Los Gatos resident Kylie Clark wants to be able to rely on public transportation for VTA Citizens Advisory Committee meetings where she serves. But to do that would take her up to two hours each way — time she can’t spare, especially when it takes up to 30 minutes to drive. Clark is one of...
Silicon Valley bike superhighway gets state funding
The state has stepped in to help fund the initial phases of a bicycle superhighway that will make commuting between Santa Clara and East San Jose easier. The California Department of Transportation has awarded VTA a $14 million grant for the Central Bikeway project, a 10-mile stretch of protected bike lanes connecting the Sunnyvale/Santa Clara...
Silicon Valley BART project gets millions in funding, but still short
VTA is finding ways to patch the Silicon Valley BART expansion’s nearly $1 billion budget gap, from extra state funding to restructuring expensive contracts. The California Transportation Commission awarded two grants to the BART expansion project on Thursday and Friday, totaling about $100 million. At the same time, the VTA board of directors has approved...
Silicon Valley BART tunnel launches construction
The whir and thunks of heavy equipment hauling clay and soil from underground could be heard throughout the Newhall Maintenance Yard on Monday, as VTA begins construction on the BART expansion through Silicon Valley. Contractors have been working in the yard 22 hours a day since June 9 pulling bentonite — a clay-like material —...
Can new highway lanes end Los Gatos’ beach traffic nightmare?
A long-awaited project to alleviate Los Gatos beach traffic has received funding — but it’s a drop in the bucket compared to the money needed to address bumper-to-bumper gridlock on summer weekends. The VTA board of directors has allocated $11.3 million for the State Route 17 Corridor Congestion Relief Project as part of its budgets for...
Silicon Valley transit agency looks for solutions to looming deficit
VTA plans to get more aggressive expanding its revenue sources with reserves expected to be depleted by the mid-2030s. The VTA board of directors on June 5 unanimously approved its $599 million budget for fiscal year 2025-26 and a $610 million budget for 2026-27. Deficits up to $14.9 million are expected by 2027. Plans include...
San Jose BART extension faces nearly 2-year delay
Silicon Valley’s long-awaited BART expansion could be delayed for another year and a half while officials consider cutting one of the project’s largest contracts to save costs. VTA wants to look for a new contractor to bore the expansion’s five-mile tunnel, after being unable to reach an agreement with the current contractor, Kiewit Shea Traylor....
Silicon Valley transit workers overwhelmingly approve contract
The union representing Santa Clara County bus drivers and light rail operators has approved the latest contract proposal from VTA after months of negotiations and a 17-day strike that stopped transit service. Members of Amalgamated Transit Union Local 265, which represents more than 1,500 frontline VTA workers, voted 70.5% to approve the proposed contract, with...
Silicon Valley VTA workers vote on new contract offer
VTA has a new proposal for its frontline workers months after a historic strike halted public transit across Santa Clara County. Members of Amalgamated Transit Union Local 265, which represents more than 1,500 frontline VTA workers, will vote on a new contract offer Tuesday, ending the months-long labor dispute. The offer mirrors similar proposals approved...
Silicon Valley transit agency expects multiyear budget deficit
As the economy teeters at the edge of a recession, Silicon Valley’s public transit agency is weighing its options on how to weather the storm. VTA is facing a large budget shortfall over the next two years, with a roughly $868,000 deficit in 2026 that’s expected to balloon to $14.9 million in 2027. Without tightening...