April 7, 2005

ValleyViewpoints

Don’t close College Park Station

Editor,
I appreciate the fact that Caltrain’s acting chief operating officer is struggling to cut costs and increase revenue and ridership as the commuter train service faces a gigantic budget shortfall.

However, I am writing to express my strong support for the continued operation of the College Park Station, which has been used over the years by many of my friends and relatives as they travel to and from Bellarmine College Preparatory.

The station provides efficient mass transit for more than 300 students and employees of Bellarmine as well as numerous residents and professionals of the area. Students from San Mateo in the north to Gilroy in the south, and all points in between, use train service on a regular basis. Caltrain also provides safe economic transportation for many younger children who attend Bellarmine’s summer program. If the Station were to close, even temporarily, these students will be forced to use automobile transportation and all of the environmental and economic benefits of Caltrain will be lost.

Caltrain not only provides Bellarmine students with convenient and inexpensive transportation, but it also teaches them the benefit of mass transit. By closing the Station Caltrain you will be losing not only current but also future customers. It just doesn’t make sense, and seems like an unnecessary step backwards.

Mary Liz Cortese
San Jose

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