Silicon Valley local and regional bus news.
This is a big summer weekend in Silicon Valley. First, there’s the 2017 Gilroy Garlic Festival in South County happening this weekend. Also, you have two concerts this Saturday and Sunday night at the SAP Center in downtown San Jose. Finally, there is a San Jose Earthquakes soccer match vs. Colorado at Avaya Stadium in San Jose on Saturday afternoon at 4:45pm.
This transit guide will detail the bus and rail alternatives to traffic gridlock and parking hassles.
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…
Numerous Cupertino residents provided comments at tonight's Next
Network meeting. pic.twitter.com/imfpcYMSd5— VTA (@VTA) January 19, 2017
For transit in Silicon Valley, 2017 is off to a fast start. In addition to changing its logo, colors, and tagline, the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) is holding meetings in January and February to take your input on its “Next Network” bus and light rail service restructuring proposal. Recall VTA’s prior bus service restructuring in 2008 which has been documented, as a guide.
If approved by the VTA Board of Directors in April, changes will take affect this fall.
Public meetings have already been held in cities like San Jose and Milpitas, with more to follow until the end of February. More on the VTA’s “Next Network” proposal – and some of our thoughts on it so far – are below.
Due to city sewer replacement work, the Palo Alto Transit Center will be closed for bus service until January 27. As a result, SamTrans and Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) bus riders must board buses on El Camino Real and Quarry, near Stanford Shopping Center. Here is the SamTrans bus boarding plan and the VTA bus boarding plan during the work. Staff from both agencies are expected to be on hand to assist those who need transfers between these buses and Caltrain. Meanwhile, Caltrain will still serve the Transit Center.
The first Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) Board of Directors’ meeting in 2017 will have a different site. Due to a power outage at the County Government Offices, the VTA Board meeting was moved to the auditorium at VTA’s headquarters at 3331 N. First Street in San Jose. Elaine Baltao, VTA Board Secretary, informed me around 11:30am about this move.
You can get to VTA’s headquarters by taking light rail to River Oaks light rail station, or the 58 bus line. Here is a map of the area.
Up for discussion at this Board of Directors’ meeting:
Note the new meeting place for tonight’s VTA Board of Directors’ meeting. See you this evening.
Eugene Bradley
Founder, Silicon Valley Transit Users