Caltrain to Hold Public Meeting on Crossing Closure

Caltrain is holding a public meeting to discuss closing the Stockton Avenue railroad crossing in San Jose, just north of the College Park Caltrain Station. The purpose of the neighborhood meeting will be to provide adjacent businesses and residents with information about the project.

The meeting will be held:

Wednesday, Sept. 29, 7:30 p.m.
Bellarmine College Preparatory, Andrade Theater
960 W. Hedding St.
(The theater is located in the library basement of the Liccardo Center. The entrance is off of the Central Quad.)

The Stockton Avenue crossing poses serious safety concerns because the tracks are on a curve at that crossing, making visibility difficult for pedestrians and vehicles and because the street crosses the tracks at an angle, further decreasing visibility.

The closure also will benefit the neighborhood by reducing traffic and noise, especially once construction of the Caltrain Centralized Maintenance and Operations Facility at Stockton and Taylor streets is complete in 2006. Without the crossing closure, trains entering and leaving the maintenance facility would trigger crossing arms and bells multiple times each day, causing delays as the trains make the necessary track switches to enter the facility.

Once the Stockton Avenue grade crossing is closed, traffic will be easily rerouted to existing nearby crossings at Hedding and West Taylor streets. The new routes will be detailed at the meeting. The crossing closure is expected to take place early next year.

9/28/04