Santa Clara Valley Transit Authority is going to run some bus lines more frequently so fewer passengers get left behind. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the transit agency has been requiring passengers to be spaced six feet apart on its buses and light rail cars. Doing so, though, has limited the capacity of its vehicles,...
Author: Nicholas Chan (Nicholas Chan)
Voting rate in Silicon Valley reaches historic levels
Voters came out in droves for the 2020 general election as voting rates reached historic levels in Silicon Valley, where the majority cast ballots for Joe Biden. According to Rachel Massaro, vice president and director of research at Joint Venture Silicon Valley, which authored a recent report along with Silicon Valley Institute for Regional Studies,...
Landslide victory for police oversight, card room tax in San Jose
San Jose voters have overwhelmingly passed Measures G and H. Measure G, which will in part expand the oversight of San Jose’s civilian watchdog, was approved by 78.1% of voters in a landslide victory. “I’m grateful to our San Jose voters and San Jose police officers who overwhelmingly supported Measure G,” Mayor Sam Liccardo said....
San Jose partners with food truck company to provide free groceries, meals to those at risk of COVID-19
As the coronavirus pandemic has exacerbated food insecurity in Santa Clara County and across the Bay Area, nonprofit organizations, food banks and government officials are working to provide food assistance for residents, ranging from workers and business owners to older adults and people with underlying medical conditions. Off the Grid, the Bay Area’s food truck...
San Jose asks voters if card room measure is worth the gamble
San Jose is betting on Measure H to boost its coffers by millions. Measure H would increase the gross revenue tax for Bay 101 Casino and Casino M8trix to 16.5 percent from 15 percent. Officials say the ballot measure is a byproduct of legal battles between the city and Bay 101, and San Jose recently approved...
Santa Clara candidate kicked off Nextdoor after ‘politically motivated’ posts against her
Santa Clara City Council candidate Harbir Kaur Bhatia about a week ago discovered posts on Nextdoor that propagated false information about her. “The people that are pushing this message are people in collusion with each other to ensure my credibility is destroyed,” Bhatia told San José Spotlight. While Bhatia, a candidate challenging Santa Clara Councilmember...
What you need to know about Measure G and its expansion of San Jose police watchdog’s authority
How certain investigations of police misconduct cases are reviewed in San Jose could change if voters approve a measure in November that expands the authority of the Independent Police Auditor, a civilian police watchdog. In addition, the City Council could change the auditor’s duties without requiring a public vote. Measure G also would change the...
What San Jose’s new racial equity chief aims to achieve
Zulma Maciel says she envisions a world where race no longer determines a person’s socioeconomic, education and health outcomes. Maciel, who this month was appointed as the first director of the newly-created Office of Racial Equity in San Jose, aims to advance this vision by embedding a culture of equity in city departments through incremental...
Former San Jose Councilmember Charlotte Powers dies at 82
Former San Jose Councilmember Charlotte Powers, remembered as a trailblazer and hero for women, died Sept. 28 at the age of 82. “She was a dedicated, honest, hard working councilmember and an inclusive person that I admired very much,” said Blanca Alvarado, a former Santa Clara County supervisor and San Jose councilmember who served alongside...
Route 22 overnight bus service once again on chopping block in Santa Clara County
The Santa Clara Valley Transit Authority is proposing to reduce or eliminate overnight services of the bus line dubbed Hotel 22, the only 24-hour bus route in the county that is often used by homeless residents seeking shelter at night. The transit agency has proposed several scenarios for Route 22, which is part of the...