VTA seeks public input for integrating BART

As it prepares to integrate bus and light rail service with the forthcoming BART Silicon Valley, the Valley Transportation Authority is seeking public opinion on a draft of a plan to redesign its service network, VTA officials said Friday.

After a year of gathering public opinion on local transit services, VTA Board members voted Thursday to approve the Transit Service Redesign Draft Plan, which officials said would help the system operate more efficiently and provide more options to more of the county.

Currently 70 percent of VTA funds are used to serve denser areas of the county. The new plan would raise that percentage to 85 percent, VTA officials said.

The two-year plan would go into effect in July and intends to connect VTA transit with the Milpitas and Berryessa BART stations, increase ridership and improve the VTA’s fare box recovery rate, officials said.

Before transportation planners make final changes to the plan and submit it to the Board for final approval on April 6, the public has been invited to comment on the plan at public meetings and webinars.

Meetings will be held in San Jose on Wednesday at the Chamber of Commerce at 101 West Santa Clara St., Feb. 13 at the Alum Rock Branch Library at 3090 Alum Rock Ave. and Feb. 16 at Southside Community and Senior Center at 5585 Cottle Road.

Other meetings will be held on Thursday at the Milpitas Public Library at 160 North Main St., on Jan. 18 at the Cupertino Quinlan Center at 10186 North Stelling Road, on Jan. 19 in the Council Chambers of Palo Alto City Hall at 250 Hamilton Ave., on Jan. 23 at the Campbell Library Community Room at 77 Harrison Ave., on Feb. 6 at the Adobe Building at 157 Moffett Blvd. in Mountain View and on Feb. 15 at the Gilroy Library at 350 West Sixth St.

All in-person meetings are scheduled for 6 p.m.

Webinars are scheduled for Jan. 17 at 3 p.m., Jan. 24 at 10 a.m., Jan. 26 at 3 p.m., Feb. 7 at 2 p.m. and Feb. 15 at noon.