It is peak American transit to assume that planning decisions that raise ticket prices and repel low-income riders are inherent to train tracks, and that equity requires an entirely new physical structure rather than just changing the operating patterns

Also, Caltrain modernization doesn’t go far enough (they need to plan for right-sizing train crews NOW, so conductors can be retrained for those roles and unnecessary new hires canceled), but it’s weird that SF progressives aren’t recognizing the plan to increase Caltrain access

Transit supporters (activists, agencies, politicians) also must accept that it is THEIR role to push for cost-effectiveness and equity in transit (especially commuter rail, which is the worst at these things). If they don’t, even progressives will eventually tire of wasting money

The Caltrain funding standoff should be a wake-up call: even having a plan that is “good by US standards” is not enough. Commuter rail needs to be upended at its root: fixing the overstuffing has to be at the center of overhaul plans, not just hinted at but never promised