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The VTA community gathered Thursday to mourn workers killed in a mass shooting one year ago—and to find a path toward healing. Speaking at the Guadalupe light rail yard in downtown San Jose shortly after dawn, General Manager and CEO Carolyn Gonot addressed a group of workers and families who lost their loved ones in...
San Jose VTA faces lawsuit from family of shooting victim
One year after a disgruntled worker killed nine colleagues at the VTA rail yard in downtown San Jose, the family of one victim is suing for negligence. The family of Lars Kepler Lane filed a lawsuit Thursday against VTA, the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office and Universal Protection Service, VTA’s private security contractor. The suit, filed in...
Can San Jose’s VTA fix its broken work culture?
In the wake of the mass shooting at a train yard in downtown San Jose last May, VTA officials promised to improve work culture to make life easier for employees. But after a year, workers say little has changed and they’re not hopeful about the future. VTA employees started publicly complaining about a toxic work culture...
San Jose officials mark anniversary of VTA mass shooting
San Jose officials are holding a day of remembrance for the victims of the VTA mass shooting one year ago. The tragedy, which occurred on May 26, 2021, left nine VTA employees dead, plus the shooter—a disgruntled worker who killed himself as law enforcement entered the building. Shots were fired around 6:30 a.m. during a...
San Jose cyclists want to show residents the road to bike safety
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 residents clamor for a good night’s sleep
Silence is golden for downtown San Jose residents. Since 2018, residents, politicians and the city have worked with Union Pacific Railroad to negotiate a partial quiet zone from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. along the Warm Springs rail corridor, which passes through Japantown and the Hensley Historic District of San Jose. It finally went into...
San Jose opens door to airport connector proposals
Getting to Mineta San Jose International Airport from downtown is difficult on public transportation, but that might change in the future. San Jose officials are opening up the possibility of a transit link between the airport and Diridon Station. The city Department of Transportation is accepting bids to develop a transit project spanning the three miles...
San Jose council ponders airport improvements amid budget talks
As San Jose leaders consider budgets for transportation services, some are expressing cautious optimism about the recovery of air travel. At a recent budget workshop meeting, San Jose Aviation Director John Aitken said the city is focused on the air transportation industry’s recovery. He said the Mineta San Jose International Airport is still well below its pre-pandemic...
Car cruising could return to San Jose streets
After a decades-long ban, San Jose may ease the brakes on cars cruising city streets. On Wednesday, the Rules and Open Government Committee unanimously approved exploring ending fees and fines associated with cruising—arguing it’s inherently discriminatory. The ban, which prohibits lowriders and other decked-out cars from driving slowly through city streets, was implemented in the 1990s to curb gang violence. David Polanco,...
San Jose transit workers face discipline for lack of COVID shots
VTA has mailed its first batch of disciplinary letters to workers who refuse to comply with the agency’s COVID-19 vaccine policy, and more are likely on the way. VTA sent out about 50 letters on Friday to workers who are not vaccinated or received an exemption, according to an agency worker. The letters propose termination for individuals...