Category: Advocacy

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

Tonight’s VTA Board of Directors’ Meeting

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BART tunnel options won’t be the only things the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) Board Of Directors will discuss this evening.  Besides discussion of “single-bore” vs. “twin-bore” tunnel choices for the BART subway in downtown San Jose, the VTA Board Of Directors will vote on spending over $3 million of your tax dollars on 64 Braun Entervan paratransit vehicles for its ACCESS paratransit program.

The VTA Board will also vote on spending $847,743 of your tax dollars on parts needed to heat and cool the light rail vehicles.

WHEN: This evening at 5:30pm
WHERE: Santa Clara County Supervisors’ Chambers, 70 W. Hedding St., San Jose

Read up on the transit and parking directions you need to this evening’s VTA Board Of Directors meeting.

See you this evening.

Eugene Bradley
Founder, Silicon Valley Transit Users

Transit Events Calendar Now Available…and More

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Per reader request, a local transit events calendar has now been installed on the web site.  The calendar will help list public transit, bike/pedestrian, and paratransit events and meetings hosted by other citizen groups throughout Silicon Valley.  This will include our own live group meetings.

Examples of entries already present in the events calendar:

In the future, the Event Calendar will also include Valley Transportation Authority (VTA)-hosted public workshops and public meetings.

Hear about a public transit, bicycle/pedestrian, or paratransit meeting or event in Santa Clara County or San Mateo County?  Please let us know at least 7 days in advance of the event so that it can be added to the event calendar.

One more thing:  there have been reports of people not receiving confirmation email when subscribing to new posts or comments.  When you initially subscribe to be notified of new posts or comments to posts, please check your “Junk Mail,” “Junk E-Mail” or “SPAM” folders for the confirmation email.  That confirmation email is sent to ensure your email address is not being abused in any manner.  Click the URL link in the confirmation email to confirm your subscription; otherwise, ignore and delete the confirmation email.

Enjoy the rest of this big Bay Area concert weekend safely and sanely.

Eugene Bradley
Founder, Silicon Valley Transit Users

Final “Next Network” Vote This Thursday

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People boarding the VTA 181 express bus to Fremont BART. VTA plans on ending the 181 bus line in December when BART to Berryessa opens for service.

On Thursday, the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) Board of Directors will vote on the final version of their “Next Network” transit service restructuring proposal.

TIME & DATE: Thursday, May 4 @ 5:30pm
PLACE: County Supervisors’ Chambers, Santa Clara Co. Government Center, 70 W. Hedding St., San Jose
GETTING THERE: VTA’s 61, 62, 66 & 181 express bus lines, and VTA light rail, stop one (1) block south of County Government Center, at Civic Center light rail station.

Details on the vote – and how YOU can influence the VTA Board of Directors before Thursday – are below.

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Next Network, Current Concerns

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Huge changes to your bus and light rail service in Santa Clara County will be discussed this week.  At Thursday evening’s VTA Board of Directors’ meeting, the Board members will further discuss what VTA staff proposed under the “Next Network” transit service restructuring proposal.

If you haven’t done so already, read up on VTA’s “Next Network” proposal.  Learn whether or not it may be made harder for you to reach your job, school, or doctor by public transit in Santa Clara County this fall.  This is especially true if you live in Gilroy, Morgan Hill, Almaden Valley, or some parts of Palo Alto, Mountain View or Sunnyvale.  This is also true if you take any of the VTA express buses from Fremont, as they are proposed to be eliminated when BART opens in December.

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Last Meetings For the “Next Network”

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vta staff member presentation at Santa Clara City Council Feb. 7.

VTA staff member presentation at Santa Clara City Council Feb. 7.

The week of February 12 will be of note in parts of San Jose and Gilroy.  The Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) will hold the last three (3) public meetings for its “Next Network” transit service restructuring proposal on Feburary 13, 15 and 16.  The meetings start at 6pm and last about two (2) hours.  VTA has published additional information on your input regarding the “Next Network” so far.

Not only do we have talking points and site information for these three meetings the week of February 12, we also have additional news that has come up.  More information follows…

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