JUNE 9-17, 2018

Talk to the animals.Wander through the

lush rainforest.Spin, twirl and swirl

in the carnival.Bust a move at the

free celebrity concerts!

Talk to the animals.Wander through the

lush rainforest.Spin, twirl and swirl

in the carnival.Bust a move at the

free celebrity concerts!

44

New Mobile Ticketing App

Board Adopts New Fare Enforcement Policy

In February, Caltrain launched Caltrain Mobile, the rail agency’s official mobile ticketing application that allows riders to purchase and activate tickets from their smart phone devices. Caltrain Mobile will enhance the overall customer experience for Caltrain riders by making it unnecessary to visit ticketing machines before boarding at stations. The app offers One-Way, Day Pass and Zone Upgrade digital tickets for adults and passengers who qualify for discounted fare. Caltrain Mobile is ideal for occasional and weekend riders

In an effort to improve the experience of its patrons, the Peninsula

Corridor Joint Powers Board

has adopted an ordinance to deter fare evasion. Effective May 2018, Caltrain will begin implementing the new proof of payment system for fare enforcement that will establish an administrative process for fare evasion. Caltrain patrons who are cited for fare

Caltrain Connection is produced by the Peninsula Corridor Joint Powers Board. Comments, questions, contributions and suggestions should be directed to:

Dan Lieberman, Editorcommunications@samtrans.com

Caltrain ConnectionP.O. Box 3006

San Carlos, CA 94070-1306

Contributing WritersTasha Bartholomew

Matt Wilson

Caltrain Board of DirectorsJeannie Bruins, chair

Gillian Gillett, vice chairCheryl Brinkman

Cindy ChavezDevora “Dev” Davis

Jeff GeeDave Pine

Charles Stone

Monique Zmuda

Jim HartnettExecutive Director

www.caltrain.com 1.800.660.4287

evasion will receive a notice of violation. Under the new system, if a Caltrain patron is contacted onboard the train without valid fare, Caltrain Fare Enforcement Agents will scan/photograph their ID to issue a Notice of Violation for fare evasion. This will trigger an in-house administrative hearing/review process that will reduce court congestion for all three Superior Courts and allow violators to easily pay their $75 fine online. For more information, visit www.caltrain.com/fines.

headed to special events, day trips, sporting events and visiting friends. Ticket prices are the same as paper tickets and are activated immediately upon purchase. In addition, tickets for multiple people can be purchased and stored on a single phone. Caltrain Mobile can run on iOS and Android operating systems and will accept major credit and debit cards. Future app updates could include daily parking permit purchases, trip planning and real-time information on service updates, among other functions.

Walter Wilson has made a career and life out of being in the right place at the right time to help people. But of the countless helping hands he’s extended over the years, few were quite as dramatic as the one on the evening of January 11, 2018. Wilson’s quick thinking that day resulted in the rescue of an elderly woman from her car on the railroad tracks as an oncoming train barreled toward the vehicle near the Sunnyvale Caltrain Station. “Something put me there in that space and time,” Wilson said. “I’m not a religious person, but God put in me that spot.” Wilson was driving to The Home Depot near the train station when he saw a car on the tracks away from the Sunnyvale Avenue intersection

grade crossing. He spotted a confused woman inside fiddling with her cell phone. Alarmed, he approached the car and tried to get her to back up and off the tracks. But he saw a moving light over his shoulder about “the size of a pin needle.” It was at that moment he recalled a critical nugget of railroad trivia from his distant past. “I remember someone once telling me that trains move faster than you think they do,” Wilson said. From that moment on, Wilson said the whole experience was a blur. As that pin-needle sized light kept ballooning, he vaguely recalls quickly extricating the woman from the car, hooking her under his arm and carrying her to safety away from the tracks. Seconds later, Wilson said the train plowed through the car, shoving it down the track and crushing it like “a piece of paper.” Wilson described his adrenaline as “off the hook” immediately after, and recalls needing to take a step back from the people running up to him proclaiming him a hero and wanting to shake his hand.The rescue, however, fits into Wilson’s personal and professional history. He refers to

himself as a conduit to helping others. In his formative teen years, he joined up with the Black Panthers and helped get free breakfast, clothes and other items to youngsters in need. As a professional over the last 40 years, Wilson has worked with, formed, assisted and led numerous South Bay groups looking to help underrepresented communities. “I’ve spent my whole life saving people’s lives, it’s just that this (rescue) was more dramatic,” he said. Wilson, who is a lifetime

Man’s Dramatic Rescue is Anotherin a Long Line of Good Deeds

Memorial Day & Independence Day

Caltrain will operate aSunday schedule onMay 28 and July 4.

The schedule is available at www.caltrain.com

continued on page 3

Jeannie Bruins and Walter Wilson

ConnectionCaltrain

Information for Customers

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2 As a latchkey kid growing up, I felt that I had a solid idea of what ramen was. Boiling noodles for three minutes and adding that packet of dehydrated MSG was my first real foray into cooking. I had made it into my adult professional career when I realized that there was a wider world of ramen. So when I heard the acclaimed Orenchi Ramen was opening a third location in Redwood City, I was delighted. And when I learned it was across the street from the Caltrain station, I knew that I had to bring this knowledge to the people the best way I knew how; through a public transportation newsletter. But while I take this responsibility seriously, my desire for lunch outranks it so I hopped on the 139 and got ready to put my name on the list. With only three soup options on the menu, I ordered the Orenchi Ramen and began to take in the sights, the large windows looking out at the north end of the station. Behind the bar, they were dishing out a

dozen bowls of ramen, giving the pork a last minute sear with a blowtorch before they went out. The food came fast, with the guy seated next to me at the bar getting his order of chicken karaage in about a minute. My soup wasn’t far behind, and I tasted the tonkotsu broth with my soup-bearing left hand while dunking my nori and splitting the soft boiled egg with my chopsticked right. The broth was rich and decadent without being greasy with a nutty overtone from the sesame seeds, and the noodles and bamboo both had a good chew to them. The pork was sliced thinly, and had a mild but tasty flavor. The star of the show was that egg; very yolky and permeated by soy sauce, it was simple perfection. I finished my bowl, refusing to allow even the dregs to go back to the kitchen out of both gluttony and the fear of insulting the chef. As I strolled out, I knew I had to return. The Peninsula has never lacked for good ramen options, but I’m never one to turn my nose up at another. I recommend arriving early or being prepared to wait, as word

Orenchi Ramen – Nirvana via Noodles

has already gotten out about this gem. So the next time you’ve got a long wait for your train in Redwood City, grab a bowl and get slurping. And if you see someone a table over from you smiling under fogged-up glasses, feel free to send me something fried to say thank you.

Chew Chew Train is a monthly blog feature highlighting places to eat along the Caltrain line. If you have a suggestion for a future restaurant, please email Public Affairs Specialist Dan Lieberman at liebermand@samtrans.com.

EVENTS CALENDAREVENTS CALENDARTake Caltrain to these special events. The station name and any additional transit service are listed below each event.

Thru September 10San Francisco GiantsAT&T Park, San FranciscoSan Francisco Caltrain Stationwww.sanfrancisco.giants

May 5 - 6Mountain View a La Carte & ArtCastro Street, Mountain ViewMountain View Caltrain Stationwww.alacarte.miramarevents.com

May 11 - 12Taylor SwiftLevi's® Stadium, Santa ClaraMountain View Caltrain StationVTA Light Rail, www.vta.org www.levisstadium.com

May 11 - 13The Hunchback of Notre DameMountain View Center for the Performing Arts, Mountain ViewMountain View Caltrain Stationwww.mvcpa.com

May 18 - 20Maker Faire Bay AreaSan Mateo County Event Center, San MateoHillsdale Caltrain Stationwww.makerfaire.com/bay-area

May 20Bay to BreakersThe Embarcadero, San FranciscoSan Francisco Caltrain Stationwww.baytobreakers.com

June 9 - 17San Mateo County FairSan Mateo County Event Center, San MateoCHillsdale Caltrain Stationwww.sanmateocountyfair.com

Caltrain Safety Tips ● If you are using GPS navigation near our tracks, use common

sense. Turning onto a live train track is never correct.

● When boarding a bike car, allow bicyclists to board first. This avoids a traffic jam on board and usually results in a faster departure.

● While alcohol is allowed on board our trains until 9 p.m., please remember to be courteous to other riders and to be particularly careful while disembarking.

3

Visitors to CalMod.org can learn about Caltrain’s past, present and future—including what’s in store for riders once the corridor becomes electrified in 2022. Construction for Caltrain Electrification began last year, and will see the electrification of the Caltrain corridor between San Francisco and San Jose. The project will replace 75 percent of diesel service with new high-performance electric trains that will reduce air pollution and provide cleaner, quieter, more efficient, and better service to more passengers.

The Caltrain Modernization (CalMod) Program includes electrification and other projects that will upgrade the performance, efficiency,

capacity, safety and reliability of Caltrain’s service. Electrification provides the foundation that future CalMod improvements are based on, including full conversion to an electric fleet, platform and station improvements,

the extension of service to Downtown San Francisco, and other projects that allow Caltrain to grow and evolve with the Bay Area. For more information, visit www.CalMod.org.

member of the NAACP, is CEO of Silicon Valley Minority Business Consortium, which helps corporations, academic institutions and government agencies benefit from the rich diversity and talent available in underrepresented communities.

“At the end of the day, if you can impact a life, you’ve done a good day’s work.” Wilson was honed by the Peninsula Corridor Joint Powers Board, which manages Caltrain, in February. It was one of more than a dozen awards, proclamations and recognitions he racked up for his heroic rescue.

Caltrain Launches Did You Know? Campaign About Rail Corridor

RescueRescuecontinued from page 1