At-grade light rail has a hard time safely and efficiently traversing Downtown San Jose on Second Street. A new pilot project will look to improve the situation.
Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority trains traveling through San Jose have some of the slowest travel speeds of any light rail system in the country. Trolleys travel 7.5 miles per hour in downtown, with a maximum speed of 10 miles per hour.
"Now the Valley Transportation Authority is launching a $900,000, six-month pilot project to speed up the trains and erect barriers to funnel pedestrians, bicyclists and drivers to certain areas for crossing," reports Gary Richards.
The pilot project will take place on Second Street between San Fernando and San Carlos. "The VTA will test railings and street lights to delineate the sidewalk from the track," according to Richards. "The railings will have breaks for driveways and the Paseo de San Antonio crossing. The agency will also include crosswalk improvements and better warning signals for vehicles entering and exiting the Pavilion Garage."
Speeding up the trains aren't the only potential benefit of the pilot project. VTA trains have been in 125 incidents with automobiles, pedestrians, and people in bikes in the past eight years—so the project is expected to improve traffic safety as well.
FULL STORY: Slow trains in downtown San Jose may speed up
Light Rail Service Restored in South Bay Area
The Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) will start running trains again today, two weeks after shutting down service.
Financial Woes at Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority
A $25 million operating deficit will inspire some soul searching, and structural changes.
Silicon Valley's Beleaguered Transit System Getting an Overhaul
Strapped for cash and faced with rapidly declining ridership, the Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) is reorganizing its service in the hopes of stopping the bleeding.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
The state-sanctioned urbicide of Austin
People don’t kill cities. Freeways do.
US to reduce Colorado River water deliveries to Mexico
A new Colorado Treaty amendment reduces Mexico’s Colorado River water allocation by 250,000 acre feet.
Mamdani overhauls NYC's Vision Zero plan with 100 new policy goals
The overhaul aims to reduce traffic deaths and make streets safer for pedestrians, cyclists and drivers through lower speed limits, new safety infrastructure and more.
Amtrak not solely to blame for New Jersey commuter rail's unreliability, report finds
A new study from the Garden State Initiative found that NJ Transit’s budget grew 20% across a 4 year period, but reliability declined significantly over the same period.
EPA erases limits on planet-warming pollution from power plants
Under Monday’s plan, power plants would still have some limits on how much mercury, arsenic and other contaminants they can emit.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
Eagle County Government
Harvard University Graduate School of Design
Nashville Planning Department
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello
Journal of the American Planning Association