Tag: saratoga

VTA’s Big Ask…and More

The November 3 Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) Board Of Directors’ meeting had lots of information discussed. Among key issues discussed:

  • Proposals to speed up light rail thru downtown San Jose.
  • Why there have been so many bus service cancellations on some routes in the last two months.
  • A change in how VTA applies for federal funding for extending BART into downtown San Jose.

Feel free to view the Board meeting in its entirety above. Meanwhile, here’s what was discussed November 3, in order of Agenda items. Links in listed show what was discussed, approximately at that moment.

Big Biennial Budget

Inside the Santa Clara County Supervisors' chambers.

Inside the Santa Clara County Supervisors’ chambers where VTA Board Of Directors’ meetings are held.

It’s transit budget time again.  Thursday’s Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) Board Of Directors meeting will be where they vote to approve – or reject – their proposed budget for the 2020 and 2021 Fiscal Year (FY).

Details on what VTA proposes – and our own alternate to fund additional, much-needed bus increases in Santa Clara County – are below.

Next Network “Phase II” From VTA

One week after Measure B’s passage, more bus service reductions in Santa Clara County are being discussed.  At a workshop today in San Jose, the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) will propose to staff “an “85/15 balance between ridership-purposed and coverage-purposed services.”  What this could potentially mean:

If VTA pursues a more ridership-purposed transit network, routes that would be leading candidates to be decreased or discontinued are coverage-purposed routes located in the low density areas of Palo Alto, Mountain View, Los Altos, Saratoga, Los Gatos, Morgan Hill, Gilroy and the Almaden Valley, East Hills and Evergreen areas of San Jose. Some of the riders in these areas depend on VTA for transportation and VTA is exploring alternatives to retain their mobility while lowering the per-ride subsidy that VTA currently pays, which generally ranges from double to triple the system-wide average per-ride subsidy.

Where VTA’s “Next Network” workshop will be held:

TIME & DATE: November 18 at 2:00pm
PLACE: VTA Auditorium at VTA’s River Oaks headquarters, 3331 N. First Street, San Jose
GETTING THERE: VTA’s headquarters is across the street from River Oaks light rail station.  It is also served bh the 58 bus line.

Special thanks to @CALHSR on Twitter for informing our group of this news item.

More information on VTA’s proposal will be posted this weekend.

Eugene Bradley
Founder, Silicon Valley Transit Users