Tag: Santa Clara

Next Group Meeting: May 31

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On May 31, we will NOT be meeting in San Jose as we normally do every last Thursday of the month.

Instead, we will be meeting VTA in Santa Clara, where they will detail their proposed transit sales tax measure.  That meeting will take place at 7pm at the Locatelli Student Activity Center at Santa Clara University, 500 El Camino Real, in Santa Clara. Here are transit directions to Santa Clara University, served by several rail lines and several VTA bus lines.

VTA’s effort for a potential sales tax ballot measure for November is known as “Envision Silicon Valley.’ I was at the last Envision Silicon Valley stakeholder meeting May 10. Below is a recording of that final meeting.

What are your thoughts on what VTA is proposing for this November?

I’ll see you next Tuesday in Santa Clara.

Eugene Bradley
Founder, Silicon Valley Transit Users

Rubbing Salt In The Five Wounds Area

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After at least ten years of planning with some local residents in East San Jose, staff from the Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) appeared to have turned the other cheek. It was learned on October 6 that VTA staff have proposed to stop pursuit for funding for a BART stop in the Five Wounds church area (photograph above) in East San Jose as well as a stop in Santa Clara near the Caltrain station there.

The proposal sparked outrage from East San Jose residents and local politicians. Because the community SPOKE UP against on the proposal, VTA has heard residents there and held off on further implementing their proposal. To that end, VTA will have three (3) public meetings in December to further discuss the proposed station cuts, as well as the future of the BART project. Meeting dates, times, and how to get there by bus are below:

  • Monday, December 1, 2014 from 6:30pm-8:30pm at the School of Arts and Culture at Mexican Heritage Plaza, 1700 Alum Rock Avenue, San Jose, VTA’s 22, 23, 77, and 522 Rapid bus lines serve the Mexican Heritage Plaza.
  • Tuesday, December 2, 2014 from 6:30pm-8:30pm at the VTA Customer Service Center, 55 West Santa Clara Street, San Jose, VTA’s 22, 63, 66, 68, 72, 73, 81, 82, and 522 Rapid bus lines stop near the Center. The Customer Service Center is also a 3 minute walk from the Santa Clara light rail station.
  • Tuesday, December 9 from 6:30pm-8:30pm at Santa Clara University, Locatelli Hall – Building 710
    500 El Camino Real in Santa Clara. VTA’s 22, 60, 81 and 522 Rapid bus lines serve the area.

If you care about having future BART stops in East San Jose or Santa Clara, come to either or all of these PUBLIC meetings.

Eugene Bradley
Founder, Silicon Valley Transit Users

Happy Thanksgiving Day!

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(source: www.joscountryjunction.com )

On behalf of the Silicon Valley Transit Users, I wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving Day today.

On Thanksgiving Day, many Silicon Valley transit agencies like Caltrain, SamTrans and the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) will run on a Sunday/Holiday schedule.

Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) trains between San Francisco, Oakland, Richmond, Millbrae and Fremont will run on a Sunday schedule Thanksgiving Day. Altamont Corridor Express (ACE) trains will NOT run on Thanksgiving Day nor on the day after Thanksgiving (Friday). Full ACE train service returns on Monday, although the special ACE train to and from Levi’s Stadium will run for this evening’s San Francisco 49ers game vs. Seattle at 5:30pm.

Details on special public transit service for Thanksgiving Day and the proce, eding weekend – including “Black Friday” – are below.

Open House in Sunnyvale This Evening

Sunnyvale City Councilmember – and VTA Board Member – David Whittum invited us all to an open house VTA is having in Sunnyvale from 5:30pm-7:30pm. Live or work in Sunnyvale, Mountain View, Palo Alto, Los Altos, Los Altos Hills or Cupertino? Tonight’s open house in Sunnyvale is something you must make the time to attend and SPEAK UP if you want better transit service in the area. –eugene

Not Yet Ready For Prime Time

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Bus and light rail service to and from Levi’s Stadium was received with mixed reviews. On August 2, the first sporting event at Levi’s Stadium took place with a soccer match between the San Jose Earthquakes and the visiting Seattle Sounders. While the Earthquakes won the match 1-0, some fans took several hours to get home from the game. I was personally there to observe getting there to – and from – this historic event.