A new name for a popular bike sharing program. A reopening date for the rebuilt Transbay Terminal is revealed. A better group calendar. One of our members starts an online group for Highway 17 Express Bus riders. Finally, our newest member gets commended by a San Jose City Council member.
Read on more details…
The budget for the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) has been approved. Also, light rail is officially on its way to Eastridge Mall. The video above chronicles last night’s VTA Board Of Directors’ meeting.
Read on for more highlights on how our transit funding proposal was received….
It pains me to say this, from the bottom of my heart.
Due to personal issues, I must step down indefinitely from my role as group founder and informal leader of the Silicon Valley Transit Users.
I have asked Judy Purrington to take over running the group. I am also requesting that Dwayne Williams, Andrew Boone, and Adina Levin help run the group as well in my absence. I have also asked a new rising star on the local transit advocacy scene, Monica Mallon, to help run things as well. All of this as VTA tries to reduce transit service in Silicon Valley Yet Again. One other task: find a group alternative to Yahoo! Groups as it has proven to be unstable.
More below…
California’s State Supreme Court has just spoken on the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority’s (VTA) 2016 Measure B. Their final verdict: reject a petition filed by Cheriel Jensen of Saratoga thru lawyer Gary B. Wesley to review voter approved 2016 Measure B.
According to the Mercury News story on this issue, millions of your sales tax dollars have now been freed up for highway and public transit projects. According to VTA, this money was held in escrow while 2016 Measure B was deliberated in the courts. VTA also mentions the following in its followup on the story:
VTA is now working to get this matter back to the trial court for a final order so that the funds may be released. The funds, currently kept in an escrow account until the suit is resolved, stand at roughly $340M. This process, which seeks a “final and non-appealable” decision by the court could take approximately one month.
It’s now official that 2016 Measure B sales tax money will soon be in play. Given this, what are your thoughts? Please discuss this in the comments section below.
Eugene Bradley
Founder, Silicon Valley Transit Users
Express light rail service in Silicon Valley won’t be the only era ending October 8. That morning, Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA)’s 180 and 181 express bus service will shift to the new Warm Springs BART station from Fremont BART station. These are all part of VTA’s service changes to the transit system, effective Monday, October 8.
This move ends an era of express bus service between Santa Clara County to Fremont BART station that can be traced back to 1974. One picture taken from 1979 features what was then the 66 bus line, linking Fremont BART station to Santa Teresa Hospital.
One other result to these changes: VTA buses will no longer serve bus stops in Fremont. This means passengers will likely have to take AC Transit’s 217 bus to Warm Springs BART, then transfer to VTA’s 180/181 express buses.
What are your thoughts to these changes? Please comment below.
Eugene Bradley
Founder, Silicon Valley Transit Users