Silicon Valley transit officials uncovered budgetary changes and a drastically revised timeline for the BART Silicon Valley Phase II project during a recent VTA Board of Directors meeting, potentially pushing passenger service back until 2030. But for San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo and Councilmember Raul Peralez, who both sit on the VTA board, the higher...
San Jose Unified School leaders vote to study sites for affordable teacher housing
At a funding rate just short of $12,000 per student per year, San Jose Unified School District officials say they struggle to pay teachers enough to stay in Silicon Valley, one of the nation’s costliest housing markets. Now, district leaders are exploring solutions that include building affordable teacher housing on district property — a concept...
Lawmakers, tech and nonprofit leaders discuss the plight of Silicon Valley teachers
In the heart of tech-fueled wealth in Silicon Valley, teachers are living in their cars, working side jobs or living in crowded apartments with multiple roommates. Cameron Clarno, a choir teacher at Fischer Middle School, has lived in an RV since the start of the school year after moving from his 3-bedroom, 2-bathroom home in Redding....
Activists push for improvements to bus routes during VTA meeting
During an otherwise ordinary VTA Board of Directors meeting Thursday, a dozen activists rallied to urge the board to consider reallocating funds from the 2016 Measure B tax away from highway projects and toward the dwindling network of bus routes throughout the county. Speakers pointed to the county’s recent declaration of a climate emergency as a call to action for VTA...
What’s next for BART and VTA’s evolving Downtown San Jose extension?
With the addition of Google to the Downtown San Jose area looming, a reimagining of the Diridon station underway, and the extension of BART all the way from Berryessa to Santa Clara, there are a myriad of moving parts and pieces that could transform Downtown San Jose and finally tie together the Bay Area as...
VTA committee puts Vasona extension on ice, discusses light rail makeover
At the latest VTA Capital Program Committee meeting, transit leaders discussed the future of the county’s light rail system from system enhancements to possible new technology investments. The meeting started with an item that could have an impact on Campbell and Los Gatos — a presentation about the proposed Vasona expansion of the light rail...
Bay Area college strikes a controversial policy following student outcry
In a resounding victory for students, the Ohlone College District Board of Trustees voted Wednesday to eliminate a controversial policy that student leaders claim silenced them and led to an abuse of power. The move ends an impasse between top college leaders and a fierce group of student activists who said their voice was being silenced...
VTA directors ponder their future in latest committee meeting
In the aftermath of this summer’s explosive grand jury findings, VTA has been taking a long, hard look at its current governance setup. At the latest Ad-hoc Board Enhancement Committee meeting, members of VTA’s Board of Directors fielded a wide-ranging discussion about how to best address not only the findings of the grand jury, but...
San Jose school district unveils plan to hire special education teachers
The number of special education students across the country is rising, but teachers qualified to teach those students aren’t — especially in the South Bay where soaring rents and cost-of-living are squeezing educators out. The National Center for Education Statistics reported that the number of public school students that required special education services rose 14...
VTA votes to discontinue Route 65 despite strong support
Transportation leaders voted Thursday to eliminate Route 65, a bus route that runs from Cambrian Park and as far north as Japantown, citing low ridership and alternative routes available. The discontinuation comes after the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority organized a $100,000 two-month ridership community campaign to attempt to increase ridership. This effort included social...