At a VTA board meeting Thursday night, chaos and confusion reigned with directors unable to decide on an approach to a proposed transit tax measure. The VTA board heard a presentation on Senate Bill 63, which would create a sales tax district to support transit across the Bay Area. However, boardmembers couldn’t agree on whether...
San Jose business owner loses property for BART expansion
Sridhar Kollareddy walks between thousands of imported marbled granite slabs, slated to become countertops or gravestones. His business, Silicon Valley Granite, has sold the slabs across the Bay Area for 20 years from his San Jose facility. But now, he’s being forced to vacate the property in less than 72 hours to make way for...
Will self-driving taxis come to West Valley?
Self-driving cars could hit the West Valley’s small, suburban streets as one company tries to expand its footprint outside big cities. Waymo submitted a letter to the California Public Utilities Commission last month seeking approval for its updated passenger safety plan — a move that could bring self-driving cars to Los Gatos, Cupertino and Campbell....
VTA finalizes contracts with three unions, excludes frontline workers
Three of VTA’s four unions ratified new contracts for the next four years, leaving the transit agency’s frontline workers hanging. Service Employees International Union Local 521, American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees Local 1101 and Transportation Authority Engineers and Architects Local 21, which represent about 575 workers combined, reached agreements with VTA as...
Ruling to end VTA strike upheld by appeals court
An appellate court judge has denied an appeal from a union representing bus drivers and light rail operators with VTA — doubling down on the decision to end a historic worker strike. Amalgamated Transit Union Local 265 filed the appeal after Santa Clara County Superior Court Judge Daniel Nishigaya ruled March 26 the union had...
San Jose to further study feasibility of airport connector
San Jose is trying to protect public dollars while still moving forward on a next generation transportation project connecting the city’s airport and downtown train station. The San Jose City Council unanimously approved plans March 25 to move forward with a more detailed ridership study, financial forecasting and initial construction plans for the airport connector,...
San Jose transit agency employees working without new deal
VTA and its unionized frontline workers have made little progress toward a new deal since a Santa Clara County judge stopped a historic strike one week ago. Amalgamated Transit Union Local 265 received three offers from the public transit agency’s negotiators over the weekend — all based on previous offers that union membership soundly rejected....
UPDATE: Santa Clara VTA light rail starts to come back on line
The VTA light rail Orange Line has returned to full service and partial service has been restored to the Blue Line Monday, after the historic union worker strike paused the agency’s bus and light rail services for almost three weeks. The fully restored Orange Line runs from Mountain View to Alum Rock, and the partially...
VTA strike must end, Santa Clara County judge rules
A Santa Clara County judge has ruled against striking VTA union workers, bringing bus and light rail services back to the region. Superior Court Judge Daniel Nishigaya ruled Wednesday that members of Amalgamated Transit Union Local 265, which represents about 1,500 frontline VTA employees, must return to work — ending the union’s historic 17-day strike....
Commuting San Jose State students struggle amid VTA strike
A local university is trying to help its students caught in the ongoing VTA strike find transportation. The union worker strike started March 10 and has left San Jose State University students stranded at the BART Berryessa station and elsewhere. While VTA is offering $5 vouchers for Uber rides for two rides per day between stations, taking...