Caltrain and CA HSR Palo Alto Crossing Elimination

PADailyPost.com: Council reduces rail crossing options, tunnel still alive

The idea of putting Caltrain in a tunnel in Palo Alto is still alive.

City Council on Tuesday (Jan. 22) rejected Ed Shikada’s recommendation to bury the idea of a tunnel north of Oregon Expressway, and voted 5-0 to continue considering whether to bury the train in a citywide tunnel and to fully or partially close Churchill Avenue at the tracks.
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The city is grappling with how to modify the Churchill Avenue, Palo Alto Avenue, Meadow Drive and Charleston Road crossings to prepare for an increase in trains. The increase is expected when Caltrain switches to electric in 2022 and high-speed rail launches in 2029. Today, the city sees about 92 trains per day. In 2022, Caltrain expects that number to increase to 114, and High Speed Rail expects to send 128 trains per day to and from San Francisco, with an additional 24 trains starting in San Jose.
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If they're fast and short trains, is it worth it? I could see this being useful if slow freights were a problem, but they're not.

The motivation for grade separation is not traffic congestion, it is safety. If CAHSR gets built, you really don't want grade crossings (consider NEC.) Plus Palo Alto has a rash of drivers waiting for red lights on the tracks, and sadly, a cluster of teen suicides on the tracks.

There seems to be some momentum growing around an elevated viaduct through the city. Cheaper than tunneling and less obtrusive than a 'Berlin Wall.'

The line is already busy: 92 daily Caltrain plus probably 4 freights. With CAHSR, it would get very busy.