![]() The San Jose Spotlight reports that at a recent meeting of the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority board of directors, board members discussed the agency’s issues with high operating costs and low ridership for the light rail system, with San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo asking “Are we riding the right horse here? … I think we need to ask bigger questions because marginal improvements aren’t going to change this picture at all.”ĭata developed by an agency planner shows VTA has the highest operating costs per revenue in the nation, and that light rail costs three times as much as a bus to operate, while most agencies see a ratio closer to two to one, and that the agency has the nation’s highest cost for parts and materials.Īt the same time, replacing the entire 81-track-mile, 42.2-route-mile light rail system with bus routes would take 60 years to provide a return on investment because of the initial cost of replacing track with concrete. As it approaches the point of needing to order replacements for its light-rail vehicle fleet, the transit agency serving the San Jose area is considering a more existential question: whether its light rail system even has a future. Some VTA board members are questioning the future of the agency’s light rail operation. ![]() The Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority light rail system.
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