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):	
Eugene Bradley	24 hr. cell/pager (408)888-2208 email: eegenebradley@yahoo.com

SOUTH BAY TRANSIT ADVOCACY GROUP CONDUCTS FIRST ONLINE SURVEY

SCVTARU Gages Public Opinion on BART to San Jose Via Internet

SUNNYVALE, CA (October 16, 2003) - The Santa Clara VTA Riders Union
(SCVTARU - http://www.vtaridersunion.org/) today announces the 
public availability of its first online survey.  Our first survey
will gage the opinion of Santa Clara County residents and 
taxpayers on their opinion of the extension of BART to San Jose, 
given the fiscal crisis at all levels of government and the
ongoing economic recession.

That online survey, hosted by MisterPoll (www.misterpoll.com) 
contains seven (7) questions and takes about 5-10 minutes to complete.  
The first question asks the respondent whether or they are a 
registered voter in Santa Clara County.  The second question asks how 
often - if at all – the respondent uses VTA buses and/or light rail. 
The third question in the survey asks whether the respondent voted 
for or against Measure A in November 2000.

The fourth question asks whether or not the respondent would vote for 
another half-cent sales tax to prevent further delays for the San 
Jose BART extension.  Question five asks the respondent if, as an 
alternative, they would approve an extension of the 2000 Measure A 
sales tax from its voter-approved termination in 2036 to 2056.  
Question six asks what stable funding should VTA use (if any) to 
operate the BART extension once it is completed.  The seventh and 
final question asks whether or not the BART extension to San Jose 
should continue on as planned, delayed until stable operating funding 
for it can be identifed, or scrapped altogher due to lack of funding.
 
Those interested in taking our first online survey can visit our
web site, www.vtaridersunion.org, and click on "Take the Survey"
in the middle of the page.  The advantage of taking an online survey
is that you do not receive a phone call in the middle of family
hour.  Rather, you can take the survey whenever and whereever you
have an Internet connection - in the office, at an Internet-ready
restaurant or hotel, or in the convenience of your own home.  And,
it only takes five (5) minutes to complete.  The survey will only
collect your answers - it will NOT collect any personal data about
you at all.  So it is also a secure way to express your opinion about
having BART to San Jose.

Results from our survey will be released on October 25, or when
there are a sufficient number of responses, whichever is greater.

###

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 and News Desks:  More information on SCVTARU can be found at 
the following URLs:
http://www.vtaridersunion.org/whoarewe/who.html
http://www.vtaridersunion.org/PR