Tag: San Jose

VTA’s Incredible Shrinking Bus Ridership

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A bus ridership crisis at the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) has publicly reared its head. Gary Richards of the San Jose Mercury News reports on how VTA bus ridership has dropped 23% since 2001. Richards’ report details highlights of a presentation from worldwide transit planner Jarrett Walker detailing solutions to the bus ridership crisis.

More details on that story, the report, and what YOU can do follow after the jump.

AUDIO: Silicon Valley’s Housing & Transit Crisis

On March 31 in Mountain View, more than 40 people gathered at the Adobe House near the Mountain View Caltrain station. There, they heard Kim Mai-Cutler speak about the affordable housing and transit shortages currently affecting Silicon Valley.  The speech and gathering were organized by the Friends of Caltrain.

As you will hear in the recording above, some of the solutions discussed by Ms. Cutler and the audience, besides the need for additional, affordable housing, include:

  • Citizens must better educate themselves on who the decision-makers are at the city and transit (VTA) level, and lobby for improvements at both levels.
  • Citizens must also educate themselves on where the money goes at the local and state level NOW for housing and transportation. (A future blog post will have more on the transportation aspect of this.)
  • Citizens must realize that they cannot complain about increasing traffic and diminishing quality of life while blocking anything to improve both.

Please comment your own solutions to Silicon Valley’s affordable housing and transit shortage crisis below. Also, comment what YOU would be willing to do at the local government level to make such solutions happen.

Eugene Bradley
Founder, Silicon Valley Transit Users

February 2016 Group Meeting Agenda

Here is the meeting agenda and other details for our upcoming meeting February 23 at 6:00pm in San Jose
  • status on the Alum Rock Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project and what we can do to ensure it’s completed properly
  • how to report good (and bad) VTA bus/light rail operators, and early/late/no-show buses/light rail
  • an update on the likelyhood of another transit sales tax vote this fall
  • any other idea you want the group to pursue to make VTA run better and more efficient

Here is a map and directions showing how to get to the San Jose Peace and Justice Center. The Center is only one (1) block north of the San Jose State University campus.

Plan on driving to our meeting? There is limited FREE parking in the back of the Peace & Justice Center. There is also limited on-street parking nearby and at the Grocery Outlet lot on Santa Clara Street.

Can’t make it to our group meeting? You can dial in to our group meeting by calling (415)655-0001. When prompted, use PIN # 194 171 125 as the meeting number. Note that you must dial in after 5:55pm and that there is limited space.

Bring a pencil/pen and paper with you to our meeting for note taking. Also, be ready to start taking action on what we discuss.

See you next Tuesday. Please distribute this invitation to everyone where (legally) permitted. ALL ARE WELCOME!

Eugene Bradley
Founder, Silicon Valley Transit Users

 

 

Merry Christmas!

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On behalf of the Silicon Valley Transit Users, I want to wish everyone a Merry Christmas.  I especially wish a Merry Christmas to those who cannot be with their families.

Today, many transit agencies serving Silicon Valley (VTA, SamTrans, are running a Sunday/Holiday schedule.  Also, Altamont Corridor Express (ACE) rail service and Dumbarton Express buses will not run today, with service resuming on Monday.

Flying to or from San Jose? Read our transit guide for VTA and other bus service to and from Mineta San Jose International Airport to help you beat traffic gridlock.

Taking Greyhound or Megabus to or from San Jose? Our transit guides to the Greyhound bus station in downtown San Jose and Diridon Station for Megabus help you beat traffic. Note that Diridon Station also serves Caltrain, Amtrak buses and trains, VTA buses and light rail, Monterey-Salinas Transit buses, and Highway 17 Express bus service to Santa Cruz.

Doing any last-minute or post-Christmas shopping? Our transit guide to shopping centers and malls throughout Silicon Valley helps you beat parking hassles and traffic gridlock. You will always have a parking spot when you take a bus or train to shop.

Make sure to stay safe out there this Christmas holiday season.  See you on the bus or train.

Eugene Bradley
Founder, Silicon Valley Transit Users

 

First VTA Board Meeting Of 2015 Tonight

This evening, the very first Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) Board of Directors meeting of 2015 will take place.

Amongst the items the Board will vote on, according to their meeting agenda (Adobe PDF Document):

  • Initial remarks from Perry Woodward of Gilroy, who will chair the VTA Board this year
  • Approving or rejecting an initial study for a new parking structure at the Tamien Light Rail Station area
  • Approve or reject spending $11.7 million of your money on a construction contract to construct Phase II of the Mountain View Light Rail double-tracking program.

The meeting site is the County Supervisors’ Chambers at the County Government Offices 70 W. Hedding Street (at North First Street) in San Jose.  The County Government Offices are one block north of the Civic Center light rail station and the bus stop for VTA’s 61, 62, 66 and 181 express bus lines. Plan on driving to the VTA Board Meeting? There’s free on-street parking in front of and across Hedding Street from the County Government Offices, starting right at 5:30pm.

Want to speak at tonight’s VTA Board of Directors meeting? Here are some rules and procedures you need to follow to get your voice properly heard.

See you this evening!

Eugene Bradley
Founder, Silicon Valley Transit Users