DEAR EDITOR:
It’s time for every citizen in the South County to take a stand
for better transit.
DEAR EDITOR:
It’s time for every citizen in the South County to take a stand for better transit.
At the Feb. 5 VTA Board meeting, the Board approved $51 million for engineering 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 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 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 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.
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 ways to contact VTA Board members such as Don Gage, as well as how to contact General Manager Peter Cipolla.
One good place to speak out for better public transit is on March 9 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 – yet the VTA and supporters like the Silicon Valley Manufacturing 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 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 County. Choose wisely.
Eugene Bradley, Founder, Santa Clara VTA Riders Union
Submitted Tuesday, Feb. 24
