Tag: light rail

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.

 

Transit Options For the Niners’ Really Big Game

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Championship Sunday will be in Silicon Valley today.  The San Francisco 49ers host the Green Bay Packers at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara in the NFC Championship game, with kickoff at 3:40pm.  The winner of the game will go to Miami to play in Super Bowl LIV.  It is the first time Levi’s Stadium will host the NFC Championship game.

Auto traffic will be very heavy for this vital game.  Fortunately, to help you beat the traffic and parking woes, several local transit agencies will provide extra service to and from today’s game.  In particular, extra service from Caltrain, Capitol Corridor, and Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) will be available for football fans for today’s game.

Never rode public transit before in Silicon Valley? Here’s a guide that shows you how.

Because up to 70,000 fans are expected for today’s game, expect standing-room only (SRO) conditions on VTA light rail (especially on the new Orange line) for today’s game.  Such SRO conditions are expected to last until about 7pm, when the game is expected to end.

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