The San Jose airport’s decision to rebrand has exposed a rift between airport leadership and the commission that advises on changes at the South Bay’s sky hub. In a Dec. 14 informational memo to the San Jose City Council, Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International Airport Director of Aviation John Aitken announced the airport will...
Santa Clara County VTA service review long overdue
A state oversight agency required to conduct service reviews of VTA hasn’t done one in nearly a decade—and it could be years more before it does. The Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO), a California watchdog with offices in every county, is required by state law to review special districts like VTA every five years, as...
‘People are dying on our roads’: San Jose unsafe for bicyclists
San Jose tops the list of Silicon Valley cities with the most bicycle crashes, injuries and deaths, which is nothing to brag about. San Jose ranks the worst in bike safety, tallying 2,803 bike crashes over a decade, resulting in 38 deaths and 2,752 injuries. Palo Alto ranks second with 787 bike crashes, resulting in three...
VTA couldn’t stop San Jose mass shooting, report claims
An independent investigation into whether VTA could have done more to prevent the 2021 mass shooting in San Jose has found the organization did not have enough information to prevent the attack. At a last-minute Monday news conference at VTA headquarters, VTA Chief of External Affairs Jim Lawson said a 17-month investigation conducted by San...
VTA won’t let more workers sleep at San Jose yard
Adan Miranda used to fall asleep during his long commute. The VTA bus driver lives in Elk Grove, a four-hour drive in traffic, because he can’t afford a home in San Jose. After nodding off at the wheel several times on his way home in 2003, Miranda signed up for a permit program letting VTA...
VTA disputes San Jose’s plan for tiny homes
San Jose plans to move forward with building housing for homeless residents on VTA property, but there appears to be disagreement over the inevitability of the project. The City Council voted unanimously last week to pursue tiny home projects at the Cerone and Cottle VTA sites, located in North and South San Jose, respectively. Tiny...
VTA to push out San Jose property owners for BART extension
The Valley Transit Authority will move forward with its plan to force out the owners and tenants of two buildings in downtown San Jose to make room for the future BART extension. In a meeting this week, VTA’s board of directors voted to allow the agency to assume ownership of the buildings on East Santa...
San Jose on track to beat record traffic deaths
San Jose marked its 60th vehicle fatality last month when a man crashed his car into a property on Santa Teresa Boulevard — a record high for the city. And the year isn’t over. City officials are scrambling to curb the number of traffic fatalities and plan next year to prioritize traffic safety near schools and launch...
San Jose commuters left waiting as VTA fleet falls apart
San Jose resident Greg rides VTA bus route 73 to his job at a local winery. Last week, the bus never showed. “It’s frustrating when the bus doesn’t come because I have to go home to get my parents to take me to work,” Greg, who declined to share his last name, told San José Spotlight....
San Jose airport expects travel bump over Thanksgiving holiday
San Jose leaders are cautiously optimistic an uptick in air travel over the Thanksgiving holiday is a sign the local airline industry—and by extension, the economy—is rebounding from COVID-19. The Mineta San Jose International Airport predicts about 438,000 passengers will pass through its doors over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend. According to airport data, 73,862 passengers...