Editing Altamont Corridor Express (section)

=== Planning ===
[[File:Altamont Commuter Rail MPI F40PH-3C 3106 with ACE Train 4 at San Jose Diridon Station, July 16th, 2012.jpg|thumb|left|ACE train at [[Diridon Station|San Jose Diridon station]]]]
By the 1980s, three rapidly growing areas in California – [[Silicon Valley]], the [[Tri-Valley]], and the [[San Joaquin Valley]] – were poorly connected by public transit, as [[Interstate 580 (California)|Interstate 580]] and [[Interstate 680 (California)|Interstate 680]] became more congested. Commuting from the San Joaquin Valley or the Tri-Valley to Silicon Valley required using a car or limited bus service.

In 1989, the San Joaquin Council of Governments, Stockton Chamber of Commerce, and the Building Industry Association of the Delta started work on a 20-year transportation plan for the northern section of the San Joaquin Valley. In November 1990, [[San Joaquin County]] voters passed Measure K, a half-cent sales tax to fund a variety of transportation improvements.<ref name="bra">{{cite web |url=http://www.bayrailalliance.org/altamont_commuter_express_ace |title=Altamont Corridor Express (ACE) |publisher=BayRail Alliance}}</ref><ref name="measureK">{{cite web |url=http://www.sjcog.org/index.aspx?NID=97 |title=Measure K |publisher=San Joaquin Council of Governments |access-date=August 29, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160902112639/http://www.sjcog.org/index.aspx?nid=97 |archive-date=September 2, 2016 |url-status=dead |df=mdy-all }}</ref> The highest-priority project was the establishment of passenger rail service to San Jose.<ref name="acehistory">{{cite web |url=http://www.acerail.com/About/History-of-ACE |title=History of ACE |publisher=San Joaquin Joint Powers Authority |access-date=August 29, 2016 |archive-date=September 13, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160913084903/http://www.acerail.com/About/History-of-ACE |url-status=dead }}</ref>
[[File:Altamont Commuter Express (logo).png|thumb|left|Former ACE logo, used until 2013]]
In 1995, San Joaquin County and seven cities along the route formed the San Joaquin Regional Rail Commission (SJRRC) to oversee the creation of the service.<ref name="acehistory" /> In May 1997, the Altamont Commuter Express Joint Powers Authority (ACE JPA) was formed by the SJRRC, [[Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority]] (VTA), and Alameda Congestion Management Agency (ACMA). That agreement formalized financial support, administrative processes, and governance for the rail service.<ref name="acehistory" /> The operation is funded by a variety of state and federal sources, largely sales tax revenue collected by the three JPA signatories, while farebox revenues account for about one-third of costs.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.acerail.com/About/AskACE/1415-WP-Budget.pdf |title=2014-2015 WORK PROGRAM & BUDGET |publisher=San Joaquin Regional Rail Commission |date=June 6, 2014 |page=6}}</ref>

Cost sharing for capital projects, excluding stations, during the initial 36 months of service was determined by the JPA on a case-by-case basis and approved by each of the member agencies. The initial purchase of rolling stock, construction of stations, and other start-up costs, amounting to some $48 million, were covered primarily by Measure K funds. Station improvements are the responsibility of the county in which the station is located. ACE pays the Union Pacific Railroad about $1.5 million per year to use their tracks. ACE trains also use about {{convert|4|miles}} of Caltrain track in San Jose.<ref name="vanhattem" /> Service began on October 19, 1998, with two daily round trips running to San Jose in the morning and Stockton in the evening.<ref name="bra" />