Joseph Graham " Gray " Davis Jr. (born December 26, 1942) is an American attorney and former politician who served as the 37th governor of California from 1999 until he was recalled and removed from office in 2003. He is the second state governor in U.S. history to have been recalled, after Lynn Frazier of North Dakota .
157-594: The Caltrain Express Program ( CTX ) was implemented from 2002 to 2004 to establish the Baby Bullet express service, which shortened the transit time on the Caltrain commuter rail line between San Francisco and San Jose , and certain stations in between. New locomotives and rolling stock were purchased for dedicated express service, bypassing most stations; quad-track overtake sections were added in two locations along
314-547: A Juris Doctor from Columbia Law School . He was awarded a Bronze Star for his service as a captain in the Vietnam War . Prior to serving as governor, Davis was chief of staff to Governor Jerry Brown (1975–1981), a California State Assemblyman (1983–1987), California State Controller (1987–1995) and the 44th lieutenant governor of California (1995–1999). During his time as governor, Davis made education his top priority and California spent eight billion dollars more than
471-481: A 30-month environmental review and begin service in 2012. SamTrans , one of Caltrain's member agencies, already owns the right-of-way for the Dumbarton Rail Bridge . The bridge has not been used since 1982, when it was still owned by Southern Pacific , and about 33% of the bridge collapsed due to an arson fire in 1998. However, the project's estimated cost doubled between 2004 and 2006, to US$ 600 million, and
628-627: A bill of rights, including a help-line to resolve disputes and independent medical review of claims. Under Davis, staff-to-patient ratios in nursing homes improved. However, Davis reneged on a campaign promise to expand low-cost healthcare to parents of needy children due to budget constraints. Davis allowed non-disabled low-income people with HIV to be treated under Medi-Cal . He signed a law allowing people participating in needle exchange programs to be immune from criminal prosecution. He also increased state spending on AIDS prevention. Under Governor Davis, California's anti-tobacco campaign became one of
785-458: A bill requiring gun buyers to pass a safety test. A supporter of the death penalty and tougher sentencing laws, Davis blocked nearly all parole recommendations by the parole board. Davis campaigned as an ardent supporter of capital punishment; which reportedly played a crucial part in his successful gubernatorial campaign. In 1999, he denied his first clemency request from Thai national Jaturun Siripongs , stating, "Model behavior cannot bring back
942-531: A candidate for the West Hollywood City Council who was convicted on federal pornography charges. LaPietra served as Davis’ finance chairman. Davis cut all ties with La Pietra following a Los Angeles Times report on his pornography convictions. In 1986, Davis ran against six other contenders in the race for State Controller ; several of those candidates, including Democrat John Garamendi and Republican Bill Campbell , were arguably better known at
1099-694: A ceremony attended by local and state officials at the Millbrae station. In December 2018, it was reported that Caltrain was again behind schedule in installing PTC for the rail corridor, and had requested a two-year extension. The Federal Railroad Administration certified Caltrain's PTC project in December 2020. The first electric trainset was shipped to the Transportation Technology Center for testing in February 2021. In June 2021, Caltrain announced
1256-638: A contractor's crane in San Bruno, injuring 13 people. Caltrain began public operation of its electrified trainsets on August 11, 2024, with two trainsets, adding more each week until the full rollout of electric service between San Francisco and Tamien on September 21. As part of the transition, a new schedule was implemented. The new schedule provides for 104 trains on weekdays (52 in each direction) between San Francisco and San Jose Diridon, with local service running every 30 minutes, and alternating trains continuing to Tamien. During weekday rush hours, local service
1413-590: A dedicated revenue source estimated at $ 100 million per year. For comparison, in fiscal year 2016 (ending June 30, 2016), the operating expenses for Caltrain were $ 118 million, and farebox revenues were $ 87 million, leaving approximately $ 31 million in expenses to be funded by the PCJPB through its member agencies and county government contributions. SB 797 passed the California State Senate in May, and
1570-470: A domestic partner, though he did not make good on a campaign promise to convene a task force on civil unions. He signed laws in 1999 banning assault weapons by characteristic rather than brand name, as well as limiting handgun purchases to one a month, requiring trigger locks with all sales of new firearms and reducing the sale of cheap handguns. Davis's ban included a ban on .50 caliber firearms and so-called "Saturday Night Specials." In 2001, Davis signed
1727-489: A large advantage in campaign funds. As lieutenant governor until 1999, Gray Davis focused on efforts on the California economy and worked to encourage new industries to locate and expand in the state. He also worked to keep college education affordable for California's middle-class families and oversaw the largest student-fee reduction in California history. As the state's second-highest officeholder, he served as President of
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#17328519556751884-514: A lecturer at the UCLA School of Public Affairs and as an attorney at Loeb & Loeb. Davis was born in the Bronx , New York City the son of Doris (Meyer) Morell and Joseph Graham Davis. Davis was the oldest of five children: Three boys and two girls. Davis's father, an advertising manager at Time Inc. and an alcoholic, was the son of businessman William Rhodes Davis . Davis' upper-middle-class family
2041-553: A major transfer point for riders. In 2011, Caltrain added Baby Bullet service to weekend schedules. There were four weekend/holiday Baby Bullets per day (two in the mornings and two in the evenings), each making seven intermediate stops between 4th&King and Diridon: Millbrae, San Mateo, Hillsdale, Redwood City, Palo Alto, Mountain View, and Sunnyvale; these stations were selected for their proximity to activities as probable leisure time destinations. Caltrain modified Pattern B trains to add
2198-443: A moderate centrist Democrat and to label Lungren a Republican too conservative for California and out of touch with its views on issues like guns and abortion. After his victory, Davis declared that he would work to end the "divisive politics" of his predecessor Pete Wilson . In his campaign, Davis emphasized the need to improve California's public schools, which voters had cited as their top concern in this election. In 1998, Davis
2355-750: A nine-member Board of Directors. The member agencies are the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority , the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency , and the San Mateo County Transit District (SamTrans) . Historically served by diesel locomotives , Caltrain has electrified 51 miles (82 km) of its route between 4th and King and Tamien and has transitioned to electric service, with diesel trains remaining in service between San Jose and Gilroy. The original commuter railroad
2512-584: A planned intermodal connection to the Third Street Light Rail Project , the first expansion phase of the Muni Metro light rail system, which was building tracks down Third Street . The new T Third Street line, which opened in 2007, terminates at Sunnydale Station as Muni Metro has never built any tracks in San Mateo County , and a planned 0.5-mile (0.80 km) loop extension to Bayshore
2669-540: A planned system expansion, and a combination of events, where the manufacturer completed the cars ahead of schedule and the expansion plans were unexpectedly delayed, left the cars available for Caltrain. The cars made their debut on June 28, 2002, during the groundbreaking ceremony that accompanied the launch of CTX; dignitaries had boarded the low-floor Bombardier cars at South San Francisco and rode up to 4th and King. Bombardier cars entered revenue service in October 2002. During
2826-449: A reverse-commute stop at Palo Alto in October 2012. With this change, all Baby Bullet trains stop at Palo Alto, regardless of pattern or direction. Caltrain shifted to a modified Pattern A on April 10, 2017, which added a reverse-commute stop at Redwood City. The revised schedule also extended service to Tamien for reverse-commute (southbound) Pattern B trains in the morning and California Ave for peak-direction (southbound) Pattern B trains in
2983-493: A scheduled journey time of 59 minutes. Select Express trains provide timed cross-platform transfers at San Jose Diridon to and from South County Connector diesel trains for continuing service to Gilroy. Caltrain purchased six MPI MP36PH-3C locomotives and seventeen Bombardier BiLevel Coaches to assemble Baby Bullet trains, supplementing the existing fleet of EMD F40PH locomotives and Nippon Sharyo gallery cars, which continued in local and limited-stop service. The prime mover in
3140-579: A similar hybrid grade separation project ( 25th, 28th, and 31st Avenues in San Mateo ) was completed near the Hillsdale station, which was relocated north during the grade separation. In 2018, gates were down for an average of approximately 11 minutes at each crossing during a typical peak weekday commute hour. The anticipated increase in rail traffic resulting from the completion of PCEP and implementation of CAHSR will result in additional road traffic delays for
3297-549: A single facility in San Jose, rather than relying on dispatched crews throwing manual switches. Prior to CTX, trains typically had to stop and de-board operators and conductors, who would throw switches by hand. Although CTC was already partially implemented near the two main terminals at San Francisco and San Jose , CTX added CTC throughout the route, and 12 signal bridges were added to the line in total. By November 2002, Caltrain had rebuilt 5,900 feet (1,800 m) of track as part of
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#17328519556753454-638: A single office to route trains. To support smoother operation at higher sustained speeds, Caltrain also laid down continuous-welded rails. During the CTX project, Caltrain rebuilt the Bayshore station , relocating it slightly south of the prior location to accommodate the north quad track overtake section ending just south of Tunnel #4. This moved nearly all of the Bayshore station out of the City and County of San Francisco and broke
3611-486: A single weekend schedule with 32 trains per weekend day. All stations have a maximum headway of 60 minutes, including weekends, except for a 90-120 minute gap between the earliest weekend trains. In addition, fares were cut in half for September. Gilroy service was increased to four weekday round trips on September 25, 2023. The Caltrain Modernization Program electrified the main line between San Francisco and
3768-413: A staff recommendation to sign a five-year, $ 62.5 million contract with TransitAmerica Services , after taking proposals from three other firms, including Amtrak California, which had provided operating employees since 1992. The new operating contract was approved by the full Joint Powers Board at its scheduled September 1 meeting. TransitAmerica Services took over not only the conductor and engineer jobs on
3925-481: A third track was added and existing tracks were relocated, requiring Caltrain to demolish the existing platform. Millbrae station updates were scheduled to complete with the opening of the new intermodal station in January 2003. CTX added quad-track overtake sections near the cities of Brisbane and Sunnyvale . During the initial design phase, overtakes were also announced for Millbrae and Redwood City . Millbrae gained
4082-464: A third track, and Redwood City added two sidings near Redwood Junction , approximately 1.2 miles (1.9 km) between Chestnut Street and Fifth Avenue. From north to south, the completed quad-track overtake sections are: CTX also included crossover switches, which improved operating flexibility to allow trains to bypass stalled trains, and a centralized traffic control (CTC) system, which allowed track signaling and switching operations to be handled from
4239-624: A to-be-rebuilt Dumbarton Rail Corridor across the San Francisco Bay between the Peninsula and Alameda County in the East Bay . This project would add four stations to the Caltrain system: Union City , Fremont-Centerville , Newark , and Menlo Park / East Palo Alto . The two obsolete swing bridges along the corridor would be replaced. Dumbarton Rail was scheduled to start construction in 2009 after
4396-663: A total of twenty-two Baby Bullet trains per weekday; the August schedule revision added express stops for certain "Pattern B" trains at San Mateo , Redwood City , Menlo Park , Sunnyvale , and Tamien. With this expansion, though, weekday service to the holdout-rule stations at Broadway and Atherton was dropped, the sparse weekday service to Paul Avenue was suspended entirely, and other trains operating during commute hours were changed from local-service, all-stop to limited service, skipping stops either between San Francisco and Redwood City, or between Redwood City and San Jose; Redwood City became
4553-799: Is a commuter rail line in California , serving the San Francisco Peninsula and Santa Clara Valley ( Silicon Valley ). The southern terminus is in San Jose at the Tamien station with weekday rush hour service running as far as Gilroy . The northern terminus of the line is in San Francisco at 4th and King Street . Caltrain has express, limited, and local services. There are 28 regular stops, one limited-service weekday-only stop ( College Park ), one weekend and holiday-only stop ( Broadway ), and one stop that
4710-938: Is financially problematic. In January 2009, the Metropolitan Transportation Commission instead applied the funds to the BART Warm Springs Extension project in Fremont, delaying the Dumbarton rail project for at least a decade. Potential restoration of Del Monte -like service to Monterey had been identified as early as the Caltrans 1984-89 Rail passenger development plan. Amtrak declined to operate such service, but operations under Southern Pacific (by then running state-subsidized services) were studied with ridership forecast developed. Extensions to Hollister have been proposed since at least 2003. Caltrain
4867-597: Is managed by TAMC, who released the Final Environment Impact Report (EIR) for this project in 2006. This would complement another plan to re-establish rail service last provided by Southern Pacific 's Del Monte Express which operated between Monterey and San Francisco. In 2009, Caltrain requested that TAMC approach other train operators. TAMC subsequently opened discussions with the Capitol Corridor Joint Powers Authority and
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5024-670: Is only served on football game days ( Stanford ). While average weekday ridership in 2019 exceeded 63,000, impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic have been significant: in June 2024, Caltrain had an average weekday ridership of 24,580 passengers. Caltrain is governed by the Peninsula Corridor Joint Powers Board ( PCJPB ) which consists of agencies from the three counties served by Caltrain: Santa Clara , San Francisco , and San Mateo . Each member agency has three representatives on
5181-573: Is supplemented by express (stopping only at 22nd Street, South San Francisco, Millbrae, San Mateo, Hillsdale, Redwood City, Palo Alto, Mountain View and Sunnyvale) and limited-stop trains (running express between San Francisco and Redwood City, then local between Redwood City and San Jose). Diesel trains continue to be used for South County Connector service between San Jose and Gilroy, with 4 trains in each direction, with these trains scheduled to provide timed cross-platform transfers to and from limited-stop or express electric trains at Diridon. Weekend service
5338-522: Is the first phase, the second phase being from Tamien station to Gilroy . Cost, excluding electric rolling stock, for the first phase was estimated at $ 471 million (2006 dollars). By 2016, costs had increased to $ 1.7 billion. Notably, in 2021, Caltrain stated that the overall cost of electrification had risen to $ 2.44 billion. As part of the Caltrain Modernization Program and mandated by the federal government, positive train control (PTC)
5495-584: The Assemblyman from the 43rd district, representing parts of Los Angeles County including West Los Angeles and Beverly Hills from 1983 to 1987. Davis championed a popular campaign to help find missing children by placing their pictures on milk cartons and grocery bags. Davis's Republican opponent in the race, William Campbell, criticized Davis as "...the man special interests love most." Among other allegations raised by Campbell were disclosures that Davis had received campaign contributions from Eugene LaPietra,
5652-613: The COVID-19 pandemic , resulting in losses of $ 9 million per month. The joint powers board recast the sales tax proposal as a way to keep the system afloat. Due to the COVID-19 measures and subsequent loss of approximately 75% of its ridership, Caltrain discontinued Baby Bullet service starting March 17, 2020. Two weeks later, due to continued loss of ridership, Caltrain further cut service from 92 to 42 trains per weekday, starting March 30. Average weekday ridership plummeted from approximately 65,000 (pre-pandemic) to 1,300. By June 15, service
5809-587: The California High-Speed Rail system. An alternative proposal, by then-Mayor Ed Lee , would see the existing terminal and trains yards demolished, along with Interstate 280 in Mission Bay , and replaced with infill housing. Caltrain and high-speed rail would be extended to the Transbay Terminal in a new tunnel under Third Street . In April 2018, the alternative alignment through Mission Bay
5966-403: The California electricity crisis , the California budget crisis that followed the bursting of the dot-com bubble , and the car tax. On October 7, 2003, Davis was recalled. In the recall election, 55.4% of voters supported his removal. He was succeeded in office on November 17, 2003, by actor Arnold Schwarzenegger , who won the recall replacement election . After being recalled, Davis worked as
6123-519: The Caltrans Division of Rail to extend Capitol Corridor service south from San Jose to Salinas using the same routing and stations. The switch to Capitol Corridor was cited as an advantage, since CCJPA had experience with commuter trains sharing service on Union Pacific-owned freight right-of-way. Two Capitol Corridor trains would originate from Salinas in the mornings and run through to San Jose and on to Sacramento, with two evening trains making
6280-604: The Hunters Point Shipyard , and concluded that with the completion of the Downtown Rail Extension (now known as The Portal ), daily ridership could increase to 2,400. However, without the Downtown Extension, ridership would be limited to less than 100. The 1988 study concluded the preferred site was at Evans Avenue. The Bayview Hunters Point Community Revitalization Concept Plan (March 2002) identified
6437-654: The Mountain View station . Starting in 1999, Caltrain reconstructed several stations and upgraded tracks and level crossings under the "Ponderosa Project". In June 2003, a passenger connection for the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) and Caltrain systems opened at Millbrae station just south of the San Francisco International Airport . In 2008, Caltrain reached an all-time high of 98 trains each weekday. Caltrain announced on August 19, 2011,
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6594-588: The State Assembly in September, and Governor Brown signed the bill into law in October. Advocates for the increased tax cited its potential benefits to alleviate congestion along U.S. Route 101 , which Carl Guardino quipped "has become so congested that we've changed its name to the '101 Parking Lot'." Detractors pointed to Caltrain's bureaucracy and stated fares should be increased to improve services instead. A poll of 1,200 voters in early May indicated support
6751-645: The Trump administration when US Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao decided to indefinitely delay granting the federal funding for the Caltrain electrification project that had been approved by the Obama administration. One month later, in March 2017, the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) sent a letter to Secretary Chao calling the Caltrain delay "concerning." In more than two decades,
6908-630: The United States Army , serving in the Vietnam War during its height until 1969. Davis saw time on the battlefield during his time in Vietnam. Davis returned home as a captain with a Bronze Star Medal for meritorious service. Friends who knew him at the time said Davis—like many war veterans—came back a changed man, interested in politics and more intense, according to the Sacramento Bee . He returned from Vietnam more "serious and directed." Davis
7065-470: The United States Congress included $ 100 million for the Caltrain electrification project in the proposed 2017 federal spending bill, which was signed into law by President Trump on May 6. The $ 100 million represents the federal funding for fiscal year 2017 of the total $ 647 million grant, with the balance expected in future years. Secretary Chao claimed she could not sign the grant without
7222-577: The United States Senate in 1970. He started a statewide neighborhood crime watch program while serving as chairman of the California Council on Criminal Justice. His initial political experience included working to help Tom Bradley win election as Los Angeles's first black mayor in 1973. The historical significance of Bradley's victory further inspired Davis to pursue a career in politics. Davis ran for state treasurer in 1974 but lost when
7379-500: The APTA wrote, "no project has failed to secure final signature after successfully meeting evaluation criteria." In February 2017, Caltrain fired Parsons Transportation Group and sued them for delays in designing the custom technologies necessary for the PTC system. They then went on to sign a contract with Wabtec , who would offer them the industry-standard PTC system. On April 30, legislators in
7536-588: The Academic Performance Index and supported the high school exit exam. He signed legislation that authorized the largest expansion of the Cal Grant program. Under the Davis administration, California began recognizing students for outstanding academic achievement in math and sciences on the new Golden State Exams . Davis's Governors Scholarship program provided $ 1,000 scholarships to those students who scored in
7693-454: The Belmont and San Carlos stations (for Ralston, Harbor, Holly, Brittan, and Howard) were completed in 1995, and 2000; these were "hybrid" crossings, executed as a combination of road depression and rails elevated on berms. The San Bruno station reconstruction was completed in 2014, separating the crossings at San Bruno, San Mateo, and Angus by elevating the rails on a long, curved berm. In 2021,
7850-424: The California power grid, declared the first statewide Stage 3 power alert, meaning power reserves were below 3 percent. Rolling blackouts were avoided when the state halted two large state and federal water pumps to conserve electricity. On January 17, 2001, Davis declared a state of emergency in response to the electricity crisis. Speculators, led by Enron Corporation , were collectively making large profits while
8007-496: The California-Mexico border and California Proposition 187 had strained the relationship between the two parties. Davis met with Mexican President Ernesto Zedillo to improve relations with California's southern neighbor and major trading partner within Davis's first 30 days in office. Davis later met with President Vicente Fox and participated in his inauguration. The Governor met with Mexican presidents eight times. Under
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#17328519556758164-751: The Caltrain express service was later incorporated directly into the Governor's budget. CTX was one of the projects recommended by the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) under Resolution 3434 in December 2001. CTX officially broke ground during a ceremony held at 4th and King on June 28, 2002. The groundbreaking was attended by officials and politicians who had supported CTX, including Senator Speier, Governor Gray Davis , Secretary of Transportation and Housing Maria Contreras-Sweet , MTC Commissioner Sue Lempert, Caltrans Director Jeff Morales , and San Mateo County Supervisor Mike Nevin . At
8321-497: The Davis administration, California and Baja California signed a "Memorandum of Understanding" expanding cooperation in several policy areas. Under Davis, Mexico became California's leading export market for the first time in history and California's trade with Mexico surpassed all of Mexico's trade with Latin America, Europe and Asia combined. Because of the growth in the California economy, Davis opened and expanded trade offices around
8478-586: The Democratic-controlled legislature would sometimes push Davis to act decisively by taking over power plants which were known to have been gamed and place them back under control of the utilities. Some conservatives argued that Davis signed overpriced energy contracts, employed incompetent negotiators and refused to allow electricity prices to rise for residences statewide much as they had in San Diego, which they argue could have given Davis more leverage against
8635-509: The Dumbarton Extension and service south of Tamien. Caltrain awarded the electrification and EMU contracts at the July 7, 2016, PCJPB board meeting to Balfour Beatty and Stadler Rail , respectively, signaling the start of modernization efforts that will make Caltrain more akin to rapid-transit services such as Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) than traditional commuter services, and allow
8792-464: The EPA to grant California a waiver on the federal minimum oxygen requirement. Without a waiver, California would have to import a much larger amount of ethanol per year and gas prices were projected to increase drastically. Bush did not grant the waiver and in 2002, Davis issued an executive order reversing his earlier executive order. Davis's actions when it came to regulating business suggested that Davis
8949-509: The Federal government. In fact, when I was fighting Enron and the other energy companies, these same companies were sitting down with Vice President Cheney to draft a national energy strategy." When the Enron verdicts were rendered years later, convicting Enron and other companies of market manipulation, Davis responded with the following quote: Ken Lay and Jeffrey Skilling , more than anyone, are
9106-593: The Internet or through the mail, ensured that all state taxes are being fully paid on tobacco purchases and increased the penalty for possessing or purchasing untaxed cigarettes. He also signed legislation to expand smoke-free zones around public buildings. Davis approved legislation creating a telemarketing do-not-call list in 2003. Under Davis, benefits for injured and unemployed workers increased. The minimum wage increased by $ 1 to $ 6.75. Davis backed higher research and development tax credits. He pushed for elimination of
9263-547: The MP36PH-3C is an EMD 16-645F3B V-16 diesel , with approximately 15–20% more power than the 16-645E3B in the F40PH, and head-end power is provided by a Caterpillar C-27; Caltrain was the lead customer for the MP36PH-3C. Caltrain unveiled the first of the new locomotives, JPBX #923 in a ceremony held on April 4, 2003, at Burlingame and attended by Senator Speier. The event ended in a round-trip excursion to Redwood City. Locomotive JPBX #925
9420-557: The MTC. On February 17, 2017, California State Senator Jerry Hill introduced SB 797, which would permit the Peninsula Corridor Joint Powers Board to submit a regional measure for sales tax increase of 1 ⁄ 8 th of one cent to the voters in the three counties served by Caltrain. The regional measure would require a two-thirds majority (aggregated among the three counties) to pass, and would provide Caltrain with
9577-664: The North CTX project, which included conversion to continuous welded rail and replacement of wooden ties with concrete ties. Full-speed testing of track upgrades occurred over two weekends in May 2004, just before the Baby Bullet service started in June. Crews and central control practiced overtaking slower trains and routing around delays induced by disabled trains. Baby Bullet service launched in June 2004 with ten trains per weekday, which made only four intermediate stops between San Francisco and San Jose Diridon : Millbrae , Hillsdale , Palo Alto , and Mountain View . The ten trains consisted of three northbound and two southbound trains in
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#17328519556759734-408: The Oakdale-Palou area as the community's preferred location for the Caltrain station. With the completion of the Caltrain Express project, service to Paul Avenue was reduced and the station was closed in 2005. A feasibility study that year proposed a replacement station just north of Oakdale Avenue, next to the City College of San Francisco Southeast Campus in Bayview, 1.0 mile (1.6 km) north of
9891-412: The PCJPB bought the railroad right of way between San Francisco and San Jose from SP in 1991. As SamTrans advanced most of the local fund used to purchased the right-of-way, it was also agreed that SamTrans would serve as the managing agency until San Francisco and Santa Clara Counties could repay their portions. The following year, PCJPB took responsibility for CalTrain operations and selected Amtrak as
10048-516: The Peninsula Commute. Caltrans purchased new locomotives and rolling stock, replacing SP equipment in 1985. Caltrans also upgraded stations, added shuttle buses to nearby employers, and dubbed the operation CalTrain . The Peninsula Corridor Joint Powers Board was formed in 1987 to manage the line. Subsequently, San Mateo and Santa Clara Counties commissioned Earth Metrics, Inc., to prepare an Environmental Impact Report on right-of-way acquisition and expansion of operations. With state and local funding,
10205-499: The Peninsula Corridor Joint Powers Board (PCJPB) started the Rapid Rail Study , which was published as a draft in October 1998. The 1998 Rapid Rail Study prioritized planned capital improvements to implement the 1997 Caltrain 20-Year Strategic Plan , which sought to improve service and increase ridership, which was assumed to correspond directly to improved service (through decreased transit times and increased train frequencies). The highest-priority projects were intended to rehabilitate
10362-423: The Peninsula Corridor right-of-way to allow express trains to pass slower local trains that were making all stops; tracks were also upgraded with continuous-welded rail ; a centralized traffic control system was added; and crossovers were added every few miles to allow single-tracking trains around disabled trains. Congresswoman Jackie Speier , then serving as a California State Senator, is credited with securing
10519-731: The Salinas city limits to the Santa Clara County line as a result. The concept of a Caltrain extension to Monterey County has been considered since at least 1996, with the cities of Salinas and Watsonville considering rail station improvements and construction between 1996 and 1998, culminating in a TAMC-sponsored Extension of Caltrain Commuter Service to Monterey County Business Plan in 2000. The proposed extension would create new stations and stops in Pajaro (serving Watsonville in adjacent Santa Cruz County at an estimated cost of US$ 6,585,000 (equivalent to $ 9,953,000 in 2023)) and Castroville (at an estimated cost of US$ 11,150,000 (equivalent to $ 16,852,000 in 2023)) before terminating at
10676-458: The San Jose Tamien station , allowing transition from diesel-electric locomotive power to electric rolling stock. Proponents said electrification would improve service times via faster acceleration, allow better scheduling and reduce air pollution and noise. Electrification would also allow future expansion to downtown San Francisco. Electrified vehicles require less maintenance, but electrification will increase required track maintenance by about
10833-453: The South CTX spanned the tracks from Menlo Park to Santa Clara. The North CTX contract was awarded in April 2002 to the joint venture partnership of Herzog Contracting Corporation and Stacy & Witbeck (Herzog-Stacy-Witbeck). Herzog-Stacy-Witbeck also won the South CTX contract, as announced in January 2003. The key elements of CTX were the overtake tracks, high-speed crossovers, and a central traffic control system which collectively allowed
10990-525: The Stanford golf team with a two handicap . After Davis entered Stanford, his father left the family, forcing Davis to join the ROTC to stay in school; his arrangement with ROTC included a promise to enter the Army after completing his education. In 1964, he graduated with distinction from Stanford, receiving a Bachelor of Arts in history. He then returned to New York City to attend Columbia Law School , graduating with his J.D. degree in 1967. After completing law school in 1967, Davis entered active duty in
11147-481: The State Senate, Chair of the Commission for Economic Development, Chair of the State Lands Commission, Regent of the University of California and Trustee of the California State University . In the June primary election, Davis surprised political observers by handily defeating two better funded Democratic opponents: multimillionaire airline executive Al Checchi and Congresswoman Jane Harman , wife of multimillionaire Sidney Harman . Davis's campaign slogan during
11304-770: The UP-owned right-of-way between Tamien and Gilroy, including crossings at Skyway Drive, Branham Lane, Chynoweth Avenue in south San Jose. The first grade separation project under PCJPB was completed in 1994, building a flyover for Oyster Point Boulevard in South San Francisco. Additional grade separations were completed in 1995 (Fifth Ave in North Fair Oaks, depressed under rails), 1996 (Millbrae Ave in Millbrae, elevated above rails), and 1999 (Jefferson Ave in Redwood City, depressed under rails). Grade separation projects near
11461-730: The afternoon. Caltrain service on weekends north of Bayshore was suspended and replaced by a bus bridge from October 2018 to March 2019 in order to accommodate tunnel notching work for the Peninsula Corridor Electrification Project. Weekend Baby Bullet trains originated and terminated at Bayshore, and a bus bridge made stops at both stations in San Francisco. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic and loss of passenger traffic, Caltrain discontinued all weekday Baby Bullet service from Monday, March 30, 2020, to August 27, 2021, and all weekend Baby Bullet service indefinitely, starting December 12, 2020. Weekday Baby Bullet service
11618-483: The anticipated start of service until 2030 was estimated at US$ 64,900,000 (equivalent to $ 98,089,000 in 2023) for two daily round trips, including an expansion to four round trips daily within ten years. This project depends on state and federal funding availability, a possible local sales tax measure, and an agreement with Union Pacific, the owner of the Salinas-to-Gilroy tracks and right-of-way. This project
11775-492: The approval threshold for local school bonds from two-thirds to 55 percent in a statewide proposition that passed. Davis earmarked $ 3 billion over four years for new textbooks and, between 1999 and 2004, increased state per-pupil spending from $ 5,756 to $ 6,922. In 2001, Gov. Gray Davis signed Senate Bill 19, which establishes nutritional standards for food at elementary schools and bans the sale of carbonated beverages in elementary and middle schools. Another early act of Davis's
11932-540: The completion of the BART extension to San Francisco International Airport , many riders continued to prefer Caltrain and the Baby Bullet service, which was cheaper and quicker than switching to BART at Millbrae, in part because Caltrain, which follows the 1907 Bayshore Cutoff route constructed by Southern Pacific , does not take a long detour west around San Bruno Mountain to reach San Francisco. In addition to having one of
12089-535: The completion of the Salinas layover facility and trackwork at Gilroy. Future phases are proposed to add stations at Pajaro/Watsonville and Castroville, with the potential for up to six daily round trips. A study from 1988 evaluated replacing the Paul Avenue station with a new station to the north, at either Williams, Palou, or Evans, as part of the effort to relocate the home port for USS Missouri (BB-63) to
12246-475: The contract operator. PCJPB extended the CalTrain service from San Jose to Gilroy , connecting to VTA light rail at Tamien station in San Jose. In July 1995, CalTrain became accessible to passengers with wheelchairs. Five months later, CalTrain increased the bicycle limit to 24 per train, making the service attractive to commuters in bicycle-friendly cities such as San Francisco and Palo Alto . In July 1997,
12403-419: The crisis, while his defenders attribute the crisis solely to the corporate accounting scandals and say that Davis did all he could. Some critics on the left, such as Arianna Huffington , alleged that Davis was lulled to inaction by campaign contributions from energy producers. Some of Davis's energy advisers were formerly employed by the same energy speculators who made millions from the crisis. In addition,
12560-558: The current logo was adopted, and the official name became Caltrain, dropping the capitalized “T”. In 1998, the San Francisco Municipal Railway extended the N Judah line from Market Street to the San Francisco Caltrain Station at 4th and King streets, providing a direct connection between Caltrain and the Muni Metro system. A year later, VTA extended its light rail service from north Santa Clara to
12717-449: The details of the energy deal. During the electricity crisis, the Davis administration implemented a power conservation program that included television ads and financial incentives to reduce energy consumption. These efforts, the fear of rolling blackouts and the increased cost of electricity resulted in a 14.1% reduction in electricity usage from June 2000 to June 2001. Gray Davis critics often charge that he did not respond properly to
12874-421: The domestic partnerships registry in 1999 and, in 2001, gave same-sex partners a few of the rights enjoyed by opposite-sex spouses such as making health care decisions for an incapacitated partner, acting as a conservator and inheriting property. He also signed a bill to prevent disqualification from a jury based on sexual orientation. Additionally, he signed a bill allowing employees to use family leave to care for
13031-533: The dot-com bubble burst, and CalPERS did not grow, instead losing value in the stock market downturn of 2002. In 2001–2002, CalPERS provided technical assistance for the Sarbanes-Oxley Act because it had sustained financial losses from the Enron and WorldCom bankruptcies. After the Great Recession, in 2009 CalPERS investments lost 24%, dropping $ 67 billion in value. Chairman Crist retired from the board and it
13188-520: The end of the year. In August, San Mateo County officials agreed to make Caltrain more independent from SamTrans in exchange for placing the sales tax on the ballot. In November 2020, Measure RR passed which created dedicated funding of a one-eighth cent sales tax. The schedule was adjusted again starting December 14, with slightly fewer weekday trains (68) but more frequent off-peak and weekend service to support essential workers. The number of weekday trains returned to 70 starting March 22, 2021, and
13345-491: The energy traders and encouraged more conservation. The electricity crisis is considered one of the major factors that led to Davis's recall. In a speech at UCLA on August 19, 2003, Davis apologized for being slow to act during the energy crisis, but then forcefully attacked the Houston -based energy suppliers: "I inherited the energy deregulation scheme which put us all at the mercy of the big energy producers. We got no help from
13502-435: The existing Salinas Amtrak station with Coast Starlight service. The Salinas station would be rebuilt as an intermodal station to connect commuter rail with Monterey-Salinas Transit buses. A layover yard would be added to accommodate Caltrain crews and maintenance, and the total cost of the Salinas improvements was estimated at US$ 39,705,000 (equivalent to $ 60,010,000 in 2023). The cost of operating commuter rail from
13659-480: The express trains could overtake local trains at the two locations (near Bayshore and Lawrence stations) where passing loops were added. Travel time for about 46.75 miles between San Francisco and San Jose is 57 minutes (four stops), 59 minutes (five stops) or 61 minutes (six stops), compared to 1 hour 30 minutes for local trains. The Baby Bullets have the same top speed of 79 mph (127 km/h) as other trains, but fewer stops save time. The CTX project included
13816-598: The first year of Baby Bullet service in 2004, the five-car Bombardier consists had a capacity of only sixteen bicycles per train, and carried heavy passenger loads. As part of the 2024 Caltrain electrification project , Stadler KISS EMUs were introduced on the line. The MP36PH-3C locomotives and BiLevel Coaches remain in service, now exclusively serving the South County Connector between San Jose Diridon and Gilroy. Caltrain Caltrain ( reporting mark JPBX )
13973-408: The first year. Just prior to the inauguration of Baby Bullet service, Caltrain served an average of 27,000 riders per weekday. One year later, Caltrain ridership had increased by 12%, and by 2014, ten years later, Caltrain ridership had more than doubled to over 60,000 riders per weekday. Notably, once San Mateo County commuters were given the choice between BART and Caltrain to San Francisco after
14130-647: The former Paul Avenue station, connecting with multiple bus lines. The station would be near the Quint Street Lead, which is used by freight trains moving east to the Intermodal Freight Rail Cargo Transfer Facility near Piers 90–96. A follow-up study in 2014 predicted daily ridership of around 2,350. Gray Davis A member of the Democratic Party , Davis holds a Bachelor of Arts in history from Stanford University and
14287-549: The full grant being budgeted, which was disputed by Caltrain and both California Senators Dianne Feinstein and Kamala Harris . On May 22, the FTA announced its intent to sign the funding grant, restoring the final piece of funding for the electrification project. The official grant was finally signed on May 23, and Caltrain broke ground for the Peninsula Corridor Electrification Project on July 21, 2017, in
14444-547: The fund only grew at 4.4%. The benefits expansion bill, SB 400, passed with unanimous backing by California State Assembly Democrats and was signed into law by Governor Gray Davis. CalPERS then produced a video promoting the legislation with Chairman Crist promising greater benefits "without imposing any additional cost on the taxpayers" and the California State Employees Association president praising it as "the biggest thing since sliced bread". The next year
14601-548: The funding for CTX and one of the new locomotives acquired for the project is named for her as a result. During commute hours, the Baby Bullet went up to 20 percent faster than driving south from San Francisco to San Jose. On September 21, 2024, with the completion of the Caltrain modernization project and the transition to electrified trains, the Baby Bullet was renamed as simply the Express service. In 1997, after plans to extend Caltrain to downtown San Francisco were put on hold,
14758-399: The future California High-Speed Rail trains to reach San Francisco utilizing Caltrain tracks. In August 2016, Caltrain ordered sixteen six-car double-decker Stadler KISS electric multiple unit sets from Stadler Rail. The price is $ 166m for the 16 units, or $ 551m including an option of 96 more EMU cars. However, the plans for an electrified Caltrain were put in jeopardy in February 2017 by
14915-434: The future, including in his race for lieutenant governor. Davis blamed his campaign managers for the defeat and vowed not to let major decisions in future campaigns be decided by his campaign staff. In 2003, when Feinstein urged voters to vote no during the recall election, she was constantly reminded through questions, video and the media about the 1992 primary. Many Democrats came to believe that Davis's political career
15072-735: The goal to cut transit time in half compared to local, all-stop service) and also to rehabilitate the Dumbarton Rail Bridge in preparation to reroute Altamont Corridor Express (then Altamont Commuter Express ) service from Stockton over the Dumbarton Rail Corridor . By March 2000, the bill was being referred to as the "Baby Bullet Bill" and it passed the Senate Transportation Committee on a 9–0 vote in April 2000 after it had been amended to remove Dumbarton Rail and focus solely on establishing express service. The funding request for
15229-584: The governor and the Legislature passed an overdue budget. He also found and returned more than $ 1.8 billion in unclaimed property to California citizens, including forgotten bank accounts, insurance settlements and stocks. Davis ran against San Francisco mayor Dianne Feinstein for the Democratic nomination for the United States Senate in the 1992 special election to fill the Senate seat vacated by Pete Wilson who
15386-442: The largest and most effective in the nation. R. J. Reynolds and Lorillard Tobacco sued over California's antismoking campaign but their lawsuit was dismissed in July 2003. Davis also authorized a new hard-hitting anti-smoking ad that graphically depicts the damage caused by secondhand smoke . In September 2002, Governor Davis signed bills to ensure age verification was obtained for cigarettes and other tobacco products sold over
15543-428: The law would lead smaller and more expensive cars to be sold in California. In 2003, Davis signed legislation aiming to ban junk email . On March 25, 1999, Davis issued an executive order calling for the removal of MTBE (a toxic gasoline additive) from gasoline sold in the state. In 2001, in order for gas prices to remain reasonable in California while removing MTBE, Davis asked President George W. Bush to order
15700-403: The line only had two intermediate stops, at Hillsdale and Palo Alto. After construction was complete and weekend service resumed in June 2004, Caltrain offered free rides the first two weekends to lure riders back and to thank riders for their patience. During construction, service was also reduced to a single track on Thursday and Friday nights after 9 p.m. By April 2004, Caltrain was showing off
15857-663: The line to "reverse decades of deferred maintenance" and enhance the line by adding overtake tracks to implement express service. After rehabilitation and enhancement, the Rapid Rail Study called for electrification of the line . Proposed rehabilitation work included rebuilding tracks and grade crossings to enable Caltrain to raise the systemwide speed limit to 79 to 90 mph (127 to 145 km/h) and replacing bridges, culverts, and signals. The initial enhancement projects included adding third overtake tracks in Burlingame (between
16014-579: The line to make bulk purchases of tickets for resale at a loss, subsidizing commuters reliant on the Peninsula Commute until 1980; more importantly, the bill also authorized the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) to begin negotiating with SP to operate the passenger rail service and acquire the right-of-way between San Bruno and Daly City. To preserve the commuter service, in 1980 Caltrans contracted with SP and began to subsidize
16171-460: The line were facing financial problems themselves and $ 10 million a year in previous state funding had been cut. Revenues for both local and state agencies had been steadily declining, as well as ticket revenues at Caltrain itself, and had left all "beyond broke." On January 1, 2011, Caltrain cut four midday trains but upgraded four weekend trains to Baby Bullet service as a pilot program. This reduced its schedule from 90 to 86 trains each weekday. At
16328-482: The lives of the two innocent murder victims." Siripongs was executed in February 1999; the first execution to occur during Davis's governorship. Early in 1999, Davis sought to improve relations with Mexico. Davis believed that California under Pete Wilson had left millions of dollars of potential trade revenues "on the table." Davis said he wanted California to have relations with Mexico that were more like Texas under then-Governor George W. Bush . Controversy over
16485-427: The maximum train speed remained at 79 miles per hour (127 km/h). This cuts my commute so much that it's faster than driving. The revised schedule was the product of more than two hundred iterations, and added ten trains per weekday without increasing staffing because equipment was being used more efficiently. However, mid-day (off-peak) service was reduced at seven stations; trains used to stop every half hour, but
16642-418: The mid-day headway changed to every hour at 22nd Street, Bayshore , South San Francisco , Broadway , Hayward Park , Redwood City , Atherton , and Tamien . Riders to stations not served by Baby Bullet service complained their commute times increased because their trains slowed to allow Baby Bullets to overtake. Clem Tillier noted ridership at stations not served by Baby Bullets continued to be depressed in
16799-431: The minimum franchise tax paid by new businesses during the first two years of operation. While Davis's record is generally considered pro-environmental due to increases in spending for land acquisition, maintenance of the state's park system, signing legislation that attempts to cut greenhouse gas emissions by having automakers produce more efficient vehicles, cutting fees to state parks and opposing offshore drilling , he
16956-489: The more popular Jesse Unruh filed to run on the deadline. Davis served as executive secretary and chief of staff to Governor Edmund G. "Jerry" Brown Jr. from 1975 to 1981. Davis was not as liberal as Brown, and some said he offset Brown's style by projecting a more intense, controlled personality. Davis has stated that while Brown was campaigning for president in 1980, Davis ran the state in Brown's absence. Davis served as
17113-416: The morning, and three southbound and two northbound trains in the afternoon; the two southbound morning trains and two northbound afternoon trains made additional stops at 22nd Street to serve reverse commuters. Since these trains operated with far fewer stops, they took only 57 minutes to travel between San Francisco and San Jose, compared to 96 scheduled minutes for local trains making all stops, even though
17270-907: The new locomotives named for her, Senator Speier received MTC's John F. Foran Legislative Award for her pivotal role in bringing Baby Bullet service online. CTX received an award from the California Transportation Foundation as the Program of the Year for 2004. During the same ceremony, Speier was honored as the Legislator of the Year. In 2017, the Rail and the California Economy report noted that Baby Bullet trains operated at 95% on-time performance (making stops within ten minutes of scheduled times) and, at around 60 minutes from San Francisco to San Jose,
17427-464: The newly built Salesforce Transit Center , closer to the job center of San Francisco and BART , Muni , Transbay AC Transit buses, and long-distance buses. As of 2012 , only the structural "train box" below the Transbay Terminal had been funded and was being built. In April 2012, the Metropolitan Transportation Commission decided to make the remainder of the $ 2.5 billion extension its top priority for federal funding. The extension would also serve
17584-408: The next decade. When Board member Phil Angelides' aide questioned whether the stock market could grow that long, Board Chairman William Crist, a former union president, replied that they "could make all sorts of different assumptions and make predictions, but that's really more than I think we can expect our staff to do." CalPERS' chief actuary, objected, finding that it would be "fairly catastrophic" if
17741-573: The point where the spikes in power usage would cause blackouts. Rolling blackouts affecting 97,000 customers hit the San Francisco Bay area on June 14, 2000, and San Diego Gas & Electric Company filed a complaint alleging market manipulation by some energy producers in August 2000. On December 7, 2000, suffering from low supply and idled power plants, the California Independent System Operator (CAISO), which manages
17898-499: The primary was "Experience Money Can't Buy." Early primary polls showed Davis in third for the Democratic nomination. Davis surprised many political insiders with his landslide come-from-behind victory. Davis even finished ahead of the unopposed Republican nominee in California's first blanket gubernatorial primary. Davis won the 1998 general election for governor with 57.9% of the vote, defeating Republican Attorney General Dan Lungren who had 38.4%. Davis aimed to portray himself as
18055-510: The proposed Downtown Rail Extension (now known as The Portal ) to the Salesforce Transit Center. A dedicated tax was proposed in 2011, contemporaneously with the prior budget crisis, but polls at the time indicated insufficient support. After SVLG's May 2017 poll indicated strong support, they petitioned Hill to act. By early 2020, the joint powers board was planning to propose a one-eighth-cent sales tax for voter approval later in
18212-418: The purchase of new Bombardier BiLevel Coaches along with MPI MP36PH-3C locomotives. The Baby Bullets proved popular, but many riders had longer commutes on non-bullet trains, some of which would wait for Baby Bullet trains to pass. In May 2005 Caltrain started a series of fare increases and schedule changes in response to a projected budget shortfall. The frequency of the popular Baby Bullet express trains
18369-872: The remaining at-grade crossings along the Peninsula Corridor. The Caltrain line from Gilroy to San Francisco is part of the planned route of the California High-Speed Rail line. With the adaptation of the preferred alternative in July 2019 on the San Jose to Gilroy HSR section, dedicated HSR tracks are planned south and east of Gilroy station, while CAHSR trains would use a "blended" service, sharing tracks with Caltrain between San Francisco and Gilroy. Blended service CAHSR trains would travel at speeds up to 110 miles per hour (180 km/h) between Gilroy and San Francisco, and higher HSR speeds up to 220 miles per hour (350 km/h) south and east of Gilroy. A 1.3 mi (2.1 km) tunnel has been proposed to extend Caltrain from its north end in San Francisco at 4th and King to
18526-478: The return trip south to Salinas. By 2016, plans had shifted in favor of Amtrak California 's Capitol Corridor to be the service extended to Salinas station. However, with the awarding of Road Repair and Accountability Act funds in 2018, it was revealed that Caltrain again would operate to Salinas as the first commuter rail service with Capitol Corridor service to follow later. As of March 2020 , two daily Caltrain round trips were planned to begin in 2022 after
18683-614: The rolling stock it had acquired for Baby Bullet service. Construction was substantially complete by May 2004 when Caltrain began running "test" trains on the weekends to shake down the system and gain crew experience, and the Baby Bullet trains entered revenue service on June 7, 2004; the first northbound Baby Bullet discharged over 600 passengers upon its arrival in San Francisco at 6:45 a.m., and had carried more than 1,000 during its inaugural run. The first southbound Baby Bullet left San Francisco with 420 passengers at 7:20 a.m. Baby Bullet trains often ran at standing room capacity during
18840-434: The same dollar amount, at least initially. The plan called to electrify the system between San Francisco 4th and King Street station and San Jose Tamien station . Originally scheduled for completion by 2020, the first electric multiple unit services started on August 11, 2024, with full electrification achieved and diesel trains retired on September 21, 2024. The electrification project between San Francisco and Tamien
18997-408: The same time, it raised fares $ 0.25 and continued to contemplate cutting weekday service to 48 trains during commute hours only. By April 2011, Caltrain's board had approved a budget with fare increases to take effect on July 1, 2011, and no service cuts. The budget gap would be closed with another $ 0.25 fare increase, a $ 1 parking fee increase to $ 4, and additional money from other transit agencies and
19154-509: The schedule was adjusted to facilitate transfers to BART at Millbrae. Caltrain began operation with a new schedule that exceeds pre-pandemic service on August 30, 2021; there are 104 trains operated per weekday, including reinstated Baby Bullet service. Headways for popular stations are as low as 15 minutes during peak commute hours (6–9 a.m. and 4–7 p.m.) and 30 minutes throughout the day before 11 p.m. for most stations. The separate Saturday and Sunday schedules were consolidated into
19311-411: The start of revenue service with electric multiple units would be delayed to late 2024. In February 2022, the last foundation required for the new overhead catenary system was completed, with the entire line planned to be energized by summer 2022. Testing of the line would then begin using a AEM-7 electric locomotive, with revenue service planned for 2024. On March 10, 2022, a southbound train struck
19468-400: The state teetered on the edge for weeks and finally suffered rolling blackouts on January 17 and 18. Davis stepped in to buy power at highly unfavorable terms on the open market, since the California power companies were technically bankrupt and had no buying power. California agreed to pay $ 43 billion for power over the next 20 years. Newspaper publishers sued Davis to force him to make public
19625-468: The stations at Millbrae and San Mateo, for northbound trains) and San Mateo (between 9th Avenue and Hillsdale, for southbound trains) to allow express trains to pass slower all-stop local trains, and adding a third turnback track in Palo Alto to allow more frequent short-line service. In 1999, PCJPB published an implementation plan for the Rapid Rail Study which called for a $ 280 million investment from
19782-484: The three counties served by Caltrain. California State Senator Jackie Speier and Caltrain leadership are credited with the idea to provide an express service for Caltrain during a brainstorming session. Senator Speier sponsored Senate Bill 2003 in February 2000 authorizing US$ 127,000,000 (equivalent to $ 218,500,000 in 2023) to fund CTX; the first draft of the bill included funding to create "little bullet" express Caltrain service between San Francisco and San Jose (with
19939-471: The time, it was the largest capital improvement program for Caltrain. During CTX construction, Caltrain shut down weekend service for two years starting in July 2002 to allow track work. samTrans introduced the RRX bus line to temporarily replace weekend Caltrain service, but RRX was not a direct replacement, as the ride between San Francisco and San Jose was scheduled for 98 minutes, buses only ran until 8 P.M., and
20096-415: The time. Davis won the election and served as State Controller for eight years until 1995. As California's chief fiscal officer, he saved taxpayers more than half a billion dollars by cracking down on Medi-Cal fraud, rooting out government waste and inefficiency and exposing the misuse of public funds. He was the first controller to withhold paychecks from all state elected officials, including himself, until
20253-636: The top 1% in two subject areas on the state's annual statewide standardized test. Davis signed into law legislation that began the Eligibility in the Local Context (ELC) program that guaranteed admission to a University of California institution to students that finished in the top 4% of their high school class. Public schools received $ 8 billion over the minimum required by Proposition 98 during Davis's first term. Davis increased spending on recruiting more and better-qualified teachers. He campaigned to lower
20410-654: The trains, but also dispatching and maintenance of equipment, track, and right-of-way from Amtrak. On May 26, 2012, TransitAmerica took over full operations. In June 2004, Caltrain finished its two-year CTX ( Caltrain Express ) project for a new express service called the Baby Bullet . The project entailed new bypass tracks in Brisbane and Sunnyvale as well as a new centralized traffic control system. The Baby Bullet trains reduced travel time by stopping at only four or five stations between San Francisco and San Jose Diridon station ;
20567-475: The world, including in Mexico. But most of these offices were eliminated in the 2003 California budget due to difficult fiscal times. Davis significantly expanded the number of low-income children with state-subsidized health coverage. He signed laws to allow patients to get a second opinion if their HMO denies treatment and, in limited cases, the right to sue. Davis signed legislation that provided HMO patients
20724-454: The year, to provide an estimated $ 108 million of dedicated funding for the system, which currently relies on rider fares for 70% of its revenue. This funding would have enabled Caltrain to run 168 trains per weekday, with rush-hour headways of 10 minutes, with the completion of electrification in 2022. BART -like service levels were projected to increase ridership significantly. In March 2020, Caltrain's ridership dropped by 95% due to
20881-623: The years following CTX implementation, and that elimination of Baby Bullet service under a planned 76-train schedule actually improved service quality. Caltrain had initially proposed trimming the schedule from 86 trains per weekday to 48 trains only during peak hours to close a budget gap in 2011, later refining the proposal to 76 trains per weekday and eliminating Baby Bullet service. However, one-time funds were diverted from other sources and no service cuts were made in 2011. In 2005, Caltrain expanded Baby Bullet service by adding two trains per weekday in May, and ten more trains per weekday in August, for
21038-505: Was a more moderate governor. He worked to kill a comprehensive bill opposed by banks and insurance companies to protect consumers' personal financial information. "What you saw in the campaign was what you got," said UC Berkeley professor Bruce Cain. "He's tried to negotiate a course between the different interest groups and keep Democrats on a more centrist, business-oriented track". Davis approved $ 5.3 billion over five years for more than 150 transit and highway projects. One of those projects
21195-557: Was approached by the Transportation Agency for Monterey County (TAMC) to extend service south of Gilroy into Monterey County . A draft environmental impact report stated the lack of public transportation between Monterey County and the Bay Area has resulted in increased private commuter vehicle traffic. Traffic on U.S. Route 101 was projected to rise by up to 56% in 2020 compared to 1998 levels, resulting in unstable traffic flow from
21352-615: Was built in 1863 under the authority of the San Francisco & San Jose Railroad ; it was purchased by Southern Pacific (SP) in 1870. SP double-tracked the line in 1904 and rerouted it via the Bayshore Cutoff . After 1945, ridership declined with the rise in automobile use; in 1977 SP petitioned the state Public Utilities Commission to discontinue the commuter operation because of ongoing losses. California legislators wrote Assembly Bill 1853 in 1977 to allow local transit districts along
21509-696: Was construction on the new eastern section of the Bay Bridge . During 1999 and 2000, California spent millions on onetime projects like buying new rail cars and track improvements. Soon after taking office, Davis was able to fast-track the first power plant construction in twelve years in April 1999, although the plant did not come on line before the electricity crisis. According to the subsequent Federal Energy Regulatory Commission 's investigation and report, numerous energy trading companies, many based in Texas, such as Enron Corporation , illegally restricted their supply to
21666-617: Was criticized for not backing tougher restrictions on timber companies as some environmentalists desired. Under the Davis administration, California purchased 10,000 acres (40 km ) for urban parks. Davis signed the first state law in the US in July 2002 to require automakers to limit auto emissions. The law required the California Air Resources Board to obtain the "maximum feasible" cuts in greenhouse gases emitted by all non-commercial vehicles in 2009 and beyond. Automakers claimed
21823-573: Was dedicated to Senator Speier; her popularity, as evidenced by the named locomotive, was cited as one factor contributing to Lawrence Lessig 's decision to withdraw from the special election (where he would have opposed her) to replace Tom Lantos in 2008. PCJPB purchased the seventeen Bombardier cars (ten coaches and seven cab cars) from Sound Transit , which oversees the Seattle-region Sounder commuter rail service. Sound Transit had ordered thirty-two cars in 1999 to be delivered in 2001 for
21980-521: Was doubled to 66 trains (33 in each direction), with local service running every 30 minutes between San Francisco and San Jose Diridon, and alternating trains continuing to Tamien. As of February 2021 , there were 41 vehicular at-grade crossings remaining along the PCJPB-owned right-of-way from San Francisco to Tamien: In addition, there are 28 more at-grade crossings in Santa Clara County along
22137-479: Was elected Governor of California in 1990. The race is often cited as an example of Davis's history of negative campaign tactics. The Davis campaign featured an ad that compared Feinstein to the incarcerated hotelier Leona Helmsley . Some experts consider that ad to be the most negative in state history. The ad backfired with Davis losing to Feinstein by a significant margin for the nomination although this loss did not stop Davis from using negative campaign ads in
22294-553: Was elected the Golden State's first Democratic governor in 16 years. The San Jose Mercury News called him "perhaps the best-trained governor-in-waiting California has ever produced." In March 1999, Davis enjoyed a 58% approval rating and just 12% disapproval. His numbers peaked in February 2000 with 62% approval and 20% disapproval, coinciding with the peak of the dot-com boom in California. Davis held his strong poll numbers into January 2001. Davis's first official act as governor
22451-448: Was faster than driving south on U.S. 101 during key commute hours. Driving times during peak afternoon commute hours could reach 75 minutes or more. On September 21, 2024, with the completion of the Caltrain electrification project , the Baby Bullet was renamed as simply the "Express" service. Caltrain split the CTX project into two separate phases, based on geographic region. The North CTX extended from San Francisco to Redwood City, and
22608-490: Was increased to 70 trains per weekday, and limited (skip-stop) service was reinstated; later that month, ridership had recovered to 3,200 per weekday. In July, after the San Francisco Board of Supervisors initially declined to consider the ballot proposal, citing concerns about the system's governance structure, Caltrain officials warned that the agency would run out of operating funds and be forced to suspend service by
22765-399: Was increased; two express trains were added in May and another ten were added in August. New Baby Bullet stops, Pattern B stops, were introduced. Another increase of $ 0.25 in basic fare came in January 2006. On April 2, 2010, Caltrain announced the need to cut its services by around 50%, as it was required to cut $ 30 million from its $ 97 million budget because all three authorities that fund
22922-892: Was installed along the route between San Francisco and San Jose by late 2015. Caltrain planned to use lighter electric multiple units that do not comply with the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) crashworthiness standards, but instead comply with the International Union of Railways (UIC) standards, on the electrified lines. The FRA granted Caltrain a waiver to operate these units, which were previously banned on mixed-use lines with other FRA-compliant rolling stock due to concerns over crashworthiness, after Caltrain submitted simulation data showing UIC-compliant rolling stock performed no worse or even better than FRA-compliant rolling stock in crashes. Caltrain plans to retain its newer diesel-electric rolling stock for use on
23079-416: Was later revealed he had accepted more than $ 800,000 from a firm to ensure hundreds of millions of investment from CalPERS. This CalPERS mess was one of the factors that made Gray Davis get recalled. Governor Jerry Brown worked on trying to fix this retirement system for years, but CalPERS is still underfunded in 2022 and could end up costing state tax payers hundreds of billions in bailouts. Davis recognized
23236-553: Was led by his demanding mother, who gave him the nickname "Gray". Davis moved to California with his family in 1954. Davis graduated from a North Hollywood military academy, the Harvard School for Boys (now part of Harvard-Westlake School ). His diverse educational experiences at public, private and Catholic schools allowed him an opportunity to compare all three systems as a lawmaker. Davis's academic accomplishments earned him acceptance to Stanford University . He played on
23393-407: Was over after his defeat in his run for the Senate, but Davis created a new campaign team. He won a landslide victory in his race for lieutenant governor in 1994 , receiving more votes than any other Democratic candidate in America. Davis ran as a moderate candidate against Republican Cathie Wright. Davis used ads to depict Wright as a Republican who was too conservative for California. Davis had
23550-404: Was rejected in favor of a revised alignment under Pennsylvania Avenue. The new alignment would ultimately join the original alignment near 4th and King Station while tunneling under Pennsylvania Avenue from near 25th Street. As of 2023, the revised extension is projected to cost $ 6.7 billion and could open for service as soon as 2032. Caltrain has been chosen to provide commuter rail service on
23707-467: Was required under Proposition 98 during his first term. In California, under Davis, standardized test scores increased for five straight years. Davis signed the nation's first state law requiring automakers to limit auto emissions. Davis supported laws to ban assault weapons and is also credited with improving relations between California and Mexico. Davis began his tenure as governor with strong approval ratings, but they declined as voters blamed him for
23864-709: Was restored on August 30, 2021, with twelve trains total: six northbound and six southbound, with three each during peak morning and afternoon commute hours. Effective September 21, 2024 with the transition to full electric service between San Francisco and San Jose, Baby Bullet service was discontinued and rebranded as the "Express" service. 14 Express trains run each weekday, 3 per direction during peak morning commute hours and 4 per direction during peak afternoon commute hours. Express trains make nine stops between San Francisco 4th & King and San Jose Diridon: 22nd Street, South San Francisco, Millbrae, San Mateo, Hillsdale, Redwood City, Palo Alto, Mountain View, and Sunnyvale, with
24021-610: Was strong enough to pass the sales tax increase, if the tax would result in expanding ridership capacity. The poll was sponsored by the Silicon Valley Leadership Group (SVLG), headed by Guardino, which predicted that daily ridership could rise to 250,000 with the improvements in service funded by the dedicated sales tax increase. Potential capital projects which could use the dedicated funding include additional electric multiple units (making electric trains 8-EMU consists, rather than 6-EMU), extended boarding platforms, and
24178-452: Was studied in 2012. A small rail bridge south of Bayshore was built over a creek as part of CTX. The Lawrence station was in the right-of-way planned for the south quad-track overtake section, so Lawrence was rebuilt with new platforms and an under-track pedestrian tunnel. Work at Lawrence was anticipated to be completed by the end of 2003, and the rebuilt Lawrence was opened in March 2004. The Millbrae station also received some upgrades;
24335-560: Was surprised to discover that many of those serving in Vietnam were Latinos, African Americans and southern whites with very few from schools like Stanford and Columbia; Davis believed that the burden of the war should be felt equally and he resolved early on to go about changing America so that would change. Davis is a life member of the American Legion and the Veterans of Foreign Wars . Davis volunteered for John V. Tunney 's campaign for
24492-570: Was the reversal of his predecessor Republican Governor Pete Wilson's alteration of California's eight-hour overtime pay rule for wage earners. In 1999, the CalPERS board proposed a benefits expansion that would allow public employees to retire at age 55 and collect more than half their highest salary for life (pension spiking). CalPERS predicted the benefits would require no increase in the State's contributions by projecting an average annual return of 8.25% over
24649-491: Was to call a special session of the state legislature to address his plan for all California children to be able to read by age 9. "I ran for governor because of my passion for education," Davis told CNN the Sunday night before the recall election on Larry King Live . Davis used California's growing budget surplus to increase education spending. He signed legislation that provided for a new statewide accountability program and for
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