Caltrain received an Outstanding Public Transportation System award on Tuesday, Oct. 6, a recognition that carries weight for Burlingame commuters even as the agency faces a $75 million annual budget hole.

The American Public Transportation Association (APTA) recognized Caltrain in the category for systems carrying more than 3 million but fewer than 15 million annual passenger trips, at the group's TRANSform and Expo conference in Chicago. APTA named four system winners across ridership categories. Board Chair Rico E. Medina and Executive Director Michelle Bouchard accepted the award, which Caltrain describes as the top honor a North American transit system can receive.

The agency earned the recognition on the strength of several milestones, according to Caltrain's announcement: 57% year-over-year ridership growth in 2025, the fastest of any U.S. transit system that year; a 91% rider approval rating; a 4.5-out-of-5 customer experience score; and more than $76 million in cost savings over five years, roughly 7% of the agency's operating budget over that period.

Caltrain also completed its $2.4 billion electrification project, converting mainline service from diesel to 100% renewable electricity.

"There is no greater honor a transit agency can receive than being named Outstanding Public Transportation System," Bouchard said. "This is a testament to the hundreds of people who put in work every day to keep our railroad running."

Caltrain picked up two more awards at the conference: a Certificate of Merit in Rail Safety and a National AdWheel award for its "Driving is for Dodgers Fans" marketing campaign.

Funding gap looms

The celebration comes with a caveat. Despite the cost cuts and ridership surge, Caltrain says fare revenue alone cannot close a structural deficit of about $75 million a year. Without new funding, the agency says it may close more than a third of its stations, eliminate weekend service, reduce trains to once an hour and end service by 9 p.m.

Caltrain's adopted fiscal year 2027 budget includes a one-time state loan and maintains regular service. Beyond that, Caltrain is counting on a ballot measure. Senate Bill 63 (SB 63), signed in October 2025, authorized a five-county transit revenue district to place a measure before voters.

A citizens' initiative called Connect Bay Area, designated Measure RTM on the Tuesday, Nov. 3 ballot, would add a half-cent sales tax in San Mateo, Alameda, Contra Costa and Santa Clara counties and a one-cent tax in San Francisco for 14 years, according to official election documents. The measure would raise roughly $980 million a year regionwide, with about $70 million going to Caltrain annually, according to the Eno Center for Transportation. If approved by voters, it would fully address Caltrain's operating deficit for 14 years, the agency says.

Measure RTM's outcome will depend on the combined vote across all five counties, with a simple majority required for passage, according to the official election documents.