Category: Advocacy

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

TAKE ACTION! Ensure Public Transit Stays In the State Budget Proposal

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Riders boarding Caltrain in Mountain View station. Front of the train is on the right, with its lights on. Passengers boarding and alighting are on the left.
Riders boarding Caltrain in Mountain View.

California Governor Gavin Newsom’s latest state budget proposal cuts funding for public transit. If passed into law in June, it would result in fare hikes and service reductions for many transit agencies throughout California. This as several key Bay Area transit agencies like Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) and Caltrain struggle to regain pre-COVID pandemic ridership. This also occurs as many public transit agencies are running out of federal COVID relief funding to run their buses and trains.

Our group is part of a coalition to have the California State Legislature pass “gap” funding in the State Budget until public transit agencies pass their own operations funding means.

Read more on what’s going on, and how YOU can get involved.

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TAKE ACTION! How YOU Can Support VTA’s Service Increase Proposal

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Several people are seated aboard a VTA bus moving within the City of San Jose. Seats have grey backs. Camera faces front of bus.
Several people are seated aboard a VTA bus.

Yes, you read that correctly. The Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) has just formalized a proposal to radically increase bus and light rail service in Santa Clara County. That proposal will start to go thru various committees at VTA starting this week.

Fellow public transit advocate Monica Mallon informs us that VTA’s “Visionary Network” proposal envisions an 83% increase in bus and light rail service throughout Santa Clara County. This would take place over the next few years, should the proposal be approved by the VTA’s Board of Directors at their June 1 meeting. Read Monica’s blog for details.

Here’s more on VTA’s service increase proposal, how transit riders will benefit, and how YOU can help make it happen.

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Help Plan VTA’s Future

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Video courtesy VTA.

We’ve learned the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) seeks ideas from YOU on the future of transportation in Santa Clara County. Starting TONIGHT at 6pm online, is the first of several meetings VTA is holding to help plan public transit (as well as walking, biking, paratransit and highway projects) for Santa Clara County’s future.

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Some VTA Buses Couldn’t Take the Heat

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People waiting for VTA's 60 bus at Santa Clara Train Station.
People waiting for VTA’s 60 bus at Santa Clara Train Station.

September 6 featured record high temperatures in Santa Clara County. One result of this, we learned, was that the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) had to take 40 buses out of service that day. This was covered in the Mercury News (via East Bay Times) and CBS Bay Area.

Below highlights what was learned directly from VTA on what else happened that hot dayIt’s deeper than what has been reported in the press on this matter. Read and learn for more details.

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