The Cupertino Courier

Letters & Opinions

Speak Out

Sandoval vows to
seek safety solutions

I appreciate the letter that appeared May 2 from Jean Corradi addressing both school safety issues and the loss of service from the VTA line 53.

Let me first agree with Jean regarding school safety: many drivers do drive too fast in school zones, drop off and pick up kids in the bike lane (illegally) and do not yield to bikes or pedestrians. We need these drivers to follow driving and safety rules and utilize common sense.

The decision to terminate line 53 at Bubb Road was not an easy one for the VTA staff or the VTA board. Over the last 18 months, VTA has done extensive work analyzing the usefulness of bus lines. The goal has been trying to create a more efficient and effective transit system for our entire region. For line 53, it has recently been reported that only two people "deboard" at Kennedy Middle School in the mornings and at most 10 at Monta Vista High School. In comparison, 300-plus students per day use a VTA bus to attend Fremont High School in Sunnyvale. Given the serious long-term fiscal problems facing VTA, the board has renewed its focus on fiscal responsibility, which often means eliminating under-used bus routes and striving for greater efficiency.

Unfortunately, VTA can not run a strictly "school-oriented" route in this area due to the mandates of state and federal regulations. VTA cannot create a line exclusively for the use of students, schools or a school district.

Cupertino will make great gains on other lines, including increased service on lines 23, 25 and 26, building a transit hub at De Anza College and creating two future Bus Rapid Transit lines connecting Cupertino with Sunnyvale and other cities to serve commuters.

I will continue to work with parents, teachers, school officials, city staff, VTA and others to find solutions to the traffic jams around schools. Together, we can provide a safe option for kids to walk or bicycle to school every day.

Dolly Sandoval

Council member, Cupertino