of University South,
on Sep 28, 2020 at 10:13 am

stephen levy is a registered user.

Test


Posted by Anne, a resident of Midtown,
on Sep 28, 2020 at 11:57 am

Anne is a registered user.

I'm voting NO because sales taxes are regressive and our sales taxes are way too high already.


Posted by Auros Harman, a resident of another community,
on Sep 28, 2020 at 1:37 pm

Auros Harman is a registered user.

I lived in Palo Alto for several years, but moved north, first to San Mateo, and then to San Bruno, where I now own a home close to Caltrain. In normal time I commute down to Tesla on Deer Creek 2-3 days a week. It'd be a shame if Caltrain folds -- if that happens, I'll _definitely_ be driving down, instead of taking train/bike at least some of the time. I'd love to see us reform our entire tax system. Prop 15 will help, but there's more we can do to make taxes fairer. But in the meantime, if Caltrain collapses, traffic on 101 and 280 is going to be nightmarish, once we get a vaccine and people start commuting again.


Posted by Dylan H, a resident of another community,
on Sep 28, 2020 at 3:08 pm

Dylan H is a registered user.

It's great to see some support for Caltrain. We can't all drive everywhere, not with the climate crisis we're in. We need to support the public transit using the options we have available ~today~.


Posted by Amy Sung, a resident of Duveneck/St. Francis,
on Sep 28, 2020 at 3:12 pm

Amy Sung is a registered user.

I will support the measure to help with a steady and reliable income. I drive most of the time for business and once in a blue moon, I take the train to SF not to worry about parking (or parking tickets). In most parts of the world, train stations are magnets of a city surrounded by shops and parks. I am counting on our Lytton station to be one day connected to downtown and Stanford shopping districts where the vast underutilized land can be put to good use (mixed use for homes and shops) and become a magnet of our city.


Posted by Resident, a resident of Duveneck/St. Francis,
on Oct 2, 2020 at 7:32 pm

Resident is a registered user.

The TV ad says vote for RR otherwise the train could shutdown because of the pandemic. Even if RR passes the train could shutdown because of the pandemic.
I prefer Stephen's rationale, and the ad's rationale is deceptive.


Posted by Commuter, a resident of Menlo Park: The Willows,
on Oct 6, 2020 at 10:29 am

Commuter is a registered user.

Many good reasons to vote yes. Thanks for the article.


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