EDITOR: It
’s time for every citizen in the South Valley to take a stand
for better transit.
EDITOR:
It’s time for every citizen in the South Valley to take a stand for better transit.
At the Feb. 5 VTA Board meeting, the Board approved spending $51 million on engineering for a BART tunnel in downtown San Jose despite the continued uncertainty of state and federal funding for the BART-to-San-Jose project.
I was one of only five people who spoke about the need to use the funding to preserve affordable transit for the entire county. It was clear that the special business and labor interests knew who the VTA Board members were and how to lobby for the funding – despite the fact VTA is proposing another fare hike as well as additional sales taxes for the November ballot.
It was also clear to me that there is a lot of apathy amongst citizens in the valley when it comes to mass transit issues. A trip I made to the Morgan Hill Caltrain station last month told the story.
One person I spoke with did not know that County Supervisor Don Gage was the chair of the VTA Board and Caltrain’s Joint Powers Board this year. Another person I spoke with did not know that you already pay three local sales taxes to fund VTA services and construction projects – regardless of whether or not you ride VTA buses or light rail. “I don’t want to get involved,” said the person I spoke with.
To help citizens in the valley beat apathy is the primary goal of our Web site, www.vtaridersunion.org. There you will find information on other ways to contact VTA board members such as District 1 Supervisor Don Gage, as well as how to directly contact its general manager, Peter Cipolla.
One good place to speak out for better public transit is on March 11 at 6 p.m. in the Morgan Hill City Council Chambers. There, VTA will obtain public input on its long-range mass transit plan, known as VTP2030.
The future of public transit in the Valley could resemble Los Angeles during its recent transit strike. There, residents had only three choices of mobility: driving in gridlock, hitchhiking, or walking 25 miles to reach their destination. Nobody in the Valley voted for this future in 1996 and 2000 – yet the VTA and its supporters like the Silicon Valley Manfacturing Group are doing everything to ensure this future is a reality.
In the end, those who speak up for affordable, cost-effective, and reliable transit for the entire Santa Clara Valley will get the quality transit system and improved quality of life they deserve. Those who continue to remain silent will continue to receive the poor transit service and diminished quality of life they truly deserve.
The choice is yours, South Valley. Choose wisely.
Eugene Bradley, Founder,
Santa Clara VTA Riders Union,
Sunnyvale
