What we’ve accomplished

Successfully advocated against limits to public comments that would have suppressed our voices
April 2021: Due to our advocacy at the 4/16/21 VTA Budget Workshop, the VTA board directed staff to discuss solutions brought up by ATU 265 to restore transit service sooner! This isn’t an official vote yet, but it’s a step in the right direction. (Definition of ATU 265: ATU is a union that represents VTA employees including bus and light rail operators)
Fall 2020: We helped advocate the VTA to reserve the median of highway 85 for transit rather than additional automobile lanes.
August 2020: VTA created a Naming Rights Marketing Authorization where companies and organizations can pay to have stops, stations, and routes named after them. This generates revenue for transit.
August 2020: We helped convince the VTA to pass a Future Ballot Measure Policy which prevents transit from being underfunded.
August 2020: We gathered more than 60 youth and adults to speak in favor of sustainable transit to the VTA board members.
February 2020: Got San Jose to make Transit First a priority during priority setting. Also got VTA to ask for funding for signal preemption to improve transit speed and a climate program in the Plan Bay Area (regional transportation plan).
January-February 2020: Led the successful effort that called for VTA to declare a climate emergency and draft a comprehensive sustainability plan. VTA‘s approved sustainability plan, published in early June, is one of the most progressive and comprehensive climate action plans in the Country, putting $118 million towards bold sustainable transportation initiatives

Background

Since Fall of 2019, our team has been advocating for policies that prioritize public transit in Santa Clara County. For some background, the VTA (Valley Transportation Authority), consisting of elected officials, controls transportation in Santa Clara County. In our county, as well as California as a whole, the transportation sector is the greatest contributor of greenhouse gas emissions.

For this reason, public transit plays a vital role in reducing pollution and combating climate change, by taking cars off the road. During the pandemic, public transit wasn’t receiving enough money and there was a very real chance that bus service would be cut significantly, meaning people wouldn’t be able to use the buses, even after the pandemic was over.

our mission

With our team growing rapidly, we will be able to help make transit more convenient, reliable, and appealing, to radically increase transit ridership and decrease emissions in our county.

For more information on transit

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