A key committee at the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) voted yesterday to further restrict your voice at meetings. In a unanimous vote, VTA’s Governance and Audit Committee voted to continue to allow public speakers only one (1) minute at Board meetings, and two (2) minutes at Committee meetings.
Highlights of yesterday’s vote at VTA are below.
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.
The transit riders are starting their fight back. On September 5, more than 20 people made themselves heard at the Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) Board Of Directors’ meeting. Their prime demand: reallocate 2016 Measure B funding that would have gone to highway construction, to fund increased bus and light rail service in Santa Clara County. View the video above (starting at the 26:00 mark) for how these people – myself included are fighting back.
A HUGE “Thank You” goes to those who spoke up at the September 5 VTA meeting. A story on San Jose Spotlight has more details. A follow-up letter will be sent to VTA management inquiring on the date and time of a workshop where reallocation will be discussed.
This weekend, we will have additional tips on how people like YOU can help make public transit in Santa Clara County better for everyone.
Eugene Bradley
Founder & CEO, Silicon Valley Transit Users