SANTA CLARA VTA RIDERS UNION P. O. Box 390069 Mountain View, CA 94039-0069 http://www.vtaridersunion.org/ NEWS RELEASE TO: Editor, News Assignment Desk, Transportation Reporter * FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE * Press Contacts (in alphabetical order): Terry Applegate phone (408)894-9042 x228 email: terrya@svilc.org Eugene Bradley 24 hr. cell/pager (408)888-2208 email: eegenebradley@yahoo.com SOUTH BAY TRANSIT RIDERS TO PROTEST VTA'S “TRIPLE THREAT” TO SOUTH BAY TRANSIT RIDERS JUNE 5 IN SAN JOSE Proposed Fare Hikes, Paratransit Service Cuts, and Budget That Includes More Service Cuts Threaten Mobility In the South Bay SUNNYVALE, CA (June 2, 2003) – The Santa Clara VTA Riders Union (SCVTARU – http://www.vtaridersunion.org/), a transit advocacy and watchdog group for the South Bay, will join other community groups to protest 10% fare hikes and reductions in paratransit service proposed by the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) at their June 5 Board meeting. The protest will be held at 5:00pm in front of the County Government Offices at 70 West Hedding Street in San Jose. One (1) hour after the rally and protest concludes, the VTA's Board of Directors will vote on a “triple threat” of proposals to raise transit fares by 10%, reduce paratransit service, and approve a budget for the 2004 and 2005 fiscal years that include 21% more transit service cuts. At their Board meeting after the protest and rally, the VTA Board will vote whether or not to raise the adult base fare from the current $1.40 to $1.50, and increase the cost of an adult day pass from the current $4.00 to $5.00. SCVTARU found that the VTA is primarily targeting senior and disabled riders with this round of fare increases. Specifically, VTA proposes to raise the cost of a senior/disabled day pass from $1.25 to $2.00 - an increase of 60% Worse, VTA proposes to raise the cost of a senior/disabled monthly pass from the current $11.00 to $20.00 - an increase of 82%! SCVTARU continues to question the rationale of increasing fares for senior and disabled riders - many of whom live on fixed incomes and likely unable to drive an automobile due to age, health, or financial reasons - in an economic recession. These citizens depend on mass transit as their only means of mobility. By making transit more expensive to use, these citizens must rely on friends or relatives for mobility, thus taking away their independence. If approved by the VTA Board at their June 5 Board meeting in San Jose, these devastating fare increases would take effect on August 1, and would mark the second fare increase in as many years. Another proposal that SCVTARU considers an attack on the South Bay's elderly and disabled involves the VTA's proposal to replace paratransit “door-to-door” service with “curb-to-curb” service. In addition, VTA proposes to restrict paratransit service within 3/4 of a mile of the nearest bus or light rail stop. While VTA claims this is being done to comply at the most minimal level with current Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) laws, SCVTARU says this will have dangerous consequences for paratransit riders who are visually impaired, or who have symptoms of dementia. "Curb-to-curb" service will mean these riders will require personal aid - often at their own expense - to help them between the paratransit vehicle and their destination. For those riders who cannot afford such assistance, "curb-to-curb" service places them at high risk for becoming victims of assault and/or robbery between the paratransit vehicle and their final destination. South County paratransit riders – especially in isolated areas - would be hardest hit by the VTA's proposal to limit paratransit services to within 3/4 mile from the nearest bus stop. With many South County paratransit riders living more than one (1) mile from the nearest VTA bus stop, VTA's proposal effectively cuts these riders off from the rest of society. Gilroy Mayor Tom Springer – who sits on the VTA's Board of Directors – has been trying to put together an amendment to the VTA's paratransit service reduction proposal that prevents this scenario from occurring. VTA claims the 10% fare hike, combined with the paratransit service cuts, will save nearly $10 million per year. VTA's 2004/2005 Fiscal Year Recommended Budget assumes that a 21% transit service cut will take place in October. However, VTA has scheduled meetings throughout the county in June. By approving a budget with service reductions already programmed in, SCVTARU feels that VTA will have already made the public meetings into a complete sham. An analysis SCVTARU performed of the VTA's 2004/2005 Fiscal Year Recommended Budget (http://www.vtaridersunion.org/regional/vta_fy0405_budget.html) identified nearly $30 million in waste. That analysis was presented to the VTA's Administration and Finance Committee last Wednesday. Amongst the examples identified in the report were $307,000 in office furniture and the rearrangement of VTA General Manager Peter Cipolla's office, and $9 million wasted on unnecessary Outreach paratransit vehicular travel. SCVTARU feels the service cuts and fare hikes would not be a necessity if VTA had shown more fiscal responsibility. Concerned taxpayers and transit riders throughout the South Bay are strongly encouraged to attend this Thursday's rally and subsequent VTA Board meeting. The rally and board meeting can be accessed via VTA bus lines 36, 62, 66, and 180. Both events are also one (1) block north of Civic Center light rail station. ### About the Santa Clara VTA Riders Union -------------------------------------- Founded in October 2000 by Eugene Bradley, the Santa Clara VTA Riders Union is a grassroots-based organization dedicated to ensuring that elected officials improve and implement cost-effective, frequent, and reliable mass transit in Santa Clara County. Our web site is at www.vtaridersunion.org. We are based in Sunnyvale, CA. Our organization has absolutely no affiliation with, nor is endorsed by, the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) in any way whatsoever. Note to Editors: More information on SCVTARU can be found at the following URLs: http://www.vtaridersunion.org/whoarewe/who.html http://www.vtaridersunion.org/PR