This is a big summer weekend in Silicon Valley. First, there’s the 2017 Gilroy Garlic Festival in South County happening this weekend. Also, you have two concerts this Saturday and Sunday night at the SAP Center in downtown San Jose. Finally, there is a San Jose Earthquakes soccer match vs. Colorado at Avaya Stadium in San Jose on Saturday afternoon at 4:45pm.
This transit guide will detail the bus and rail alternatives to traffic gridlock and parking hassles.
VTA staff member presentation at Santa Clara City Council Feb. 7.
The week of February 12 will be of note in parts of San Jose and Gilroy. The Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) will hold the last three (3) public meetings for its “Next Network” transit service restructuring proposal on Feburary 13, 15 and 16. The meetings start at 6pm and last about two (2) hours. VTA has published additional information on your input regarding the “Next Network” so far.
Not only do we have talking points and site information for these three meetings the week of February 12, we also have additional news that has come up. More information follows…
Numerous Cupertino residents provided comments at tonight's Next
Network meeting. pic.twitter.com/imfpcYMSd5— VTA (@VTA) January 19, 2017
For transit in Silicon Valley, 2017 is off to a fast start. In addition to changing its logo, colors, and tagline, the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) is holding meetings in January and February to take your input on its “Next Network” bus and light rail service restructuring proposal. Recall VTA’s prior bus service restructuring in 2008 which has been documented, as a guide.
If approved by the VTA Board of Directors in April, changes will take affect this fall.
Public meetings have already been held in cities like San Jose and Milpitas, with more to follow until the end of February. More on the VTA’s “Next Network” proposal – and some of our thoughts on it so far – are below.
One week after Measure B’s passage, more bus service reductions in Santa Clara County are being discussed. At a workshop today in San Jose, the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) will propose to staff “an “85/15 balance between ridership-purposed and coverage-purposed services.” What this could potentially mean:
If VTA pursues a more ridership-purposed transit network, routes that would be leading candidates to be decreased or discontinued are coverage-purposed routes located in the low density areas of Palo Alto, Mountain View, Los Altos, Saratoga, Los Gatos, Morgan Hill, Gilroy and the Almaden Valley, East Hills and Evergreen areas of San Jose. Some of the riders in these areas depend on VTA for transportation and VTA is exploring alternatives to retain their mobility while lowering the per-ride subsidy that VTA currently pays, which generally ranges from double to triple the system-wide average per-ride subsidy.
Where VTA’s “Next Network” workshop will be held:
TIME & DATE: November 18 at 2:00pm
PLACE: VTA Auditorium at VTA’s River Oaks headquarters, 3331 N. First Street, San Jose
GETTING THERE: VTA’s headquarters is across the street from River Oaks light rail station. It is also served bh the 58 bus line.
Special thanks to @CALHSR on Twitter for informing our group of this news item.
https://twitter.com/CALHSR/status/799401608622682112
More information on VTA’s proposal will be posted this weekend.
Eugene Bradley
Founder, Silicon Valley Transit Users
The first of the debates for Measure B took place on Monday. At the Santa Clara County Democratic Club at Harry’s Hofbrau in San Jose, both sides debated Measure B – VTA’s latest transportation sales tax proposal. Santa Clara County Supervisor and current VTA Board Chair Cindy Chavez debated the for side. Gladwyn D’Souza, San Carlos Belmont Group Chair at Sierra Club’s Loma Prieta Chapter, debated the against side.
Who do YOU think won last night’s Measure B debate? Please comment below.
Eugene Bradley
Founder, Silicon Valley Transit Users