Hello.

I am the founder of the Santa Clara VTA Riders Union. We are a grassroots transit advocacy and watchdog group of concerned citizens. We are not affiliated with the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) in any way whatsoever.

Did you know that the VTA's Board of Directors - who decide transit policy in the Valley - will vote on its third transit fare hike in as many years on April 1? Here is a partial listing of the fare hikes VTA is proposing:

Fare Type	Current	        Proposed
Adult one-way	$1.50		$1.75
ADA/Paratransit	$3.00		$3.50
one-way

Adult day pass	$4.50		$5.25
Youth day pass	$3.75		$4.50
Senior/disabled	$1.75		$2.25
day pass

Adult monthly	$52.50	        $61.25
Youth monthly	$30.00	        $52.00
Senior/disabled	$17.50	        $27.50
monthly

More analysis can be found on our web site at this URL:

http://www.vtaridersunion.org/regional/farehike_0402004.html

Instead of fare hikes, we demand that VTA control its administrative spending. According to analysis by VTA Policy Advisory Committee member and Mountain View City Councilman Greg Perry, VTA spends $56 million per year on administrative costs. These are the highest such costs in the nation. VTA has over 1800 administrators - nearly 4 times the national average for a public transit agency - including New York City!

We have an online petition that you can sign to protest VTA's proposed fare hike and demand that they control their (over)spending habit...

http://www.petitiononline.com/spt001/

Here are the meeting times, places, and dates where you can speak out against VTA's proposed transit fare hike:

March 15 at 3pm - Campbell Library (Community Room) - 77 Harrison Ave., Campbell (accessible from VTA Bus Line 26)

March 15 at 7pm - Eastside Senior Center - 2150 Alum Rock Avenue, San Jose (accessible from VTA line 64)

March 16 at 7pm - First United Methodist Church - 24 N. Fifth Street, San Jose (accessible from VTA bus lines 22, 64, and 300) (Spanish and Vietnamese translators will be available)

March 17 at 3pm - Lucy Stern Community Center, 1305 Middlefield Road, Palo Alto (accessible from VTA bus line 35)

March 18 at 7pm - Mountain View City Hall - 501 Castro St., Mountain View (accessible from VTA bus lines 22, 35, 51 and 52 - only four blocks north of the Mountain View Caltrain station)

Also, contact the VTA Board of Directors for your area.
A listing can be found here:

http://www.vtaridersunion.org/DIY/vtaboard.html

For South San Jose, city councilmembers Forrest Williams and Pat Dando also sit on the VTA Board of Directors; thus they will be voting on the fare hike proposal April 1. Here is how to contact them directly to protest:

Pat Dando (District 10) - (408)277-5251
Forrest Williams (District 2) - (408)277-4282

San Jose Mayor Ron Gonzales is also a voting member of the VTA Board. Reach him at (408)277-4237 in addition to Ms. Dando or Mr. Williams. Again, the VTA Board of Directors will vote on the proposed fare hike on Thursday, April 1, at 5:30pm at the County Board of Supervisors Chambers at 70 W. Hedding St. in San Jose (near Civic Center light rail station and the 36, 62, 66, and 180 bus lines. There is a 95% chance of a rally to protest the proposal at 4pm in front of 70 W. Hedding St. in San Jose.

Further information on everything you are NOT hearing in the press about VTA and how you can stand up for better public transit can be found on our web site...

http://www.vtaridersunion.org/

Together, we can make our voices heard. But only if you speak out!!!

Eugene Bradley
Founder, Santa Clara VTA Riders Union
http://www.vtaridersunion.org/