Peninsula Moves!

Caltrain Increases Bike Capacity, Updates Timetable: Cyclists will find a few extra places to park their bikes and passengers will notice some slight changes to the Caltrain timetable, as part of two separate initiatives that will be implemented on Monday, April 4. To meet increased demand for bike storage space on Caltrain, the rail agency will add a third bike-car to its Bombardier trains, increasing the number of bikes on those trains set from 48 to 72. On that same day, the agency will update its timetable to make the system more reliable and dependable for the 60,000 passengers who use the service every day. To celebrate the new bike car and the updated timetable, Caltrain will host a welcoming event at the San Francisco Caltrain Station plaza at 8 a.m. on Monday morning.

Books, Books and More Books: More than 250,000 books will be up for sale this week in San Francisco, and there is no way that avid readers will be able to beat the prices of these publications. For just $3, bookworms can purchase their favorite titles, as part of the 6^th Annual Spring Big Book Sale that will support the San Francisco Public Library. The five-day event begins Wednesday and lasts through Sunday (when the remaining books will be slashed to a super-cheap $1), taking place at Fort Mason. Along with the treasure trove of books, the Big Book Sale will also have multimedia items available for purchase. The event will take place from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. every day, and Fort Mason is accessible by Muni’s 30-Stockton bus line. Attendees coming from the Peninsula can take Caltrain to the San Francisco station and transfer to the 30-Stockton bus for a direct trip to the book sale.

VTA Looks for Innovative Way to Increase Ridership: How can you increase passenger levels on your transit system within the confines of a tight budget situation? That’s the question the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority is grappling with now, and the agency has put forth some innovative initiatives that won’t break the bank. As part of its Next Network Project, VTA is discussing the idea of reshaping the land use and design of local city and streets, helping to make transit vehicles move more efficiently through the cities and towns of the South Bay. By making transit more reliable and dependable, VTA hopes to attract new riders to its system. The agency recently posted an article detailing how improved street design can upgrade the performance of its transit operations.