It is that time of year for the Alameda County Fair from June 1st to June 19th (closed June 6th & 13th).  The fair may affect those parking at the Pleasanton ACE station.  Satellite parking is available on Valley at gate 12.  All buses will stop at the bus stop loop across the platform.  If you have any questions about parking or buses, please contact John Giovannoni.

Please see the information below regarding the proposed schedule change.

At the San Joaquin Regional Rail Commission board meeting on Friday, June 26, the Commission took up the item of the proposed ACE schedule change (reference in an earlier post).  Staff presented the proposed schedule along with a summary of all comments received from the public.  In all, 43 written comments were received from passengers; 23 of which were complimentary toward the change and 20 expressed some reservation, especially with regard to the change of ACE 05.  The board approved the proposed schedule change with direction to staff to look into possible ways of reducing the 20-minute change to ACE 05.  As such, while the new schedule will not be made effective until the fall, staff will work with Union Pacific Railroad and Amtrak on any possible resolution to the ACE 05 schedule challenges.  We will continue to alert the passengers throughout the process of making the train schedule as efficient as possible.

SJRRC is excited to announce the start of construction for the new Cabral Station Improvements.  Beginning July 6, 2009, Stockton’s Cabral Station will undergo a massive revitalization effort that will include the construction of a new entryway off Aurora Street, reconfigured traffic circulation and parking, and a clock tower feature.  During construction, which is scheduled to last through February 2010, circulation through the station block will be closed, and parking within the lot between Weber Avenue and Main Street will be shared between passengers, buses, and ADA vehicles.  Please see the attached flyer for more information on temporary parking.  Contact Thomas Reeves at thomas@acerail.com for more information

With the arrival of summer, many customers are suspending their work commutes for vacation holidays, and frankly, our trains are a little less crowded these days.  As a result, all ACE trains with 6 car consists will be reduced to 5 car train sets effective July 6th, 2009.

This train size reduction will be both cost effective for the Rail Commission and a reduction in fuel consumption.

The modified line up will be as follows:

Car 1   Coach

Car 2   Bike Rack/Coach

Car 3   Bike Rack/Coach

Car 4   Dim-Lit Coach

Car 5   Dim-Lit Coach

Thank you for using ACE, and DO let us know if you have any questions.

Transit agencies everywhere are slashing service and raising fares in response to the escalating unemployment figures and the resulting loss in transit ridership.  Newspapers and transit journals are plastered with headlines about the deep cuts that need to be made for transit to stay afloat and the uncertainty over whether even those will be enough.  The downswing in the economy is also wreaking havoc on the state and local funding sources that cover the costs for operations and maintenance.  But enough of the negativity…

THIS IS ACE LIFE!

We have committed to you that we would get creative in times like these, that we try anything and everything to keep the ACE service whole, and that we would bear the first cuts in the hopes that you wouldn’t have to.

THIS IS THE PLAN: 

The midday train helps carry non-commuters for family and leisure or other business trips, and ACE riders working half days from time to time.  However, as many of you have seen, it is not near as productive as the peak period trains.  So our first stance against this economic onslaught is to move the midday train to regular commuter slots.  Hooray! you might say.  Another morning and evening choice!  But there are some issues you need to be informed about.  The shuttle cycle-back time for the longer bus routes at Great America is approximately one hour.  This is why our schedules have always been roughly an hour apart.  By plugging another train slot in the middle of the current trains, we have to shift most of the other trains a bit as well.

This is where most of you groan….I know you have worked hard to dial in your current train/work schedule, and shifting it is going to upset that apple cart.  But this is the only way we are going to get 4 peak-period trains into San Jose in the morning.

The proposed changes for the morning and evening look something like this:

Morning

• ACE 1 schedule remains the same
• ACE 3 will operate five minutes earlier at all stations (to provide time for VTA shuttles to return for ACE 5)  NO CHANGE
• ACE 5 will operate 20 minutes earlier at all stations
• ACE 7 will operate 2’15” earlier at all stations (7:15 am departure from Stockton)

Afternoon

• ACE 2 will move from a 12:05 pm departure from San Jose to a 6:40 pm departure, Monday through Thursday.  (Will be renumbered to ACE 10)
• On Fridays only, ACE 2 will depart from San Jose at 2:25 pm.  This seems to match up better with the current ridership patterns which are heavier on the earlier trains.

We are taking this concept to the Rail Commission Board Meeting on Friday, June 26^th (note the change in date for this special meeting) and would like to relay your comments to the Governing Board.  Additionally, you are welcome to make comments during the Board meeting via our online broadcast at www.acerail.com.  More information on the online meeting can be found at ACERAIL.com by clicking on the SJRRC Board tab.

I really do appreciate your input, and I am encouraged by your support during this time of global change.

Please email your comments to THOMAS.

Please see the calendar for school groups onboard ACE for May/June 2009.  All school groups will sit in cars 1 and 2.  Not all stations and trains are affected so please check the calendar.  If you have any questions, please contact Special Group Coordinator, Laura Farley.

Check the post below for the new video interview with Steve Walker, Safety & Security for ACE.  Our offices are located at the train station, so you may hear a train horn in the background.  Please keep checking the blog, I expect to have some really good updates in the next couple weeks.  Enjoy Memorial Day weekend and remember that ACE will not be in Service on Monday.

Steve Walker - Safety and Security Coordinator from D'Andre Berry on Vimeo.

Please see the message below from Steve Walker, Safety & Security for ACE.  If you have any questions or concerns, you can contact Steve here. 

Dear ACE Riders:

Over the past few weeks, public health officials in the United States and throughout the world have been investigating outbreaks of H1N1 swine influenza (swine flu) and U.S. officials have declared a national public health emergency.  President Barack Obama has stated that the threat of spreading swine flu infections is a concern but "not a cause for alarm.” 

Out of concern for our passengers, we want to take this opportunity to share with you the guidance issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on how the swine flu is transmitted, steps you can take to prevent the spread of swine flu and symptoms associated with this outbreak.  We are in close coordination with federal authorities as to the actions public transit operators should take to help protect their passengers as they travel in close spaces.  We are closely monitoring this evolving situation and will update you on any new public health recommendations or additional actions being taken by ACE Rail. 

What is the Swine Flu?
Swine flu is a respiratory disease of pigs caused by a type A influenza virus that regularly causes outbreaks of influenza among pigs.  Swine flu viruses do not normally infect humans; however, human infections with swine flu do occur.  Human-to-human spread of swine flu occurs in the same way as regular seasonal flu, through the coughing or sneezing of infected people.  Swine flu is not transmitted by eating pork products.

How Can I Help Prevent the Spread of Swine Flu?
There are several things you can do to prevent the further spread of swine flu.  As a courtesy to your fellow passengers:

• If you are ill or have flu-like symptoms, avoid close contact with others as much as possible and the CDC advises that you do not go to work, school or travel (including not using public transportation).
• Avoid contact with people who are ill.
• Cover your nose and mouth when you cough or sneeze. Throw used tissues in a trash can.
• Wash your hands often with soap and water or use an antibacterial gel if soap and water are not available.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth.

What are the Symptoms of the Swine Flu?
The symptoms of swine flu are similar to the symptoms of seasonal flu and may include:

Bike to Work Week is in a couple weeks.  Please see the message below from ACE staff member Hubert Hanrahan.

If you have thought about biking to work via ACE, Bike to Work Week is an excellent time to see what ACE riders with bicycles already know!  Bringing your bike on ACE is convenient and free. Using your bike with ACE is a healthy, environmentally friendly alternative to driving your personal automobile. 

For information about taking your bike on ACE, visit our web site or call ACE Customer Service at 1-800-411-RAIL.

For helpful tips and information about Bike to Work Week, visit California Bike Commute.

New video below of the UP Steam locomotive No 844 passing by the Stockton ACE station.

Below is video I got this morning of UP Steam locomotive No 844 as it passed the Stockton ACE station.  I know some of the video is a little shaky, but I thought I would post this up since the video I had from Wednesday was not usable.  Have a great weekend.

I was hoping to get some good video footage of the UP Steam locomotive at our station yesterday.  Unfortunately, the video came out a little too shaky so I have posted a link below to the pictures.  No 5 questions video this week so I hope you enjoy the pictures and I will have a new video up next week.

http://www.twitpic.com/photos/DAndre_ACE

Just a reminder that the UP steam locomotive No. 844 will be on display at the Stockton ACE station Wednesday.  See post below for more information.

This week I have Strategic Development & Communication Coordinator, Thomas Reeves.  He talks about some upcoming projects, including news on special trains.