Tag: Santa Clara County

Issues affecting all of Santa Clara County.

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

October Transit Schedule and Fare Changes

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Changes to Silicon Valley bus and rail schedules are being made this month.  As regular service is being operated today (October 9), the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) made changes to several bus line schedules in Santa Clara County.  Some of the schedule changes enable better connections with the Caltrain commuter rail service.  Read up on the service changes here and learn how YOU will be affected by these changes.

Speaking of Caltrain: several fare changes were made on October 1:

  • The price of a monthly Caltrain parking pass was raised from $55.00 to $82.50.  This is because Caltrain changed their basis of a “month” to 15 days from 10 days.
  • Caltrain riders will pay an additional 25 cents per zone they travel
  • Caltrain 8-ride tickets are no longer available for purchase.  Current 8-ride tickets will no longer be valid after October 31.

This is in addition to the changes Caltrain made to its Monday thru Friday schedule, to increase “operational efficiency and customer satisfaction.”  These changes were approved by Caltrain’s Joint Powers Board back in August.

What are your thoughts on the schedule and fare changes at VTA and Caltrain?  Please discuss them in comments below.

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.

Read more →

Next Group Meeting In October

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Due to lack of interest, our next live group meeting will be in late October.  Please stay tuned for additional details.

Eugene Bradley
Founder, Silicon Valley Transit Users

P.S. There is a revised update regarding the September VTA Board meeting that will be posted soon.  I am currently awaiting additional information.

We Meet This Thursday

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Among what we will discuss at our upcoming meeting on Thursday at 6pm in San Jose:

  • How we can address VTA’s shortage of buses throughout the county
  • VTA’s street improvement projects on Bascom Ave., Tasman Dr. and Story/Keyes Avenues – and what we can push for

Have anything else transit-related that we should be fighting for? Please address it at our meeting, BEFORE the agenda items listed.  (Otherwise, you will have to wait until the end of the meeting to address your particular item.)  Be prepared to discuss how YOU would help make it happen.

We meet at the San Jose Peace & Justice Center, 48 S. 7th Street in San Jose. Transit and driving directions to the Peace and Justice Center are found here.

Note that if you plan on driving to our meeting, there is limited parking in the back.  Also, do not park in the Grocery Outlet Bargain Market parking lot across the street – you will be towed at your expense.

Can’t make it to our group meeting in San Jose? You can join us via dial-in at 5:55pm. Info is as follows:

  1. Call 1(415)655-0001
  2. When prompted for the “meeting pin number,” enter 190809846
  3. When told that “You have joined the Conference” and after hearing that this is the Silicon Valley Transit Users meeting, please give your name and where you live.

See you on Thursday. We have much to talk about and fight for.

Eugene Bradley
Founder, Silicon Valley Transit Users