Creating a lasting impression in a community takes commitment and hard work. At the transit district, those qualities paid off with the completion of multiple projects that are certain to impact the way San Mateo County residents regard public transportation and how public transportation more effectively serves our community.

One of the most gratifying impressions has to be Caltrain’s Baby Bullet express trains packed full with passengers, demonstrating the level of support that allowed us to rethink the railroad and reinvent it. The express trains are possible because of the completion of Caltrain’s CTX project, the largest upgrade in the 143-year history of the rail system. With the encouragement of our customers and the support of our governing boards and community leaders, Caltrain added this service without adding staff or increasing budget.

Caltrain’s service also has made an impression on other members of the transportation industry. Caltrain’s Baby Bullet service has received the Metropolitan Transportation Commission’s Grand Award and the California Transportation Foundation’s Tranny Award.

The newspaper headline, “A Vote for Quality of Life” in the San Francisco Chronicle was another lasting impression. Overwhelming voter support of Measure A in 2004, the county’s half-cent transportation sales tax, continues to provide funding for many of the county’s top transportation priorities and is a vote of confidence for the work of the San Mateo County Transportation Authority.

Safety and reliability are some of the behind-the-scenes topics that earn top priority at SamTrans. Our attention to detail in these areas drew much acclaim as SamTrans set an impressive record for safe bus trips and on-time performance. Our on-time performance is more than 90 percent each month and we’re missing fewer than eight bus schedules per month. That’s a 99.9 percent reliability rate, one of the best in the nation.

Finally, in the midst of all this hard work, district employees found time to support in their communities by participating in the United Way fundraising campaign and the American Heart Association’s Heartwalk. Employees raised a record-breaking $100,000 for the two organizations. SamTrans staff members also committed to a year-long campaign to raise money for the victims of Hurricane Katrina.

In a year of continued economic uncertainty and shrinking budgets, the transit district accomplished an impressive array of goals, strengthening the SamTrans brand and leaving a lasting impression on this community.

Sincerely,
Michael J. Scanlon
General Manager/CEO