Tag: gilroy

Next Network “Phase II” From VTA

by  • 

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

Hoedown At the Hofbrau

by  • 

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

First VTA Board Meeting Of 2015 Tonight

by  • 

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

Bus Service To This Weekend’s 36th Annual Gilroy Garlic Festival

by  • 

The 36th annual Gilroy Garlic Festival takes place this weekend at Christmas Hill Park, 7050 Miller Ave., in Gilroy.

This year’s festival features three up and coming country music artists playing at the main stage on Saturday. This is in addition to the multitude of garlic and garlic-based cooking available at the festival this weekend.

Free secure bicycle parking is available on Miller Ave. at the levee (Uvas Parkway). Make sure to bring your own lock.

Believe it or not, there are several transit options available to and from the festival area. For instance, from San Jose Diridon Station and downtown San Jose, catch VTA’s 68 bus line to the end of the line at the Gilroy Transit Center. VTA’s 68 bus line typically runs every 30 minutes on weekends.

Alternately, you can catch Monterey-Salinas Transit’s 55 express bus to Gilroy Transit Center. The bus also stops in Morgan Hill after leaving downtown San Jose. Buses typically leave San Jose Diridon Station at 9:15am and 2:05pm, reaching Gilroy about an hour later depending on traffic on Highway 101. Return buses to San Jose leave Gilroy Caltrain Station at 11:15am and 4:16pm, reaching San Jose Diridon Station about 1 hour later depending on traffic.

At the Gilroy Transit Center, transfer to VTA’s 18 bus line to Gilroy High School at W. 10th and Princevalle Streets. On weekends, the 18 bus runs hourly, with the last bus leaving Gilroy High School for the Transit Center at 4:35pm Saturday, and 4:40pm Sunday.

Finally, walk about 3/4 mile along West 10th Street (which becomes Uvas Parkway at the curve) and make a left on Miller, where the Festival grounds and entrance are located.

Make sure to allow at least 30 minutes extra time to and from Gilroy on the buses, as crowds enter and leave the Garlic Festival this weekend.

Enjoy the Gilroy Garlic Festival this weekend and stay safe!

Eugene Bradley
Founder, Silicon Valley Transit Users

Weekend Transit Update–7/30/2011

by  • 

This is your weekend update for public transit-accessible events for the weekend of July 30, 2011. Included are bus and rail access to events like the Gilroy Garlic Festival, Bank of the West women’s tennis at Stanford this weekend. In addition, we list VTA bus and Caltrain service to the San Jose Earthquakes match vs. DC United in Santa Clara Saturday night.

Note that the next blog update will have notes from our group meeting in San Jose on July 28.

Read more →