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The Capitol Corridor Joint Powers Authority, which manages operations of the passenger rail service between Sacramento and San Jose, was presented with a SASI award by Shop America. SASI = Shop America Salutes Innovation. Each year, Shop America honors marketing excellence and innovation in promoting shopping and dining within the tourism and travel industry. A total of 18 SASI Awards for shopping and tourism marketing excellence were awarded during the Shop America Conference on January 13 in Honolulu, Hawaii.
The SASI award was presented to the Capitol Corridor in recognition for the Holiday Shopping Made Simple promotion. The promotion was designed to help take the stress out of shopping for the holidays by taking shoppers from the greater Sacramento area to the San Francisco Shopping Center to enjoy a day of holiday shopping. Amtrak's Holiday Shopping Made Simple event took place the first two Saturdays of December. Complimentary refreshments were provided onboard, and door prizes from sponsors were given away en route. To add to the festive air, the train was adorned with holiday decorations and Sacramento Children's Chorus singers provided caroling.
Shoppers were each given a Gift Bag, filled with samples and discount coupons from promotional partners and merchants. The bag also contained simple recipes and time-saving holiday tips, a coupon for savings on holiday party trays from Raleys and Bel~Air stores and a shopping list to keep track of gifts purchased and needed.
More information about the 2004 SASI Award Winners
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Shop America Alliance LLC (SAA) represents 200 of the premier shopping tourism destinations in North America. The organization serves as the travel and tourism industry's exclusive resource for Shopping Tourism information and partnership opportunities. SAA produces the annual Conference, publishes Shop America Magazine and markets Shop America Tours at www.shopamericatours.com.
For more information on the Shop America Alliance, the Shop America Tourism Conference and the SASI Awards, visit www.shopamericavip.com or call 401-398-1045.
At the February 16, 2005 meeting of the Capitol Corridor Joint Powers Authority Board of Directors, Roger Dickinson, of the Sacramento Regional Transit District, was elected Chair, and Forrest Williams, of Santa Clara Valley Transportation Agency, was elected Vice Chair.
Dickinson, who serves as a director of the Sacramento Regional Transit District, a member of the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors since January 1994 (and current Chair), serves on numerous other Sacramento boards, including the Air Quality Management District and the Area Council of Governments. "I really appreciate the vote of confidence from my fellow board members in electing me to this position, and am looking forward to serving as Chair during this period of growth for the Capitol Corridor." He is a graduate of the University of California, Berkeley and received a law degree from UCLA.
Williams, a member of the San Jose City Council since November 2000, serves on various City committees and is the current Chair of the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority. "I'm honored that my fellow board members have put their trust in me to help lead the Capitol Corridor service. This is an exciting time to for me to be part of the CCJPA, particularly because of our planned service expansion to San Jose later this year." Williams holds BSEE, MSEE and DEECS degrees and served as Senior Engineering Manager for IBM Corporation.
Dickinson and Williams will lead the Capitol Corridor board for the next two years. The board is comprised of members from six local Northern California transportation agencies that includes eight counties from Santa Clara County to Placer County.
The CCJPA Board of Directors provides policy direction to the CCJPA staff in delivering quality passenger rail service along the corridor that stretches from San Jose to Sacramento. The Capitol Corridor Joint Powers Authority (CCJPA) is a unique organization charged with providing the administrative management of an intercity passenger rail service. The San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District (BART) provides the full-time management staff, Amtrak operates the service for the CCJPA, and Union Pacific Railroad dispatches the trains and maintains the tracks. Funding is virtually 100% from passenger fares and state transportation funds. Over the past six years under CCJPA management, the Capitol Corridor has achieved enormous strides in service performance- 152% increase in ridership, 200% increase in service levels, and 110% increase in revenues.
On weekdays there are 24 daily trains, with 18 on weekends, serving the Capitol Corridor route spanning 170 miles with stops at 16 stations in Placer, Sacramento, Yolo, Solano, Contra Costa, Alameda, San Francisco and Santa Clara Counties. Dedicated motorcoach routes extend service south of San Jose to Santa Cruz, San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara, and east of Sacramento to Truckee, South Lake Tahoe and Reno.
"This board is comprised of a number of excellent people and agencies who have created a service that really brings communities together", said new CCJPA Chair Roger Dickinson, "and anyone who lives or works in the Bay Area, Sacramento, and Silicon Valley regions can see the benefits of having the Capitol Corridor service available to their community."
Berkeley, California (February 25, 2005) The Berkeley Redevelopment Agency (BRA) announces the groundbreaking ceremony of the Berkeley Rail Stop and Transit Plaza Infrastructure Improvements Project on Friday, February 25, 2005 at 2:30 PM on the Berkeley Rail Stop platform at Third Street and University Avenue. The $2.4 Million project is funded by the BRA, Caltrans, and the Capitol Corridor Joint Powers Authority. The project enhancements will focus on basic safety and security infrastructure improvements.
The rail stop is centrally located in West Berkeley at the west end of University Avenue adjacent to the former Southern Pacific Train Station and within easy walking distance of the landmark restaurants of Spenger's and Brennan's. Its close proximity to such regional draws as the popular Fourth Street retail district and the recently established Eastshore State Park make the rail stop an important transportation hub for the entire Bay Area.
The rail stop and transit plaza infrastructure upgrades include improving the nighttime safety lighting and access to the rail stop and transit area for people with disabilities; increasing rail stop, bicycle, bus, para-transit, shuttle and taxi signage; repaving and new striping for circulation lanes; widening of existing sidewalks; improving pavement, sidewalk and curbs; creating more ramps and bicycle parking; providing trash receptacles and public telephones; and installing more landscaping and benches.
The Berkeley Redevelopment Agency has been working on the Rail Stop and Transit Plaza project since 1997 when it was identified by the West Berkeley Project Area Commission and surrounding community as a major transportation focal point in critical need of upgrade and repair. Currently, there is an Amtrak ridership of approximately 200 passengers per day from the Berkeley Rail Stop. Ridership is expected to increase in the coming years with the completion of these infrastructure improvements and West Berkeley's growing recreational and shopping attractions, as well as improve the transit experience for existing passengers. As Berkeley's Mayor Tom Bates expressed, "I'm delighted that the Rail Stop and Transit Plaza project is finally proceeding. It will be a great improvement for all of the riders and another example of the City of Berkeley putting Transit First. And I appreciate all of the work staff has done to move the project forward."
For more information about this event, please contact Iris Starr, Redevelopment Coordinator of the Berkeley Redevelopment Agency at (510) 981-7520.
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Contact:
Iris Starr
Berkeley Redevelopment Agency
2118 Milvia Street, 3rd Floor
Berkeley, CA 94704
(510) 981-7418