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Norman Yoshio Mineta, a Japanese internment camp survivor, San Jose’s first Asian American mayor and U.S. secretary of transportation during 9/11, died in his Maryland home on Tuesday at age 90. Mineta is a local legend known for his advocacy during the September 11, 2001 attacks. As the secretary of transportation, he swiftly directed planes to fly...
COVID vaccine deadline hits Silicon Valley transit workers
Today marks the deadline for VTA employees to get vaccinated for COVID-19 if they want to keep their jobs, and scores of workers still haven’t submitted proof of vaccination. A VTA spokesperson told San José Spotlight that as of Wednesday, 1,851 workers have reported being fully vaccinated against COVID-19 out of the agency’s 2,142 employees—an 84.6% completion...
Silicon Valley transit agency burdened by old trains, costly parts
VTA pays more for parts on its light rail vehicles than any other transit agency in the country, but the agency’s problems in this area appear to run deeper. VTA officials blame the high price tag on a variety of issues, including difficulties locating parts, supply chain problems exacerbated by COVID-19 and contracts that lapsed...
San Jose union objects to VTA work culture consultant
VTA is postponing voting on a contract for a work culture consultant following a furious outburst from the head of the agency’s largest union. The VTA board of directors unanimously agreed Friday to defer approving a $1.9 million two-year contract with Deloitte Consulting to aid with transforming the agency’s work culture. The board made the decision...
Travelers still masking on flights at San Jose airport
Travelers across the country can now drop their masks in airports, but some flying through San Jose said they’re keeping the protective layer on. “I’m very anxious going on this flight,” Silicon Valley resident Ashu Garg, who’s flying to San Diego with his family, told San José Spotlight. “It’s more comfortable to travel without a...
Silicon Valley’s VTA ends COVID-19 mask requirement
VTA is ending the COVID-19 mask requirement on its buses and light rail trains, making it one of the first major Bay Area transit agencies to change course. Agency officials announced the end of the mask mandate Wednesday, though strongly recommend passengers and employees wear masks aboard buses, light rail or paratransit vehicles. The agency ended its...
Bay Area poll shows support for high-speed rail
A new poll suggests strong public support for California’s ambitious high-speed rail project, but the challenges of stretching it to San Jose are daunting. UC Berkeley’s Institute of Governmental Studies reported voters in California favor continuing the high-speed rail project by a five-to-three margin. The poll, which examined a range of issues voters want the state...
San Jose makes slow progress on most dangerous streets
Joe Herrera was waiting for his friend, Maria, to return from a 7-Eleven at the intersection of Tully and Senter roads last May. She never made it back. Maria, an unhoused person living on Quinn Avenue, was hit by a car crossing Senter Road around 11 p.m. last year. Herrera, another unhoused person, said by...
Caltrans can’t keep trash out of the bay, Silicon Valley activists say
Environmentalists are concerned Caltrans isn’t doing enough to keep trash from washing off its properties into the San Francisco Bay. The state transportation department has been under a cease and desist order since 2019 requiring it to reduce trash over the next seven years. The order covers more than 8,000 acres of its property in the...
A vision of seamless Bay Area transit gets another chance
A campaign to unify the Bay Area’s 27 different transit agencies into one seamless system is gaining steam, but the slog toward full integration will be a long and challenging journey. Ian Griffiths, co-founder and director of Seamless Bay Area, said during a Wednesday webinar that recent legislation could pave the way toward integrating the...