For Caltrain, another ridership record

Caltrain’s annual ridership count shows that agency has reached a record for the sixth consecutive year.

Initial findings from Caltrain’s annual onboard ridership count (downloadable PDF below) showed that the average weekday ridership (AWR) for 2016 is at an all-time high of 62,416, a 7.2% growth from 2015, an 83% increase since 2010 when AWR was at 34,120, and a 161% increase since 2004 when AWR was at an all-time low of 23,947 and before Baby Bullet service was inaugurated.

“The count, a physical head count of riders, is typically conducted in late January and February when there are fewer holidays and special events that could skew ridership numbers,” Caltrain said. “Weekdays, every rider on every train is counted for one week and averaged over five weekdays. Weekends, riders on every train were counted for one weekend. However, this year’s count was suspended for special events in February including 10 days during Super Bowl 50 week and construction activities, such as the Santa Inez Bridge Replacement and bus bridge in San Mateo. Counts resumed at the end of February and continued through mid-March.”

Average weekday rider numbers vary widely throughout the year, with Caltrain’s peak season for ridership picking up in summer and usually lasting through the fall. Based on current trends, the agency said it expects to continue to see those numbers climb through the coming year.

Most Caltrain riders travel during peak commute hours, with a 9.6% increase, growing from 29,143 in 2015 to 31,948 in 2016. Caltrain also saw a 3.8% spike in reverse-peak riders, from 18,842 last year to 19,564 this year. Weekend ridership increased by 5.3%, growing from 26,241 last year to 27,634 this year.

The top 10 most popular Caltrain stations are still in the top 10, with San Francisco coming in at number one and Palo Alto remaining in the number two spot. The San Jose Diridon and Mountain View stations are now third and fourth respectively, and the Redwood City and Millbrae stations, now fifth and sixth respectively, switched rankings. The Sunnyvale, Hillsdale, San Mateo and Menlo Park stations are the remaining stations on the top 10 list.

When comparing ridership by county, Santa Clara County has the highest average weekday ridership with 26,518; San Mateo County has the second-most at 19,160 and San Francisco has 16,767. Ridership also increased on the Gilroy extension, which includes the Capitol, Blossom Hill, Morgan Hill, San Martin and Gilroy stations, up 12.7% since last year.

Caltrain said there is continued growth in distance traveled, with the most growth for Baby Bullet trains. Overall, the average weekday trip length for 2016 is 22.8 miles, slightly higher than 22.7 in 2015.

For the fifth year, the number of bike riders that were unable to board trains due to overcrowding resulting in a lack of capacity in the bike-designated car also was counted. Results show that bike ridership decreased by 11.1% this year, with 5,520 riders bringing bikes on Caltrain on an average weekday. The rain this winter season, the most in the past several years, likely had an impact on the bicycle counts. On the days and trains that the count was conducted, 118 bikes were denied boarding, while approximately 29,130 riders with bikes boarded the train. At the beginning of April, Caltrain added a third bike car to its Bombardier-built Bi-Level trainsets, increasing onboard bike capacity from 48 to 72 bikes.

Caltrain said it will continue to analyze the data and review the allocation of six-car trainsets to address onboard capacity issues. Future service planning also requires use of ridership data to develop potential service scenarios to improve capacity pre- and post-electrification. The Caltrain Modernization Program has received a funding boost.

Caltrain, owned and operated by the Peninsula Corridor Joint Powers Board, provides regional/commuter rail service from San Francisco to San Jose, with limited commute service to Gilroy. While the JPB assumed operating responsibilities in 1992, the railroad celebrated 150 years of continuous passenger service in 2014.