VTA has filed a legal complaint against its striking workers, claiming it’s a breach of contract. VTA said in a Tuesday news release the goal of the complaint is to end the strike and restore normal VTA bus and light rail services, which stopped once the strike began. Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) Local 265 went...
San Jose bus and light rail service halted by strike
Commuters across Silicon Valley are stranded as VTA’s workers walk the picket lines and negotiations are at a standstill. VTA’s bus and light rail services stopped at 12:01 a.m. Monday, as Amalgamated Transit Union Local 265 went on strike. The union is demanding wage increases and a conflict resolution process that would allow workers to...
UPDATE: Silicon Valley transit workers to strike as contract ends
VTA and its unionized bus drivers and light rail operators appear deadlocked on contract negotiations. Workers plan to strike, potentially upending public transit in Santa Clara County. Amalgamated Transit Union Local 265 workers plan to walk off the job starting Monday on or after 12:01 a.m. The union has been negotiating with VTA on a...
San Jose agency plans low-income homes at transit station
Santa Clara County has few options for low-income homeownership, but one public transit agency aims to bring more housing to market. VTA plans to build 45 townhomes on an existing 2.5-acre service parking lot at the Branham light rail station. Ten homes will be affordable to extremely low-income earners in Santa Clara County, which was...
VTA BART expansion work to include minority-owned businesses
VTA has pledged to increase contracting opportunities for minority-owned businesses in its ongoing BART expansion into San Jose. Sergio Lopez, mayor of Campbell and chair of VTA’s board of directors, signed the Equity in Infrastructure Project pledge on behalf of the agency Monday, alongside more than a dozen local government agencies. The VTA board unanimously...
California law sparks VTA workplace violence prevention plan
Tragedy and a lack of workplace safety measures led one Silicon Valley lawmaker to call for tighter regulations to protect employees. Senate Bill 553, state Sen. Dave Cortese’s bill relating to occupational safety and workplace violence, took effect this summer. The bill focuses on preventing violent incidents like the 2021 VTA shooting at the hands...
Historic San Jose trolley brings back holiday charm
Commuters pause and stare when the doors open along downtown San Jose’s light rail train stops. Before them isn’t the sleek white transit car they’re used to — but a time machine. VTA officials are reviving their most unique, 96-year-old holiday trolley car after a yearslong absence to run a brief stretch — free of...
Silicon Valley transit agency funds community growth near train stations
VTA wants to increase its presence, and ridership numbers, by pumping dollars into community groups near its light rail stations. To kick off the effort, VTA officials have started a transit-oriented community grant giving program to help retain nearby small businesses and uplift residents. The public transit agency has given more than $400,000 to various...
San Jose officials juggle transit design with city disruption
Silicon Valley transportation leaders are closer than ever to turning San Jose’s doorstep into one of the West Coast’s largest mass transit hubs. They just have to come up with billions to pay for it and get residents on board with the ongoing effects of major construction over the next few decades. The San Jose...
Silicon Valley transit service wins international award
A Silicon Valley transit agency is gaining international recognition for its service during some of its most tumultuous and violent times. But advocates said the agency still has work to do to heal and protect its workforce. VTA has won the Outstanding Public Transportation System award, an international recognition of transit agencies in North America honoring the agency’s...