VTA Board of Directors

Contents

1 Background
2 Contacting the VTA Board of Directors Office Itself
3 How YOU Can Lobby For Better Transit At Your City/Town Hall
4 VTA Board Members
- 4.1 Ex-officio Board members
5 VTA Board Of Directors’ Alternates
6 VTA General Manager Nuria L. Fernandez’ Contact Info

Background

The Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) Board of Directors sets Santa Clara County’s bus, rail and highway policy. The Board has 12 voting members, six alternate Board members, and (currently) one (1) ex-officio members. All Board members are elected officials appointed to serve on the VTA Board by the councils of the cities or towns they represent. (In other words, you cannot run for VTA Board, and you cannot vote board members on or off the board.)

Unless otherwise indicated, the VTA Board of Directors meets every first Thursday of the month at 5:30pm. They meet at the County Supervisors’ Chambers at Santa Clara County Government Center, 70 W. Hedding Street, in San Jose. Here is a map and directions to the County Government Center.

During all public comment, you always face the VTA Board members and staff directly at the front of the stage. Read these tips on how to be heard at any VTA Board of Directors’ meeting.

Contacting the VTA Board of Directors Office Itself

You can reach the entire VTA Board at the address below:

Office of the Board Secretary
Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority
3331 N. First Street, Building B-2
San Jose, CA 95134-1906

phone (408)321-5680
fax (408)955-0891

This will forward your comment to each of the twelve (12) members of VTA Board. In addition, you can request to be added to a mailing list where you receive VTA Board and Committee agendas and meeting dates via the Board Secretary address above. These are the same sources used by the press and other elected officials in reporting on and learning about transit policy in the South Bay.

How YOU Can Lobby For Better Transit At Your City/Town Hall

To assist you in directly expressing your transit needs to the VTA Board member of your city, we also encourage you to attend and speak out for those needs at your city council meeting. Each VTA Board member’s contact also includes the address and phone number of their city hall, as well as when your city council meets. City council meetings allow you to speak during the “open comment” or “public presentation” period, typically at the beginning of the meeting. If you know you can’t go to a VTA Board meeting or workshop, it is vital that you speak out for your transit needs at your city council meeting.

Unless otherwise noted, city or town council meetings take place at the city hall or town hall the street address indicated with each VTA Board Member’s mailing address. Please contact your city hall or town hall for specific rules on speaking out during city council meetings, or if you are disabled and need assistance in speaking out at a city council meeting.

For instance, as the county seat and largest city in Santa Clara County, San Jose has five (5) of the twelve (12) VTA Board seats. San Jose’s City Council meets every Tuesday afternoon at 1:30 p.m., although certain meeting dates may be canceled. In addition, evening sessions are normally held on the 1st and 3rd Tuesday at 7:00 p.m. Unless otherwise announced, the meeting place is at the City Council Chambers San Jose City Hall, 200 E. Santa Clara Street in San Jose. Mailing address for all listed council members is 200 E. Santa Clara Street, San Jose, CA 95113.

The Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors, unless otherwise noted, meets on Thursdays at 9am at the County Government Center, 70 W. Hedding Street in San Jose. More information on meetings of the County Supervisors can be found here or by calling the Supervisors’ Clerk at (408)299-4321 first.

San Jose residents who do not specifically live in districts represented by VTA Board Members should Mayor Sam Liccardo. Mayor Liccardo’s contact information is below.

VTA Board Members

Below are the current members of the VTA Board of Directors, by title on the Board. Note that VTA Board alternates (listed as such) can replace absent members at any Board of Directors meeting.

Sam Liccardo, (VTA Board Chair for 2018), Mayor, City of San Jose. Email: mayoremail@sanjoseca.gov – phone (408)535-4800.
Teresa O’Neill, (VTA Board Vice Chair for 2018), Vice Mayor of Santa Clara. Email: MayorandCouncil@santaclaraca.gov – phone (408)615-2250.
Lan Diep, San Jose City Council Member, District 4. Email: district4@sanjoseca.gov – phone (408)535-4904. District Four includes northern San Jose, Alviso and Berryessa.
Charles “Chappie” Jones, San Jose City Council Member, District 1. Email: district1@sanjoseca.gov – phone (408)535-4901. District One covers western San Jose.
Johnny Khamis, San Jose City Council Member, District 10. Email: district10@sanjoseca.gov – phone (408)535-4910. District Ten includes areas like the Almaden Hills and Santa Teresa Foothills.
Raul Peralez, San Jose City Council Member, District 3. Email: district3@sanjoseca.gov – phone (408)535-4903. District includes the downtown San Jose area (that Sam Liccardo used to represent before becoming Mayor).
John McAllister, Council Member, City of Mountain View. Email: John.McAlister@mountainview.gov
Bob Nunez, Milpitas City Council Member. Phone (408)586-3051.
Savita Vaidhyanathan, Cupertino City Council Member. Email: svaidhyanathan@cupertino.org – phone (408)777-3193.
Larry Carr, Morgan Hill City Council Member. Email: larry.carr@morganhill.ca.gov – phone (408)779-7259
Cindy Chavez, Santa Clara County Supervisor, District 2. (District includes eastern and northern San Jose, and parts of Willow Glen. Email: cindy.chavez@bos.sccgov.org – phone (408)299-5020
Ken Yeager, Santa Clara County Supervisor, District 4. (District includes western San Jose, Santa Clara and Campbell.) Email: supervisor.yeager@bos.sccgov.org – phone (408)299-5040.

Ex-officio Board members

Jeannie Bruins, Councilmember, City of Los Altos. Email: jbruins@losaltosca.gov – phone (650)947-2720 (note: phone number is for all of Los Altos’ City Council)