South Bay transportation leaders aren’t waiting for the November election to draft a wishlist of projects to make car-less commuting more bearable. But it depends entirely on voters passing a regional sales tax increase — and saving the Bay Area from transit station closures. The sales tax measure — which proposes a 0.5% increase in...
San Jose starts clearing homeless camp known as ‘the Jungle’
San Jose has begun dismantling its last large homeless encampment after weeks of outreach and offers of housing. Workers on Wednesday tore down tents and makeshift homes along Coyote Creek across from Happy Hollow Park & Zoo — an area known as “the Jungle.” As the city started clearing the encampment, which had become home to...
State housing law could change Campbell’s small city vibe
Campbell could add 40,000 homes — more than tripling the city’s current population — under a new state law aimed at boosting housing near public transit stations. The City Council is working on plans to manage the huge surge in potential development being triggered by Senate Bill 79. The bill, effective July 1, could massively...
VTA could block ICE from using its properties
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...