Next year the VTA is going out to bid on some substantial public transit projects. One will be at $128M project that will run 7 miles through the heart of Downtown San Jose from Santa Clara Street all the way down to Alum Rock Avenue. This route will have bus stations at one mile intervals that look more like Light Rail stations with ticket machines, nice landscaping, and additional security features. There will also be dedicated bus lanes along 2 miles of Alum Rock. Completion is set for Summer 2014.
VTA is also planning to do $200M worth of work along 17 miles of El Camino from San Jose to Palo Alto and a $160M project on Steven's Creek between San Jose and Cupertino. Both are expecting to have greatly improved stations and dedicated bus lanes when possible. The VTA is shooting to have all of these projects completed by 2018 when BART begins service to San Jose.
How about they clean up the mess they already have created? 4th and Santa Clara is a gathering of crime, drug selling, etc. No one wants to ride a bus!!! I dont care how nice the stops are. Use it to pay for light rail or BART. Move it one station closer to downtown. This is a waste of money... like most VTA projects...
ReplyDeleteWhile these improvements are awesome and will be great for SJ, it seems like the better investment would be to build light rail lines along the same roads. Costlier at first, it would likely guarantee more ridership and would support businesses along the route.
ReplyDeleteI agree with both comments. I would get more use out of light rail or Bart extensions. No one takes the bus to go local anymore. We need an option for public transportation to work which is often farther away.
ReplyDeletei just don't understand how the city ignores that corner - 4th and santa clara - or is it 1st. not only is it a few steps from my apartment, but it's practically across the street from city hall. it's so freakin sketchy and gross. i would never step foot on a bus that stops there. i wish this city could rise to the occasion.
ReplyDeleteI wish VTA would build out the light rail line and just do away with bus lines and even BART.
ReplyDeleteJon, I'm hoping that corner will be one of the stops that they turn into a "light-rail" style station, which will hopefully clean it up a bit. I agree that corner is pretty sktechy and is in a key corridor downtown.
ReplyDeleteIf this is anything like the ones in Amsterdam it'll be pretty neat (with a local touch ofcourse). Buses will be more cost effective and equally useful when compared to light rail for santa clara.
ReplyDeleteAnd +1 for the city hall area cleanup & spruce up.
VTA is spending 488 million on new bus. Is it worth it. Good post
ReplyDelete