Bicycle safety is an ongoing challenge in the Bay Area, but San Jose is working to change that. “When residents are asked why they don’t bike, the No. 1 answer is safety,” Shiloh Ballard, executive director of the Silicon Valley Bike Coalition, told San José Spotlight. Within the first five months of this year, five...
San Jose national quality of life ranking gives critics pause
This week, San Jose moved up the ranks to become one of the Bay Area’s two best places to live in the United States. But for researchers crunching similar statistics, vaulting onto the top 10 list is a bona fide head scratcher. According to the U.S. News and World Report’s Best Places to Live in...
Reader Panel: San Jose voters discuss election priorities
San Jose voters have a full plate of decisions to make locally and countywide, when casting their ballots in the June primary. Residents will have the opportunity to vote for mayor, sheriff, county supervisor, five councilmembers, district attorney and assessor. Each candidate can appeal to voters by addressing hot-button problems like homelessness and housing, but also by touching on overlooked issues, according...
UPDATE: San Jose voting rights for non-citizens won’t make November ballot
San Jose will wait until fall to review extending voting rights to non-citizen residents, effectively shutting down any chance for the plan to come before voters this year. The Rules and Open Government Committee voted unanimously Wednesday to set a study session on the voting rights proposal in September after more than 30 residents urged...
San Jose plans to spend millions on public safety, infrastructure
San Jose officials have deferred discussion about a work plan for advancing several key infrastructure and public safety projects using voter-approved bond dollars. The City Council was scheduled to hear recommendations Tuesday for using funds from Measure T—a $650 million bond measure approved by voters in 2018 to pay for disaster preparedness, public safety and...
Election 2022: San Jose District 9 councilmember runs unopposed
San Jose Councilmember Pam Foley has spent the last three years prioritizing solutions for public safety, housing and homelessness. As she runs unopposed for the District 9 City Council seat, she hopes to build on that momentum, while also focusing on fighting blight and improving accessibility for the disabled and seniors. “These are critical issues...
San Jose sees homeless population grow
San Jose saw its homeless population grow 11% during the pandemic despite investments in housing and enhanced safety measures, with some advocates saying the reality on the ground is even bleaker. New data released this week shows the total number of unhoused residents in San Jose is 6,739, an 11% increase from the 2019 Santa...
‘We’re going back in time’: San Jose rallies for reproductive rights
Rallies for reproductive rights took place nationwide Saturday, including in front of San Jose City Hall. For some residents, it was their first time protesting. For others, it’s a reminder of a much older battle. “We’re going back in time,” attendee Caitlyn Garsh told San José Spotlight. She attended the protest with her great aunt,...
How will San Jose mayor candidates improve the police department?
Almost every candidate for San Jose mayor is pledging to rebuild the city’s police department, which is still recovering from staffing losses that happened a decade ago. Their strategies are largely similar, with some differences. In recent forums, mayoral candidates Supervisor Cindy Chavez, San Jose Councilmembers Dev Davis, Matt Mahan and Raul Peralez and former...
San Jose citizen committee proposes police reforms
Almost two years after a Minneapolis police officer killed George Floyd and set off protests across the country, San Jose officials received hundreds of recommendations on how to reform the city’s police department. The City Council received a report Tuesday from the Reimagining Public Safety Community Advisory Committee. The committee, composed of representatives from numerous South...