Property owned by a local public transit agency may become the latest territory federal immigration agents are blocked from using in Santa Clara County. VTA’s board of directors on Thursday asked staff to explore a policy to prohibit U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activity on property it owns, including parking lots, and to continue...
San Jose company takes VTA to court over eminent domain
A commercial truck company based in San Jose is taking VTA to court, two years after the public transit agency forced the business to move off a site slated for use in the planned BART extension project through Silicon Valley. Monarch Truck Center, a full service medium duty truck dealership, had operated at 195 N. 30th St....
Super Bowl sets South Bay public transit ridership record
Public transit ridership to and from Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara for the Super Bowl hit an all-time high with 30,000 trips — although not without a few bumps along the way. VTA tallied 28,000 light rail trips and 2,600 bus rides for the big game, which the National Football League said drew 70,823 people....
San Jose wants industrial land exempt from housing law
With just five months before landmark housing legislation takes effect throughout California, San Jose officials are racing to exempt broad swaths of the city from the law. Sen. Scott Wiener’s Senate Bill 79, signed into law in October, aims to encourage denser housing construction around transit hubs. In San Jose, the law would cover 40,000...
Wildlife corridors planned in South County’s Coyote Valley
A land preservation nonprofit and a public transit agency in Santa Clara County are creating wildlife crossings to protect animals and motorists along Coyote Valley’s busiest corridor. In response to wildlife-vehicle collisions, Peninsula Open Space Trust (POST), in partnership with VTA, is constructing underpasses for animals at key points along Highway 101, Monterey Road and...
San Jose says RV parking site is unpermitted
A San Jose safe parking program on VTA property is in violation for operating without proper approvals. The city served VTA a notice after a Dec. 9 inspection found vehicles parked at the Santa Teresa station aren’t storing trash properly and that the site is operating without permits or approvals, among other violations. The site...
2025 in review: Silicon Valley’s biggest stories
It was a transformational year for Silicon Valley. A county assessor’s 30-year reign came to an end. Two city leaders were sentenced in court. Superintendent firings and mass layoffs rocked a host of local schools. And a judge brought an end to a historic transit labor strike. But for each chapter that was closed this...
Bay Area public transit riders can use bank cards to ‘tap-and-ride’
The long-awaited rollout of the new generation of the Clipper Card payment system started Wednesday, with Bay Area travelers now able to pay for public transit trips more efficiently and conveniently. Clipper will transition the individual cards of passengers over the next 12 weeks with new features that will allow people to instantly add money...
East San Jose small businesses struggle amid VTA construction
Capitol Expressway has turned into a traffic nightmare near the light rail connector expansion — and local businesses are looking to transportation officials for relief. San Jose business owners say construction from VTA’s Eastridge to BART Regional Connector has been driving customers away, with intermittent lane closures, redirected traffic, blocked driveways and construction debris along...
Bay Area transit sales tax measure clears state hurdle
Advocates are gearing up for a regional outreach effort now that the door is open for a Bay Area public transit funding measure on the November 2026 ballot. Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Senate Bill 63, also known as the Connect Bay Area Transit Act, on Oct. 13 — clearing the way for a voter initiative...