SAN JOSE — Mother Nature and human neglect have been a bad combination for the busiest transit center in the South Bay.
The ceiling of the historic Diridon Train Station is falling down in chunks. Paint on the wood and plaster is chipping and pealing, and in some places, pieces have actually fallen down onto the passenger lounge below.
"I feel like they can at least repaint it and fix the water leak because if it damages it more then it can be really bad," said Cally Dames, a 9-year-old Girl Scout from Riverside. Katlyn Williams, another member of the troop, was concerend about passenger safety, "There is the potential of it falling and hurting someone, so I think they should fix it up a little."
No was is more dissapointed than Rod Diridon Sr., the man whose name is on the historic train station. It was built in 1934, and the former Santa Clara County supervisor spearheaded it's renovation in the 1990s.
"That beautiful scroll work that took so much time and so much talent and so much money to put up there in the early 1990's is now coming off in chunks and it's just a travesty," he said.
Caltrain admits the roof leak, which was first detected about five years ago, hasn't been a priority. But spokesperson Dan Lieberman told KCBS Radio they have determined the roof damage has reached the point where something has to be done about it.
"We are seeking remedies and we'll have that in the near future," said Lieberman.
While Diridon understands Caltrain's limited funding has to go toward maintaining the railroad, making public transit more attractive can help address other problems, he said
"Climate change is real," he said, "and if we can do things that attract people to mass transportation then we'll have a chance at turning back climate change."