San Jose could hand out more speeding tickets next year, thanks to a controversial bill bringing traffic cameras to several California cities. Assembly Bill 645 legalizes the state’s use of surveillance cameras in school zones and “safety corridors” to catch speeding drivers for a five-year pilot program. Six cities will participate in the pilot, including...
Sunnyvale officials to consider traffic safety plan near schools
Walking and biking in two Sunnyvale neighbors is about to become safer for children going to school. The Sunnyvale City Council is slated to award a $3.9 million contract for pedestrian improvements in the Sunnyvale Neighbors of Arbor community, which includes La Linda and the San Miguel neighborhood. Residents in these north Sunnyvale neighborhoods have...
Silicon Valley transit agency unsure of when it will ban problem riders
Beginning next year, VTA will have the ability under state law to ban troublesome passengers who attack frontline transit employees. But there’s a catch—the transit agency won’t actually be able to wield that authority until it completes a series of critical steps. These include creating an advisory committee to define why someone could be prohibited from VTA’s...
‘Now is the time’: Silicon Valley transit leaders discuss future
Local transportation experts say safety and collaboration between agencies in the Bay Area are critical to pushing forward the future of Silicon Valley transit. Transportation leaders gathered on Wednesday to discuss the future of public transportation during a panel hosted by San José Spotlight. Panelist Rod Diridon Sr., a prolific transportation advocate whose namesake marks San Jose’s downtown...
San Jose builds bridge between police and lowriders
San Jose’s rocky relationship with lowriding is taking an unexpected turn—the city will have a police car converted into a cruise-ready piece of art. The San Jose City Council voted Tuesday to donate a Ford Crown Victoria Interceptor to be transformed into a lowrider, a customized car with hydraulics that allow it to bounce or...
San Jose grapples with crowded RV street parking
San Jose officials are struggling to solve the growing number of RVs lining city streets—and the road will not be easy. Mayor Matt Mahan and three San Jose councilmembers want to explore ways to manage homeless residents living in vehicles while simultaneously ramping up available safe parking sites. Solutions being discussed include fully banning RVs in certain...
Milpitas’ ride-share program is its best kept secret
Milpitas has an exclusive ride-share service much cheaper than Uber for locals to get around town—but not many people know about it. The Simple Mobile Access to Reliable Transit (SMART) program is a city ride-share service, with a fleet of six vehicles, that takes residents across the city at a maximum cost of $2.50 per...
San Jose mayor wants tech giants to moderate sideshow content
San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan is asking social media companies for help in solving the city’s growing sideshow struggle. Mahan wants big name platforms such as Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, Snapchat and TikTok to temporarily suspend accounts that post about local sideshow activities. He said at a news conference today that...
San Jose studies how to best use curb space
While San Jose and the rest of society still hasn’t achieved the flying car future depicted in “The Jetsons,” city officials are hoping to make more efficient, safe and sustainable streets by studying how curb space is used. San Jose is receiving about $2 million in federal funding to address how to best use limited curb space in...
Which San Jose city employees get a taxpayer-funded ride?
San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan has a new ride, courtesy of the city’s taxpayers. Mahan’s SUV—purchased at the start of his term—is part of his security detail, which is typical for the city’s top elected official. But it’s just one of thousands of cars city officials have at their disposal, which include vehicles to maintain...