The Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority is dealing with tight budgets, low ridership and out-of-touch officials, even as they discuss expanding to new technologies. A San José Spotlight survey found that just one of the 18 lawmakers who oversee and govern the troubled transit agency—of those who responded—actually ride its buses and trains. San José...
Airlines shrug at costs from San Jose building policy
Airlines hardly notice the financial losses caused by a San Jose policy to raise building height limits in the flight path of some planes. Multiple airlines told San José Spotlight that their operations have not been affected by a 2019 city policy that raised the height limits for buildings downtown and in the Diridon Station...
San Jose delays insurance mandate that could decimate taxi drivers
Amid growing frustration from San Jose taxicab drivers, a city committee is taking another look at regulations that could hamper the industry. The San Jose Rules and Open Government Committee voted unanimously Wednesday to delay any new requirements imposed on the taxicab industry until officials come back at a later date with an analysis on...
VTA expands transit access to south Santa Clara County
In one of its first major expansions of 2021, VTA launched a new bus route that offers residents of southern Santa Clara County speedier access to downtown San Jose. Local politicians and VTA officials this week announced the launch of the Rapid 568 bus route in Gilroy. The 568, which replaces the 168 Express, offers...
San Jose wants to cut parking spaces in downtown developments
San Jose officials want to cut the level of greenhouse gas emissions downtown. The city’s solution is to eliminate parking space mandates for developers. The downtown area is expected to experience dramatic growth over the next decades, and officials want commuters to lean more toward public transit. City officials are also exploring the use of...
Is San Jose’s transit agency prepared for another catastrophe?
Between wildfires, a mass shooting and an unprecedented pandemic, VTA and other Bay Area transit agencies face constant threats to long-term stability. Some transit advocates are concerned agencies aren’t prepared for the next catastrophe. “They’re not ready for when the big 8.0 (earthquake) hits the Hayward Fault and takes out BART,” Silicon Valley Transit Users founder...
San Jose VTA approves changes to how residents can speak at meetings
Residents hoping to speak at future VTA board meetings might find themselves waiting until the end of the night. On Thursday, VTA’s governance and audit committee unanimously approved guidelines for public comment that will go into effect in January. Public comment for items not on the agenda will now be split between the start and...
Parking permits could come to East San Jose
Parking in some East San Jose neighborhoods is so difficult that residents place traffic cones along the curbs just to reserve a spot. A fed-up planning commissioner has a solution: parking permits. Planning Commission Chair Rolando Bonilla, who represents East San Jose, is proposing a pilot parking permit program for some residents. The pilot program proposes two to four permits per household at...
What does Santa Clara County’s transit agency lobby for?
VTA’s priorities were dramatically shaken following a mass shooting in May, but the transit agency continues to lobby for its bread-and-butter projects. In the first two quarters of 2021, VTA paid $86,000 to its state lobbyist, California Advisors LLC. VTA paid $80,000 to its federal lobbyist Van Scoyoc Associates for the first half of 2021. Neither...
Silicon Valley transit agency lacks COVID vaccine mandate
VTA has a substantial number of unvaccinated employees, but the South Bay transit agency isn’t taking any steps to require a COVID-19 vaccine. As of Tuesday, 1,258 workers are fully vaccinated, while 1,470 are at least partially vaccinated—69.37% of VTA’s workforce. The agency has about 2,100 employees. Since the public transit agency is an independent...