Diane Solomon, host and producer at KKUP-FM in San Jose, informed us of an opportunity for you to help make public transit better in San Jose. The Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) is still looking for someone who lives or works in San Jose to serve as a voice for public transit on its Bicycle Pedestrian Advisory Committee (BPAC).
As a BPAC member, you will have the ear of key decision-makers at VTA at staff level.
You would representing the City of San Jose as a public transit rider, as a member of VTA’s BPAC. The city committee’s next meeting to discuss this is this coming Monday at 6pm. More details on what is required for you to be a representative on this committee, follow.
Table of Contents
Background
Our City of San José’s Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee (BPAC) has a seat that needs to be filled on VTA’s Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee.
Ryan is the City of San José staffer who serves the City of San José’s Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee. Ryan is a member of our City’s Department of Transportation’s Active Transportation group.
Our City’s BPAC’s mission is to help the City of San José’s Department of Transportation, its Trails–and the City’s other related programs–meet the needs of bicyclists, pedestrians, and those who do not use automobiles, to travel within San José. An important element of this mission is to improve public safety. Please see our BPAC’s Bylaws to learn the specifics of our BPAC’s influence.
San Jose and VTA BPAC Benefits
Here are the benefits of serving the City of San José and VTA BPACs:
VTA’s BPAC consists of members who represent each of our County’s 15 cities plus a member who represents the Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition and the County as a whole.
When VTA’s BPAC meet, key members of VTA departments seek advice and guidance on the VTA policies and projects that affect bicyclists, pedestrians, and multimodal/non-automotive safety. Pedestrians include those who use public transit.
VTA could learn first hand from a Silicon Valley transit user, what VTA must do to better serve its transit riders. A member of this VTA BPAC will not only receive first-hand knowledge on what is in the works with respect to VTA’s efforts to make its infrastructure projects and public transit safer.
MORE effective, this member will be able to provide useful information to VTA that will help VTA make better choices to improve the access to and safety of public transit.
A member of this VTA BPAC will also have the ears of the other the VTA BPAC members.
A member of this VTA BPAC will have the opportunity to report on what is learned to the City of San José’s BPAC, and to other groups as needed.
If a member serves on the VTA BPAC, this person will also provide the much needed input to the City of San José’s Department of Transportation and its BPAC that will result in improved access and safety to public transport users.
San Jose BPAC Requirements
Requirements to serve as the City of San José’s VTA BPAC member:
- Live and or work in San José.
- Has a desire to help the City of San José and Santa Clara County improve the safety of those who use public transportation to travel within these regions.
- Attend the VTA BPAC’s monthly meeting. They usually meet on the Wednesday following the first Thursday of each month at VTA River Oaks Campus, 3331 North First Street, Conference Room B-106, at 6:30 p.m.
- Represent the City of San José by reporting to San José’s BPAC the findings learned at the VTA BPAC meetings.
- Attendance at San José BPAC meetings can be done in person or online via Zoom access. San José’s BPAC meets ten times per year, usually on the fourth Monday of the month. Meetings are from 6:15pm to 8:15pm at San José’s City Hall or online via Zoom.
- A member of the VTA BPAC may attend via Zoom and doesn’t have to attend the entire San José BPAC meeting. Their report could be placed at the beginning of our San José BPAC meeting.
- Is willing to share what is learned with us and other organizations
More about the City of San José’s BPAC is written in its Bylaws.
Conclusion and Contact Info
I’ve served on our City’s BPAC and have attended its meetings for many years. I’ve also attended VTA BPAC meeting. Absent from the meetings I have attended were individuals who regularly used our Valley’s public transportation.
A member of VTA’s BPAC who rides public transit has a lot to offer both VTA and the City of San José
If you have any questions, please feel free to email Ryan or to call or text me.
Thank you and the SVTU for your consideration and attention,
Diane
1-408-297-2239
Eugene Bradley
Founder, Silicon Valley Transit Users