A six-month pilot project developed to improve safety is being implemented on South 2nd Street between San Fernando and San Carlos Streets. VTA is installing a protective railing with bike racks, bistro tables in front of businesses providing food service, new signage, and coordinating with the City of San Jose to update the roadway striping.
The pilot is to encourage better behavior around light rail. VTA passengers should de-board and use crosswalks at the end of the platforms, while the protective railing and signage keep pedestrians, bikes and cars off the tracks. Everyone is encouraged...
A six-month pilot project developed to improve safety is being implemented on South 2nd Street between San Fernando and San Carlos Streets. VTA is installing a protective railing with bike racks, bistro tables in front of businesses providing food service, new signage, and coordinating with the City of San Jose to update the roadway striping.
The pilot is to encourage better behavior around light rail. VTA passengers should de-board and use crosswalks at the end of the platforms, while the protective railing and signage keep pedestrians, bikes and cars off the tracks. Everyone is encouraged to use crosswalks that are provided in the project area, and anywhere else when crossing streets over tracks.
The objective of this pilot program is to test the effectiveness of the treatments designed to encourage predictable pedestrian, bicycle, and vehicle behavior near the tracks. Predictable behavior could reduce potential conflicts and improve light rail operations downtown.
Pilot Evaluation
VTA staff will evaluate the safety treatments for the next 6 months. Staff will focus on the first few weeks as everyone adjusts, and repeat the evaluations at 3 months and 6 months. The safety treatments will be evaluated for indirect impacts such as maintenance and cohesiveness with the transit mall aesthetic. Effective treatments could remain and later applied in more areas of the transit mall as the first step to consider increasing operating speeds.
Community Outreach
Over the course of planning and design, VTA staff has worked extensively to develop this project with input from:
- City of San Jose Department of Transportation
- Public Works
- Office of Economic Development
- Fire Department
- District 3 Council office of Raul Peralez
- San Jose Downtown Association and Groundwerx
- Commercial Property Owners and the Historic District
- Residents
- Door to Door with Businesses.