Category: Advocacy

Our (and other) transit advocacy efforts in Silicon Valley.

VTA “Strategic Plan Update” Meeting On Wednesday

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Long-term planning or ballot measure publicity stunt?  This question will be answered on Wednesday in San Jose, as the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) has a “Strategic Plan update” meeting in room B106 at its River Oaks headquarters.

VTA’s headquarters are at 3331 N. First Street in San Jose.  It’s served by the 58 bus line and is at River Oaks light rail station.

Read the VTA Strategic Plan (10.9MB Adobe Acrobat PDF) here.

One thing that stands out in the plan so far: how VTA running transit (bus and light rail) service while building toll lane/highway “improvement” projects contradict one another.  Is VTA supposed to help get people “out of their cars and onto transit” or is VTA supposed to keep people in their cars?  VTA is one of the few agencies in the nation where road building and transit providing are performed by the same agency.

What do YOU think about VTA’s Strategic Plan update? What would you have VTA do differently to make it more efficient and beneficial to every Santa Clara County resident?

I’ll be at this meeting on Wednesday.  See you there.

Eugene Bradley
Founder, Silicon Valley Transit Users

Bus Crashes On Both Coasts

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Photo courtesy nj.com

Early Friday morning, two New Jersey Transit buses crashed into each other in downtown Newark, NJ. Two people – including the driver of one of the buses – died as a result of the crash.  Seven bus passengers are in critical condition at a nearby hospital.

According to the Associated Press (AP), investigators are determining whether the bus driver killed in the crash ran a red light.  The same AP report mentioned that the intersection the bus crash occurred was one of the first in New Jersey to feature surveillance cameras that caught red light violators. That surveillance camera program was discontinued in 2014 amid controversy.

Later on Friday, in downtown Palo Alto, a Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) bus jumped the curb and hit some newspaper racks after making a right turn.  While Palo Alto Online reported that no one was , it is rather interesting to note that the driver was allowed to continue the route on another bus.  This is something worth asking VTA, I have never heard of this practice after an incident involving a bus and passengers.

On behalf of the Silicon Valley Transit Users, our condolences go out to the hurt and perished in the Newark bus crash.

Let’s all be careful when riding – and driving the buses and trains…

Eugene Bradley
Founder, Silicon Valley Transit Users

WATCH: VTA “Next Network” Meeting In San Jose

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lnUtskyeLIY

For the second time in a decade, VTA is redesigning its bus network. Its goal is to make transit “more usable and cost effective, and to maximize connections with BART.”

Tonight at 6pm, VTA staff will have a presentation at San Jose City Hall detailing its proposed bus network restructuring plan.

The in-person meeting details are below, followed by the live stream that will play at the top of the page starting at 6pm SHARP. Details on how to get to San Jose City Hall are below.

San Jose City Hall (Rooms 118-120)
200 East Santa Clara Street, San Jose, CA, 95113

Light Rail and many VTA bus lines like the 22, 23, 522 Rapid, 64, 66 and 68 stop within a 2-block walk of San Jose City Hall.

What do YOU think about VTA’s bus network restructuring proposal? Please comment below.

See you at San Jose City Hall at 6pm tonight.

Eugene Bradley
Founder, Silicon Valley Transit Users

WATCH: Envision Silicon Valley Meeting in Santa Clara

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HgrN4ymE5ho

As a reminder: our group will be meeting VTA in Santa Clara, where they will detail their proposed transit sales tax measure.  That meeting will take place at 7pm at the Locatelli Student Activity Center at Santa Clara University, 500 El Camino Real, in Santa Clara. Here are transit directions to Santa Clara University, served by several rail lines and several VTA bus lines.

Can’t make it to Santa Clara tonight? VTA will also live-stream video via YouTube. The live stream starts at 7pm SHARP.

See you tonight!

Eugene Bradley
Founder, Silicon Valley Transit Users

From Tonight’s VTA Board Of Directors Meeting

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Tonight’s VTA Board of Directors meeting in San Jose is expected to be rather light on issues to be discussed.  Join me as I will bring up a few issues regarding Envision Silicon Valley during the Public Comments at the beginning of the meeting.

TIME & DATE: Thursday, May 5 at 5:30pm
PLACE: County Supervisors’ Chambers at the Santa Clara County Government Center, 70 W. Hedding Street, San Jose
GETTING THERE: VTA Light Rail and the 61, 62, 66 and 181 bus lines stop 1 block south of the Government Center, at Civic Center light rail station.  Starting at 5:30pm, free parking is available along W. Hedding, across the street from the Government Center.

Read up on how to ensure your voice is heard at any VTA Board meeting (or workshop).

See you at the VTA Board meeting tonight.

Eugene Bradley
Founder, Silicon Valley Transit Users