今年，我受命擔任Valley Transportation Authority主席。隨著矽谷經濟繼續大幅上漲，2014年毫無疑問成為領導VTA激動人心的一年，我們新聘了一位活力十足的總經理Nuria Fernandez， Levi’s Stadium的建設將在夏季完工。對於後一點，我作為主席所採取的行動之一是創建Levi’s Stadium Transit Program Committee。該委員會旨在推動VTA與Santa Clara市和49er隊建立一個成功的合作關系，確保賽事期間進出體育場的交通順暢。此外，我們希望前往體育場的球迷至少有20%選擇搭乘公共交通。然而，我們深知，要取得成功，我們有許多工作要做。
幸運的是，我們新聘的總經理Fernandez最近時期擔任過New York Metropolitan Transit Agency的首席運營官。在這個崗位上，她管理著全國最大的公共交通系統，幫助紐約推動基礎設施建設和公共交通運營，讓人們進出新澤西新足球場變得方便和流暢。鑒於她的這段經曆，她理應是當下最合適的人，可以幫助VTA應對一個以前從未在本縣出現過的場所。並且，在委員會成立前，VTA工作人員已經與49ers、Santa Clara 和Caltrain合作數月，開始製定體育場交通方案。我向委員會首次提出的要求之一是希望VTA工作人員著手移動手機應用。有了移動手機應用，乘客就可以迅速購買往返車票。此外，VTA最近一直與加鐵合作，使得乘客可持有一張車票實現從列車到輕軌的無縫轉乘。雖然VTA費用和VTA/Caltrain比賽日票正在最後確定中，但它毫無疑問將是大眾所能接受的，不會貴過在體育場附近停車的費用。 Great America輕軌站將讓乘客直達Levi’s Stadium的前門。此外，使用路路通卡的乘客仍然可以像平時一樣刷卡。現在，考慮到數千乘客將在體育場一帶下車，VTA還興建了一個新站臺以及一個讓輕軌列車靜候散場球迷的口袋軌道。
就搭載能力而言，VTA計劃在比賽日運行80列輕軌列車，而非普通週日的20列列車。加鐵搭載球迷從San Francisco順著半島而下到達Mt. View。在Mt.View，有直達體育場的輕軌。無論你是在南San Jose還是在Milpitas，搭乘輕軌都是簡單便利的。在未來數年，未來的Berryessa和Milpitas BART車站將增加巴士和輕軌服務。同時，從Fremont BART車站到體育場亦將安排直達巴士服務。整個VTA系統的巴士服務也會增加，確保人們及時到達體育場。當然，體育場及其周邊地區會有許多停車空間。同時，考慮到交通堵塞和停車費用，VTA認為，前往Levi’s Stadium觀看49ers比賽或其他大型賽事最便宜和最方便的方式是使用我們的公共交通系統。
VTA未來的數年將是令人激動的數年。 BART Silicon Valley Extension to San Jose 有望在2017年提前啟用，灣區第一個巴士快速公交系統正在東San Jose建設，以及加鐵電氣化的推進，所有這些表明我們的公共交通系統在滿足居民和員工需求上正大步向前。 Levi’s Stadium在八月的啟用將成為又一個VTA樂於接受的挑戰。並且，我們希望體育場的賽事將讓更多的通勤者認識和了解VTA，從而使得他們考慮選擇VTA滿足自己的日常交通需求。
________________________
VTA Prepares for Opening of Levi’s Stadium
VTA Chairman: Ash Kalra
This year, I was appointed to serve as Chair of the Valley Transportation Authority. 2014 certainly appeared to be an exciting year to lead VTA as the Silicon Valley economy continued in a dramatic upswing, we hired a new, dynamic General Manager Nuria Fernandez, and the construction of Levi’s Stadium was slated for a summertime completion. To the last point, one of the first actions I took as Chair was to create the Levi’s Stadium Transit Program Committee. The Committee was designed to help VTA move towards a successful partnership with the city of Santa Clara and the 49ers so that movement in and out of the stadium during events would be as seamless as possible. Also, the hope is that there will be at least 20% of attendees to the stadium who would opt for taking public transit. However, to achieve success, there was a lot of work that was needed.
Thankfully, General Manager Fernandez had most recently worked as the Chief Operating Officer of the New York Metropolitan Transit Agency. In that role, she oversaw the largest transit system in the nation and helped New York put in place the operations and infrastructure to move people to and from the new football stadium in New Jersey. With her New York state of mind in tow, she seemed to be the perfect person at the right time to help VTA prepare for a venue the likes of which has never existed in our county. And, even before the Committee was in place, VTA staff had already spent months working with the 49ers, Santa Clara and Caltrain starting to put together a transit and traffic plan.
One of the first requests I had prior to the Committee even meeting was for VTA staff to begin working on a mobile phone application. This would allow individuals to quickly buy round trip tickets to and from stadium events. In addition, VTA has recently been working with Caltrain to allow for a single ticket to allow passengers to seamlessly travel from the train to the light rail. Although the cost of VTA only and VTA/Caltrain game day tickets is still being finalized, it will certainly be affordable and much less expensive than parking next to the stadium. The Great America light rail station drops passengers off at the front door step of Levi’s Stadium. Also, riders with Clipper cards will still be able to tag on and off as they do during any other ride. Now, given the fact thousands of riders will be getting off near the stadium, VTA has also built a new platform as well as a pocket track so that empty light rail trains can be waiting on stand-by as fans empty out of the stadium.
As far as capacity, VTA plans on having 80 light rail trains running on event days, rather than the typical 20 trains on an average Sunday. Caltrain will also have trains bringing fans from San Francisco and down the peninsula to Mt. View. At Mt. View, there will be direct light rail trains to the stadium. Light rail access will also be available from any point on the system whether you are coming from south San Jose or Milpitas. In the years to come, there will be increased bus and light rail service to the future Berryessa and Milpitas BART stations. In the meantime, there will be direct bus service from the Fremont BART station to the stadium. There will also be a dramatic increase of bus service throughout the entire VTA system in order to get people to the stadium in a timely manner. Of course, there will be a lot of parking at and around the stadium as well. However, only a limited number of lots will allow tailgating. And, with the traffic congestion and cost for parking, VTA feels the cheapest and most convenient way to get to a 49ers game or any other major event at Levi’s Stadium as by using our system.
The next few years are going to be exciting for VTA. With the BART Silicon Valley Extension to San Jose aiming for opening ahead of schedule in 2017, the first bus rapid transit system in the Bay Area currently under construction on east San Jose, and the electrification of Caltrain moving forward, our transit system in moving quickly to meet the needs of our residents and workers. The opening of Levi’s Stadium this August is one more challenge that VTA is excited about. And, we hope that stadium events will introduce VTA to a whole new group of commuters who will consider VTA for their everyday transportation needs.
