After initially refusing to do so, the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) today approved a $647 million federal grant to electrify Caltrain, quelling Bay Area leaders’ fears that the Trump administration would derail the nearly $2 billion project.
At the tail end of the Obama administration, the grant was nearing final approval; however, President Trump’s Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao refused to sign off on it after receiving a letter from all 14 of California’s Republican members of Congress who oppose the project, The Mercury News reports.
#Caltrain modernization benefits our entire region. Kudos to our partners on this historic win: @SPUR_Urbanist @BayAreaCouncil @SAMCEDA. pic.twitter.com/KgccgXnS12
— Carl Guardino (@CarlGuardino) May 22, 2017
Last week, Chao told Congress she couldn’t approve the Caltrain grant because she didn’t have the necessary funding, but today, the administration announced it would allocate $100 million appropriated by Congress this year, leaving the rest to the congressional appropriation process in coming years. Two-thirds of the project's price tag is being paid by state and local budgets.
“This is the vital first step to get the improvements we need on a crucial part of the transit infrastructure for San Francisco and the region,” said London Breed, president of the Board of Supervisors, in a statement.
#Caltrain funding is huge win for CA. Last wk, @SenKamalaHarris pressed @SecElaineChao at EPW hearing on it https://t.co/mQH5GTAX7T
— Tyrone Gayle (@TyroneGayle) May 22, 2017
By early 2021, the Caltrain’s Peninsula Corridor Electrification Project is expected to bring faster, smoother, and more reliable service to the 51-mile stretch of track between San Francisco and San Jose—the third-most congested area in the nation.
Via system upgrades and switching from diesel locomotives to electric, the project is expected to allow the system to carry more than 110,000 riders per day (up from 60,000) and create 10,000 domestic jobs.
Breed reportedly spent in time in Washington in April to speak with a number of legislators and make a case for the project’s funding. “This is a huge breakthrough,” Breed said, “but the fight is not over. Today’s approval by the Federal Transit Administration means those lawmakers will now be able to approve it.”
The funding comes at a crucial time. By the end of June, if federal funding hadn’t been secured, key construction contracts would have been lost. Now, the project can move forward and construction can begin in the near future, a Caltrain spokesperson told the Examiner.
