Metrolink CEO Brief – May 31, 2019

Director Spiegel Becomes Newest Guest Train Conductor 

As of this week, Riverside County Supervisor and Metrolink Board Director Karen Spiegel can be heard aboard Inland Empire-Orange County, Riverside and 91/Perris Valley trains as part of our Guest Train Conductor Program. 

Director Spiegel’s recorded voice welcomes passengers on board Metrolink trains and announces station stops across the three lines.

Director Spiegel is a longtime resident of Riverside County and serves her community by advocating for world-class education for children and providing a safe and affordable environment where families can thrive.

The guest train conductor program is part of our ongoing efforts to better engage with riders on the system. We launched the program earlier this month on the Orange County Line with Angels World Series hero and Hall of Famer Tim Salmon and Director Larry McCallon on the San Bernardino Line. Future guest conductors we plan to introduce are State Senator Connie Leyva and Los Angeles County Supervisor and Metrolink Director Hilda Solis, along with Riverside Mayor Rusty Bailey, among others.

Metrolink Receives $520,000 Caltrans Climate Adaptation Planning Grant

Metrolink was notified that we have been awarded the coveted Climate Adaptation Planning Grant from the California Department of Transportation's (Caltrans) Division of Transportation Planning for our new Systemwide Climate Vulnerability Assessment (CVA).

The purpose of the CVA is to identify climate change risks and remedies to all Metrolink commuter rail infrastructure and facilities. The CVA will also determine the risks to various populations, including disadvantaged communities that depend on passenger rail mobility for regular or emergency transportation.

The objectives of the CVA include:

• Identifying climate change impact risks to the regional commuter rail assets and infrastructure in the Metrolink catchment area;
• Enhancing the resiliency of the passenger rail system in Southern California;
• Identifying needed planning actions, new levels and types of coordination and communications between relevant stakeholders, including new stakeholders and/or new and expanded roles for current stakeholders;
• Protecting Metrolink infrastructure and assets, and the public investments that support them;
• Protecting the regional economy from climate and seismic impacts by providing resilient and redundant emergency mobility options;
• Protecting the mobility of Southern Californians, including the most vulnerable, disadvantaged and transit-dependent populations; and
• Ensuring the ongoing stream of co-benefits of a strong passenger rail system, including reduced criteria pollutant emissions, greenhouse gas emissions, roadway vehicle miles traveled, roadway congestion and highway-related accidents.

The total project cost is $587,372. The Caltrans award is $520,000 which is what we requested. It is matched by existing operating funds totaling $67,372 and work must be complete by February 2022. This is the second Caltrans planning grant our agency has received - the first was for the San Bernardino Line Capacity and Service Assessment in 2017.

I would like to add a special thanks to Deb Redman and Justin Fornelli for their hard work to help us receive this highly competitive grant.

Metrolink Highlighted at the Valley Industry & Commerce Association's Leaders Forum

Yesterday, I had the opportunity to be the guest speaker at the Valley Industry & Commerce Association's (VICA) Leaders Forum breakfast at the Airtel Plaza Hotel in Van Nuys.

During the breakfast, I was able to share my vision for Metrolink with business leaders and advocates and describe how important it is to invest in Metrolink in the area.

I spoke about how Metrolink is able to enhance VICA's goal of increasing the economic vitality of the San Fernando Valley while connecting homes and businesses.

VICA is widely considered one of the most influential business advocacy organizations in Southern California and represents employers in the San Fernando Valley cities of Los Angeles, Burbank, Glendale, Calabasas, Hidden Hills, San Fernando and Santa Clarita.

Our Corporate Partner Program team took advantage of this opportunity to reach out to the business leaders who attended the Leaders Forum. As a special incentive for VICA members, any company that signs up for CPP between May 30 and June 7 will get an additional 10 percent off tickets purchased for the first six months, on top of the 25 percent discount we already offer for a total of 35 percent. Additionally, any companies that attended the Leaders Forum were able to receive five 7-Day Pass promo codes to distribute to their employees to try Metrolink.

New Parking Fees & Limits Coming to San Juan Capistrano Parking Structure

Beginning on Friday, June 7, the San Juan Capistrano's Franciscan Plaza Parking Structure will begin a pilot program in which parking fees and time limits will change to help make parking more accessible for visitors to the train station and local businesses.

Commuter parking will continue to be available for daily use for $2 a day in designated, reserved spots from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. With the new parking fees, there will be no free parking available in any spots and overnight commuter parking will be limited to 72 hours for $12 a day.

This change is a pilot program that is to run through September 2 and was approved by the San Juan Capistrano City Council during their May 22 meeting. The new parking fees and limits will help make parking more readily available for visitors to the area and prevent local residents from using the parking garage as long-term parking.

Metrolink will assist the city in communicating this change by posting signs at the San Juan Capistrano Station, posting on our social media accounts, sending emails to riders who use the station and with conductor announcements on trains.

Riders who park at San Juan Capistrano are being encouraged to look at other first mile options, such as biking, scooters or other forms of public transit as to not be affected by the new fees.