Category: Advocacy

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

VTA Seeks To Suppress Riders’ Voices

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People wait to speak at a VTA Board meeting in San Jose.
People wait to speak at a VTA Board meeting in San Jose.

VTA and consultants are proposing to further limit public comments from citizens like YOU. If approved, the proposal would apply to all future VTA Board Of Directors’ meetings, Committee meetings, and workshops. The draft proposal is attached here for your review.

Public comment on the above staff recommendation (limited to ONE minute or less) will be heard at VTA’s “Governance and Audit” Committee” on Thursday, October 7th at 4:00PM (item #5) time permitting. This will allow the VTA Board Meeting to start promptly at 5:30PM.

More on what YOU can do to stop this proposal is below.

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Stop Leaving Us Stranded, VTA!

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Tried to take a Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) lately? Ever been left stranded due to the bus being at its safe capacity limits? You’re not alone. The chart above shows nearly 1,400 riders per day are stranded by full VTA buses who pass them. That’s enough to fill two sections of the where the Sharks, 49ers, or Earthquakes play at. Bus lines like the 22, 25, 66, and 68 are just some examples where we’ve read reports of riders left stranded.

VTA has the money, courtesy of the Federal government, to fix this NOW. They also have the money to help improve safety on its bus and light rail fleet NOW. Here’s details on how YOU, me, and our fellow riders can make VTA make it happen…

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Public Transit In Dire Straits

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Riders boarding VTA’s 68 bus in San Jose.

Public transit service in Silicon Valley – and throughout the nation – is in dire straits.  Many factors have caused large losses in ridership and fares for transit agencies like the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) and other transit agencies nationwide.  Among these factors:

Also, lost revenue from sales taxes and gas taxes have caused VTA and other transit agencies in the nation to have large operating shortfalls.  One result locally: a proposal by VTA to reduce transit service by as much as 30%.  If approved, service reductions would take effect on February 8, 2021.

Read and learn how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected VTA and other transit agencies nationwide.  We’ll also have ways people like YOU can help prevent massive service cuts that VTA is proposing now.

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Here We Go Again

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Could another assault on working families, the elderly, and the disabled be on the horizon?  That may soon be the case.  This Friday morning at 9:00am, the Board of Directors of the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) will discuss a proposal to reduce bus and light rail service by as much as 30% next year.

If at all possible, speak up during Public Comment at the VTA Board of Directors’ workshop on Friday morning at 9:00am.  There, Board Members will discuss the service cut proposals on Agenda Item 3.1. Let the VTA Board know what public transit means to YOU, and that they must do whatever is needed to preserve your bus service.  One of the VTA Board members supports use of 2016 Measure B funding to preserve as much transit service as possible.

Here’s information on how YOU can be heard in the online teleconference by computer or your own telephone.

View the video of the teleconference above, starting at 9am Friday morning.

More information on what you can do to help stave off VTA’s latest service cut proposal will be posted this weekend.

Eugene Bradley
Founder & CEO, Silicon Valley Transit Users

Monica Mallon contributed to this report.

 

Show Them YOU Matter

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VTA artic bus 8335

VTA articulated bus 8335.

Your help is needed again, at the regional transit level.  On Monday, help the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) get more funding from part II of the COVID-19 CARES Act Federal Stimulus package.  You can do this at the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) Transit Recovery Task Force meeting at 2pm.  There, they will discuss how to divvy up the remaining funds for other Bay Area transit agencies.

We’ve been informed that all 27 transit agencies in the Bay Area are fighting over the funds now.  VTA is advocating for one funding option (2b) that includes equity in the formula used to distribute the funds.  Meanwhile, other agencies like BART and Caltrain are fighting against it.

Here’s more of what YOU can do to help on Monday afternoon.

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