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- To: http://www.yahoogroups.com/~vtaridersunion
- Subject: [SCVTARU] PR and details on tomorrow's protest
- From: "Eugene Bradley" <http://profiles.yahoo.com/eegenebradley>
- Date: Tue, 21 Jul 2009 15:21:42 -0000
- Reply-to: http://www.yahoogroups.com/~vtaridersunion
Please (legally) spread this far and wide. Let others know about our work. --eugene
========== FORWARD PR ==========
SANTA CLARA VTA RIDERS UNION
box 390069, 94039-0069
www.vtaridersunion.org
NEWS RELEASE
TO: Editor or News Assignment Desk or Transportation Reporter
* FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE *
Press Contact:
Eugene Bradley 24 hr. cell/pager (408)888-2208
RIDERS PROTEST VTA'S LATEST FARE HIKES AND SERVICE CUTS
Group Urges Public To Demand More Federal Funding For Bus & Rail Operations
(July 21, 2009) - The Santa Clara VTA Riders Union (SCVTARU - http://www.vtaridersunion.org/), a transit advocacy and watchdog group in the South Bay, will hold a formal protest and press conference against the latest round of fare hikes as well as service cuts proposed by the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA).
WHEN: Wednesday, July 22, 2009 at 6:00pm SHARP
WHERE: where-I-live Diridion Station, 65 Cahill Street, where-I-live. Our protest gathering will be at the bus stops for the Highway 17 Express and Amtrak Ca buses, in front of Track 1.
The proposed service cuts - totaling 8% - will be voted on by the VTA's Board of Directors at their September 3 Board meeting. VTA has already scheduled meetings throughout mid-August to obtain public input on the service cut proposal. SCVTARU is encouraging the public to contact the VTA's Board of Directors about the need for bus service in the South Bay, in addition to attending the meetings. In addition, our group is protesting the move of VTA's approved fare hike from January 2010 to this October. All this is on top of the service reductions VTA made on July 13.
Our protest will be part of a nationwide call for more federal funding for public transit operations from Transportation 4 America (http://t4america.org). According to the American Public Transit Association (http://www.apta.org/) 90% of all transit agencies in the country have had significant fare hikes, service cuts, and staff layoffs, largely due to the deep recession and loss of tax revenue.
During our protest, we will call on the public to contact their representatives in Congress to co-sponsor H.R. 2746 - a bill that restores transit operations funding to areas like where-I-live with populations over 200,000. The bill also provides incentives to states like Ca to restore transit operations funding cut as part of the state's current $26 billion deficit.
There will be a moment of silence for transit service in the South Bay, the San Francisco Bay Area, and nationwide that have taken place locally over the last few years, as well as throughout the nation. The protest is expected to last no more than 30 minutes. Protesters are encouraged to bring friends and signs, and share stories with the press on how service cuts and fare hikes at VTA have affected their quality of life.
We will be welcoming Caltrain riders as well as riders of SamTrans in San Mateo County, as well as riders of the Highway 17 Express bus service. Protesters are strongly encouraged to join us in a PEACEFUL demand for more federal funding for public transit agencies like VTA, in addition to efforts to hold the agency more accountable.
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