Instead of discontinuing service to Jackson Oaks, the Valley
Transportation Authority’s latest proposal for line 15 is to run
service during peak hours in the mornings and evenings. Mid-day
service, however, would be cut to allow the busses to serve the
Centennial Recreation Center and residential areas near Watsonville
Road.
Morgan Hill – Instead of discontinuing service to Jackson Oaks, the Valley Transportation Authority’s latest proposal for line 15 is to run service during peak hours in the mornings and evenings.
Mid-day service, however, would be cut to allow the busses to serve the Centennial Recreation Center and residential areas near Watsonville Road.
The changes would take effect in July if approved by the VTA’s board of directors in April.
The redesign of route 15 is part of VTA’s proposed “community bus” program, which will replace 40-foot-long busses in Morgan Hill and Gilroy with 25-person shuttles this summer. As part of the program, some routes are being redesigned to maximize efficiency.
The transportation agency met with city officials and residents to develop preliminary changes to route 15, which included eliminating service altogether for Jackson Oaks. But several Jackson Oaks residents complained at a Feb. 6 community meeting in Morgan Hill hosted by VTA officials to gather input on the proposal. The new route proposal, announced Wednesday, incorporates concerns of people who said they rely on the bus to get to school, work and downtown destinations.
No changes are being proposed for line 16, Morgan Hill’s other local route, serving Sobrato and Live Oak high schools and the civic center. Additionally, line 68, linking Gilroy, Morgan Hill and San Jose, would remain intact except for a stretch between Gilroy’s Gavilan College campus and the Gilroy Transit Center, which would be served by a new line.
The VTA’s concept of introducing fuel-efficient busses to Morgan Hill and Gilroy is part of an effort to increase revenue from fares from 15 percent to 25 percent all over the county. The agency’s operating costs are $275 million, including $240 million for labor costs and $10 million for gas, funded largely by a half-cent sales tax in Santa Clara County approved by voters in 1976.
The proposed route changes for Morgan Hill and Gilroy can be viewed at vta.org.
