Tag: transportation

National Championship Transit Options

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Levi’s Stadium, east of Great America light rail station.

College football’s national championship game comes to the Bay Area for the first time.  On January 7 at 5pm, college football’s National Championship game will take place at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara.  The Clemson Tigers face the Alabama Crimson Tide for major college football’s national championship.

This post will help detail Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) public transit options to and from fan events in San Jose and Santa Clara on January 4-7.  These options help you beat expected traffic gridlock, parking woes, and potential road rage incidents at the events.  This post will also help detail a local guide for first-time public transit riders – especially those visiting San Jose and Santa Clara from out of town.  Read on below for more information…

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Fight For Bike Lanes On El Camino Real In Palo Alto

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Palo Alto Mayor Liz Kniss. Photo courtesy of City Of Palo Alto.

Live in Palo Alto?  Do shopping or other business in Palo Alto?  Ride a bicycle in Palo Alto?  Andrew Boone from East Palo Alto posted this message in a Facebook group.  As a public service, I am forwarding this message here.

Do YOU want BIKE LANES on El Camino Real in Palo Alto?

Call Palo Alto Mayor Liz Kniss at 650-888-8671 and respectfully request that the “El Camino Real Complete Streets” project to re-envision the Royal Road between Stanford Avenue and Lambert Avenue to “create a safe and healthy place for pedestrians and bicyclists” be placed on an upcoming Palo Alto City Council agenda. The city won a grant in 2016 to re-design El Camino Real and has begun the public input process, but the project hasn’t ever been discussed by the City Council.

It’s important for the Palo Alto City Council to hear from the public and then discuss this project even if they are not making any decisions about it soon. We need City Council support to have any hope of achieving the project’s goals.

What do YOU think about Palo Alto creating a safe and accessible El Camino Real for people of all ages using all modes of transportation in accordance with state Complete Streets law? Do YOU think Palo Alto should follow state law, or continuing ignoring state law?

Palo Alto Mayor Liz Kniss
telephone 650-888-8671
email: liz.kniss@cityofpaloalto.org

City of Palo Alto project page has more information on the proposal.

Eugene Bradley
Founder, Silicon Valley Transit Users

San Jose Mayor Liccardo Wants More VTA Service Cuts

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San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo wants to repeat failed history.  In his first Chairperson’s Report at the January 4 Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) Board Of Directors’ meeting, he advocated for further reductions in VTA transit service to help close a $20 million operating deficit this fiscal year, and a $26 million operating deficit in 2019.  He announced the formation of a committee to address VTA’s structural operating deficit, and provide solutions.  The gist of Mayor Liccardo’s comments start at the 2:00 mark of the audio clip above.

Learn more about how this service cut strategy fails to resolve any VTA operating deficit – and what YOU can proactively do to change history in your favor – below.

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Next Group Meeting Next Sunday In Cupertino

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Instead of our usual group meeting in San Jose this coming Thursday, let’s instead meet on a Sunday afternoon in Cupertino.  There, Better Cupertino will host a public meeting on regional planning, and what must be done to solve the Bay Area’s transportation, housing, and infrastructure maintenance needs.

Register for the FREE meeting here.  This will give the hosts a proper headcount.

WHEN: Sunday, October 29th from 3pm-5pm
WHERE: Cupertino Community Hall, 10350 Torre Ave. (between Rodrigues Ave. and Pacifica Dr.), Cupertino
GETTING THERE: Cupertino Community Hall is 1.5 blocks south of Stevens Creek Blvd. and S. De Anza Blvd. It’s a 5-10 minute walk from VTA’s 55 bus line at S. De Anza Blvd and Sunrise Dr. It’s also a 10-15 minute walk from the VTA’s 23 and 323 limited stop bus lines at Stevens Creek Blvd. and S. De Anza Blvd.

I’ll see you all on October 29 in Cupertino.

Eugene Bradley
Founder, Silicon Valley Transit Users

September VTA Meeting Summary…With a Feeling

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Last month, I wanted to experiment with providing a brief summary of a Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) Board Of Directors meeting.  Your feedback demanded more information be provided for such summaries.  So, in the future, more detail will be provided for such summaries.

That said, the September 7 VTA Board Of Directors Meeting and follow-up workshops revealed a potential conflict of interest in a formed sales tax measure watchdog group. They also confirmed routing for two bus lines, once the BART extension to Milpitas and Berryessa comes online.  Finally, conflict was revealed between VTA and BART over how a tunnel for BART in downtown San Jose should be built.

Detailed information on all of this (in chronological order) is below.

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