Last week featured a lot of meetings, mishaps, and calls for action in the quest to improve public transit in Silicon Valley. All in a quest to make Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) buses and light rail a more viable alternative to driving. From community meetings in the Alum Rock section of San Jose, to a city council meeting in Sunnyvale, to our own group meeting in San Jose, here are details on what happened last week as “catch-up” material.
Category: Advocacy
Our (and other) transit advocacy efforts in Silicon Valley.
The Evolution of “Hotel 22”
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Hotel 22 Trailer from Elizabeth Lo on Vimeo.
The Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA)’s 22 bus line runs 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. It is Santa Clara County’s only 24-hour public transit service. Because of this, the 22 bus line is infamously known as a place where homeless people who can’t obtain proper shelter end up sleeping overnight. As a result, this bus line is known amongst the homeless population as the “Hotel 22.”
More on the increase in homeless people on additional VTA bus lines and light rail – and what can be done to end homelessness in Silicon Valley – follows.
Rubbing Salt In The Five Wounds Area
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After at least ten years of planning with some local residents in East San Jose, staff from the Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) appeared to have turned the other cheek. It was learned on October 6 that VTA staff have proposed to stop pursuit for funding for a BART stop in the Five Wounds church area (photograph above) in East San Jose as well as a stop in Santa Clara near the Caltrain station there.
The proposal sparked outrage from East San Jose residents and local politicians. Because the community SPOKE UP against on the proposal, VTA has heard residents there and held off on further implementing their proposal. To that end, VTA will have three (3) public meetings in December to further discuss the proposed station cuts, as well as the future of the BART project. Meeting dates, times, and how to get there by bus are below:
- Monday, December 1, 2014 from 6:30pm-8:30pm at the School of Arts and Culture at Mexican Heritage Plaza, 1700 Alum Rock Avenue, San Jose, VTA’s 22, 23, 77, and 522 Rapid bus lines serve the Mexican Heritage Plaza.
- Tuesday, December 2, 2014 from 6:30pm-8:30pm at the VTA Customer Service Center, 55 West Santa Clara Street, San Jose, VTA’s 22, 63, 66, 68, 72, 73, 81, 82, and 522 Rapid bus lines stop near the Center. The Customer Service Center is also a 3 minute walk from the Santa Clara light rail station.
- Tuesday, December 9 from 6:30pm-8:30pm at Santa Clara University, Locatelli Hall – Building 710
500 El Camino Real in Santa Clara. VTA’s 22, 60, 81 and 522 Rapid bus lines serve the area.
If you care about having future BART stops in East San Jose or Santa Clara, come to either or all of these PUBLIC meetings.
Eugene Bradley
Founder, Silicon Valley Transit Users
Open House in Sunnyvale This Evening
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Sunnyvale City Councilmember – and VTA Board Member – David Whittum invited us all to an open house VTA is having in Sunnyvale from 5:30pm-7:30pm. Live or work in Sunnyvale, Mountain View, Palo Alto, Los Altos, Los Altos Hills or Cupertino? Tonight’s open house in Sunnyvale is something you must make the time to attend and SPEAK UP if you want better transit service in the area. –eugene
Yes, They Heard You
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Transit-wise, yesterday’s first San Francisco 49ers pre-season football game at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara was much improved from two weeks ago.
Additional details – and more improvements that need to be made – will be posted this evening.
Eugene Bradley
Founder, Silicon Valley Transit Users