Issues

The train depot can become a downtown destination with better amenities, better connection to the rest of downtown through improved pedestrian access, and regular programming of community activities. SamTrans recently concluded its study and development of alternative plans to enable it to expand the railroad right of way to allow for increased train service, such as local and express stops as well as high speed rail.

Opportunities

In the conceptual option preferred by the CAC, the historic station building would be moved 24 feet closer to El Camino to provide space for additional tracks; this will have the added benefit of giving it a greater presence and making it the focus of a pedestrian link from downtown to the transit corridor because it would bring the station closer to San Carlos Avenue.%

Short Term

Several short-term changes are suggested to improve the existing amenities at the depot. The existing restaurant should consider running a satellite coffee and bagel cart at the depot in the early morning. Caltrain should look at whether heat lamps and windscreens could be installed (on the platforms and at street level) for outdoor seating to make the station area more comfortable for commuters and restaurant patrons alike.

The newsracks should be relocated to the other side of the baggage room so that the breezeway space could more easily accommodate outdoor seating. Elimination of the newsracks altogether may not be possible in the short term due to 1st amendment issues. However, enforcing how the "racks" look is something the City can and should focus on.

There also are many ways to improve the connection between the station and the downtown in the short term. The light signal walk times across El Camino Real should be lengthened and the crosswalks paved or re-striped, and possibly widened. Also, the City's civic organizations and groups could take advantage of a captive audience by installing community bulletin boards, rotating exhibits, and information kiosks at the depot, posting news about businesses and attractions in town; any alteration will need to conform to the historic covenant encumbering the property. The train depot monument sign should be changed to complement the San Carlos welcome sign at the base of San Carlos Avenue to create a more unified look.

Evening and weekend activities can be also programmed at the station, making it more of a destination and more conducive to shopping and dining out. These activities can include jazz concerts, art and wine events, and movies.

In the short term, alternative access to the parking lots for cars and buses would have to be provided, or the lots temporarily closed and used for the event.

Long Term

In the longer term, there are several ways to support the station and the adjacent areas in order to create a "community place".

Should the depot be relocated to the West as part of the track expansion work, the creation of a permanent plaza facing El Camino Real on the West side is recommended. The plaza could encourage pedestrian circulation at the station and improve the connections to the rest of downtown, while also serving as a valuable amenity in the city fabric. The plaza should have a focal point, such as a fountain, and the restaurant should add an outdoor dining room. Mixed-use development should flank the plaza to further animate the space.

In order to make the plaza effective, the main vehicle entrance to the station should be moved one block to the south at Cherry Street. This will involve creating a new crosswalk and intersection at this location.

Buses would loop around the parking lots in a similar way that they do on the north lot today, with local buses using the lots and El Camino lines stopping at the curb. Perhaps a taxi stop could be added here as well. The parking lot can be expanded to the south to make up for any lost spaces. Access to the north lot would be from northbound El Camino traffic only, or potentially this lot could be developed for mixed uses.

The historic building next to the depot (the old baggage room) could then be converted to retail serving space-such as a concierge service which could act as a train depot satellite location for other downtown merchants and could include restrooms. If the baggage room isn't available, a stand-alone kiosk should be considered instead.

In order to improve the pedestrian connection of the depot to its surrounding area, the city and Caltrans should work to modify El Camino (see section 4) to allow improved crosswalks to the station.