Category: News

Bus Alternatives For VTA Light Rail

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Light rail service in Santa Clara County is still down. The Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) continues to suspend all light rail service after the shootings at Guadalupe Yard May 26. VTA briefly ran shuttle buses in the place of light rail from May 27 until June 1, until limited shuttle bus service was restored August 2. There is currently no ETA for when light rail service will be restored.

Meanwhile, here are some tips for you to use VTA bus (and Caltrain) service that parallels light rail.

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Shooting, Fatalities At VTA Light Rail Shop

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Police scanner audio above may be objectionable and sensitive to some of our readers. Listener discretion is advised.

May 26th, 2021 is now a day that will live in infamy in Silicon Valley. At around 6:30am this morning, we learned that a mass shooting had taken place at VTA’s Guadalupe light rail maintenance shops on 1st and Younger in San Jose. (That’s by the County Sheriff’s Office, and 1 block north of the Santa Clara County Building and County Jail.)

As of 3pm, nine (9) people are dead, including the shooter. The shootings took place during when the light rail employees were having a morning meeting.

VTA shut down light rail as of noon, for the rest of today. Shuttle buses are running instead of light rail throughout the system today. This will allow law enforcement to properly investigate the Guadalupe light rail (LRT) shops, as the facility remains an active crime investigation scene at this time.

Watch your favorite news outlet for the latest information. We’ll try to keep things updated here, as information and circumstances warrant.

More on this – and how YOU can help provide relief for the victims and their families – are below.

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Tell Your Transit Truth To Tran

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VTA Interim General Manager and CEO Evelynn Tran. Source: VTA

Before a key workshop on Friday, an interim General Manager will be voted for confirmation.  The Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) will confirm Evelynn Tran as its interim General Manager and CEO.  If confirmed, she will replace Nuria L. Fernandez, who resigned from VTA on Tuesday to accept a deputy administrator post at the Federal Transit Administration.

After the confirmation vote, the VTA Board Of Directors will have a workshop to discuss how funding for 2016 Measure B sales tax will be spent for the next ten years.  Read more and learn how you can tell the VTA Board to preserve funding for bus and light rail service in Friday morning’s workshop.

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Fernandez Resigns From VTA

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Former VTA General Manager and CEO Nuria L. Fernandez. Photo courtesy VTA.

Nuria L. Fernandez is no longer with VTA.  San Jose Spotlight is reporting that Ms. Fernandez has accepted a Deputy Administrator position with the Federal Transportation Administration (FTA).  Read the story – featuring Ms. Fernandez’ resignation letter to VTA – here.

The same story reports that Evelyn Tran has been promoted to interim CEO at VTA.  Ms. Tran will serve as General Manager and CEO while a national search takes place for Fernandez’ replacement.

On behalf of the Silicon Valley Transit Users, I wish Ms. Fernandez good luck in her future endeavors at the FTA in Washington, DC.

Given Ms. Fernandez’ resignation, who do you think should be VTA’s new General Manager and CEO?

What do you want to see (more of) in Ms. Fernandez’ replacement?

Please discuss this topic in the comments below.  Click on the post title above, first, then you can comment as needed.

Eugene Bradley
Founder & CEO, Silicon Valley Transit Users