Contents
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.
- Teresa O’Neill (VTA Board Chair for 2019), Council Member, Santa Clara. Email: MayorandCouncil@santaclaraca.gov – phone (408)615-2250.
- Cindy Chavez (VTA Board Vice Chair for 2019), 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
- Sam Liccardo, Mayor, City of San Jose. Email: mayoremail@sanjoseca.gov – phone (408)535-4800.
- 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
- Rob Rennie, Mayor, Town of Los Gatos. Email: rrennie@losgatosca.gov – phone (408)354-6801.
- Bob Nunez, Council Member, City of Milpitas. Phone (408)586-3051.
- (VACANT), Santa Clara County Supervisor
- Larry Carr, Morgan Hill City Council Member. Email: larry.carr@morganhill.ca.gov – phone (408)779-7259
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)
VTA Board Of Directors’ Alternates
- Dave Cortese (VTA Board alternate), Santa Clara County Supervisor, District 3. (District includes Milpitas, Sunnyvale, Alviso, portions of northern San Jose, and other “unincorporated” areas of northeastern Santa Clara County.) Email: dave.cortese@bos.sccgov.org – phone (408)299-5030. (Substitutes for Ken Yeager or Cindy Chavez on the Board as needed.
- Glenn Hendricks, Mayor, City of Sunnyvale. Email: ghendricks@sunnyvale.ca.gov – phone (408)242-8384
- Howard Miller, Vice Mayor, City of Saratoga. Email: hmiller@saratoga.ca.us – phone (408)802-4034.
- Devora “Dev” Davis, San Jose City Council Member, District 6. Email: district6@sanjoseca.gov – phone (408)535-4906. (VTA committee background)
- (VACANT)
VTA General Manager Nuria L. Fernandez’ Contact Info
Nuria L. Feranndez serves as the General Manager of the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA). Here is how to reach Ms. Fernandez:
Nuria L. Fernandez, General Manager Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority 3331 N. First Street, Building B San Jose, CA 95134-1906 phone (408)321-5559 fax (408)955-0891 Email: general.manager@vta.org
The General Manager reports to the VTA Board of Directors, listed above.
I have reported my incident, and trying to make sure I get my complaint out as this is the third time such thing has happened. I am writing to complaint about VTA 181 bus drive leaving early by 2 minutes and refuse to stop the bus even when she sees me. Today was beyond frustrating as she closed the door on my face at 5:33 while the bus is to leave at 5:35 from post and first street to Fremont. This is my third complaint and I don’t see any result or action taken.
Jatinder:
Can we see a copy of your letter to VTA regarding the 181 bus leaving two minutes’ early? I take it you also followed this procedure for reporting this to VTA:
http://www.svtransitusers.org/lobbying/vta/firststeps
Also, if possible, come speak about this at tonight’s VTA Board Of Directors’ meeting at 5:30pm at the County Supervisors’ Chambers, 70 W. Hedding St. (off North 1st Street), San Jose. It’s 1 block north of Civic Center light rail station and the 181 bus stop.
Eugene Bradley
Founder, Silicon Valley Transit Users
Hello Engene,
Thank you for the quick response, I will go ahead and submit my letter regarding the incident. In terms of attending the meeting tonight, I have prior commitment scheduled during the time of the event and will not be able attend. If needed, feel free to read my letter at the meeting as I willl be submitting by noon.
Thank you.
-Jatinder
Drivers leaving time points early is a very common event. It is a daily occurrence in my experience.
Making a single complaint go through your system over this problem is contemptible. You have GPS. You know your driver’s are leaving tps early. Fix this extremely frustrating behavior.
spoke with vta rep about denying vets access to va, they said vets get lots of other benefits and they can take taxi or get friend to drive them also palo alto city shutle duplicates 89. no it does not come anywhere close to 89. this takeaway form our vets is just wrong.
Sandy:
Who was the name of the VTA rep you spoke to re: proposed loss of the 89 bus line?
–eugene