Speakers/Panelists
- Chris Lepe, TransForm, Regional Policy Director
- Teresa O’Neill, VTA Board Chair, Santa Clara Councilmember
- Rod Sinks, Cupertino City Councilmember
With great fanfare, TransForm announced ReX, their idea for greatly improving the commute by using existing rights-of-ways (plus some new ones), along with people-friendly features and last-mile solutions to create a Bay Area-wide transit network that promises to move people where they need to go faster than today.
This seems to be aligned with the WNAC’s “Freeway within a Freeway” vision and associated freeway capping strategy. Transform’s Chris Lepe will brief the WNAC on what ReX is and isn’t. This is sure to be an interactive session, as we will have lots of questions, such as:
- How firm is this plan?
- With so many transit agencies in the Bay Area, what is needed to get them on board?
- How much will it cost and what are the potential funding sources?
- What are the opportunities for public-private-partnerships?
- Would this be open to private buses as well?
- Who is envisioned as running last-mile services, particularly shuttles?
- How could freeway caps factor into this plan?
- and many more….
Below is the entire video. To skip to specific parts, follow the links below (the video will open in a new window)
- An update is provided on the Stevens Creek Innovation Zone. A question is asked about having the Council Office review 2020 vision plan that had been formulated during Councilmember Constant’s term. It was noted that car lots were not anticipated for Winchester in that plan.
- Overview of Stevens Creek RFI for grade-separated, autonomous transit, Freeway within a Freeway concept for Santa Clara County, Freeway Cap concept, Automated Mobility Districts and Houston examples (at approximately 17 minutes)
- Presentation by TransForm’s Chris Lepe on ReX, a proposal to create a regional bus network (29:38 minutes).
- Chris Lepe, VTA Chair & Santa Clara Councilmember Teresa O’Neill, and Cupertino Councilmember Rod Sinks discuss the TransForm’s plan. Topics include the surprisingly high number of VTA drivers that will be retiring over the next 10-years, the relative efficiency of rail and buses, and the importance of providing access to mobility to, as Chris Lepe says, ensure upward mobility.
To show your support for and/or comment on the ReX concept, go to https://transformca.salsalabs.org/yes2rex/index.html
- WNAC Slides (Cap, Freeway within a Freeway, Automated Mobility Districts, etc.
- TransForm presentation (PDF)
Agenda
- Light pizza and cannoli dinner (6:00 to 6:30 pm)
- Introductions (5 min)
- Elected Officials Update (15 min)
- The Bigger Picture Vision of the Tri-Village Area (10 min)
- TransForm ReX Vision – Chris Lepe (30 min)
- Moderated discussion of ReX Vision, featuring Panel of Experts & Audience Q & A (30 minutes)
- Next steps
Date: Wed, November 20th, 2019
Time: 6:30pm – 8:30 pm
Location: Cypress Senior Center, 403 Cypress Ave
