BayRail Alliance
Did You Know?You may drink alcoholic beverages on Caltrain, on ACE (in lidded containers) and on the Capitols -- except not after 9 PM on Caltrain following a special event (like a Giants' game). Caltrain tightened its alcohol policy after drunk and rowdy ballgame fans got into a fight on the train. Don't drink anything (alcoholic or not) on BART -- you could get arrested, as some people have, because no eating or drinking is allowed on BART.
Save Time and MoneyLearn how you can save money and time on your transit trip -- see the left- and right-hand columns of our Plan Your Transit Trip page
|
Altamont Commuter Express (ACE) Courtesy of ACE The Altamont Commuter Express (ACE) provides commuter rail service between Stockton and San Jose. ACE uses Bombardier bi-level trains with 110 volt AC outlets, a bike car, and restrooms in every car. Bicycle lockers are provided at every station except Fremont. They are currently testing their on-board Wi-Fi internet service and hope to get it restored soon. Route Map Map by Andy Chow, BayRail Alliance Due to construction at the Union Pacific Newhall Yard, trains do not stop at Santa Clara Station at this time. ACE is providing shuttle buses to the station during the construction. » Link to official ACE websiteBy the numbersRoute length: 85 miles Daily ridership: ~ 2,500 passengers/day (2005) Average passenger trip length: 48 miles (computed from NTD2004) 10 rail stations in 3 counties: San Joaquin, Alameda, and Santa Clara. 4 round trips on weekdays between Stockton and San Jose. Governing bodyACE is managed by the San Joaquin Regional Rail Commission (SJRRC). They contract with Herzog Transit Services Inc. to operate the trains. FundingYearly operating budget: ~$11 million (FY 2005-06) Yearly capital budget: ~$32 million (FY 2005-06) Funding is provided by passenger fares, San Joaquin County Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality federal grant funds, and operating subsidies from the three member agencies, (San Joaquin Regional Transit District, Alameda Congestion Management Agency, and Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA)). Alameda County Measure B, a half-cent Sales Tax helps fund 2.12% of ACE operation in Alameda County. Capital funding for station improvements is the responsibility of the member agency in the county where the station is located. How to support funding for this serviceRide ACE, and contact elected officials including board members of member agencies asking for more service. Challenges for this serviceMost of the railroad that ACE runs on is owned by Union Pacific. See Q. What problems are encountered when a passenger rail train uses tracks owned by freight rail companies? There has been an increasing level of freight traffic in the San Joaquin Valley, through the Altamont Pass and Niles Canyon, and along the Coast Line in Alameda and Santa Clara Counties. In addition to freight congestion, construction at Union Pacific’s Newhall Yard and Caltrain’s new Lenzen Maintenance Facility and more frequent train service by both Caltrain and Amtrak’s Capitol Corridor has meant heavy train traffic along the line between Santa Clara and San Jose Diridon Stations. This bottleneck sometimes delays ACE trains. Officials at ACE are looking at ways to add more service. However, they are currently hampered by congestion on the rail lines, limited funding, and lack of equipment. Links Official ACE website ACE advisory council ACE Train Schedule ACE Amenities ACE New Rider Program ACE Frequently Asked Questions ACE Milestones1989: San Joaquin Council of Governments, Stockton Chamber of Commerce, and the Building Industry Association of the Delta begin developing a 20-year transportation plan. 1990: San Joaquin County Measure K half-cent sales tax for transportation passes. 1995: County of San Joaquin forms a joint powers agreement that creates the San Joaquin Regional Rail Commission to implement the rail plan. May 1997: Agreement between the San Joaquin Regional Rail Commission, Alameda Congestion Management Agency, and the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority to create the ACE Joint Powers Authority. October 19, 1998: First day of ACE operations with 4 daily weekday trains — 2 westbound trains in the morning and 2 eastbound trains in the evening — operated by Herzog Transit Services, Inc. under contract with the San Joaquin Regional Rail Commission. February 2000: ACE adds a morning turn-back train between San Jose and Fremont. March 5, 2001: To alleviate overcrowding, ACE drops the turn-back train and adds a third round trip that departs Lathrop-Manteca later in the morning and returns in the evening, for a total of 3 westbound morning trains and 3 eastbound evening trains. It also begins stopping at the Santa Clara Caltrain station near downtown Santa Clara. August 28, 2006: ACE adds a fourth round-trip between Stockton and San Jose, providing mid-day weekday service
|
ACE transit connectionsConnecting transit gets you where you need to go:
Emergency Ride HomeACE has an emergency ride home program for commuters that have an emergency such as a sudden illness or a family emergency, if you need to return home suddenly. New Rider ProgramACE has a new rider program that offers a free 5-day all-zone pass for prospective riders (as of this writing in Feb. 2007) FAQ About ACE
|