Caltrain's average weekday ridership dips slightly

Caltrain logged 62,190 average weekday passengers during its yearly on-board ridership count in February and early April. The figure marked a 0.4 percent decrease over last year's on-board ridership count.

The news follows six years of consecutive ridership growth, Caltrain officials said in a press release.

Each year, Caltrain calculates average weekday ridership by performing an onboard physical headcount of riders. Every rider on every train is counted for one week and averaged over five weekdays. The railroad also tallies the number of riders for a weekend.

This year, counts were conducted from February through early April due to coordination with a new consultant and subconsultant team that was brought on to manage, conduct and compile field surveys. However, the railroad typically performs the counts in late January and February when there are fewer holidays and special events that could skew ridership numbers.

The results of the annual passenger count provide a snapshot of the railroad that can be used to plan future service improvements, allocate resources and validate revenue-based ridership estimates, Caltrain officials said.

Meanwhile, Caltrain's board has approved an $82.9 million contract to an Oakland-based Shimmick/Disney joint venture for its 25th Avenue grade separation project.

Construction is slated to begin in fall and continue for two-and-a-half years.

The railroad is raising the tracks between State Route 92 and Hillsdale Boulevard in San Mateo, California. Caltrain also will slightly lower the road at 25th Avenue in the city.

The work is aimed at improving safety for motorists and pedestrians, and reducing local traffic congestion in San Mateo.

As part of the project, Caltrain will build a new elevated Hillsdale Station at 28th Avenue. In early 2019, the railroad will close the existing station for up to five months to build the new one.