SAN JOSE, Calif. — The State of California is planning to provide $20 million to the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority to help the agency recover from the May shooting in which nine VTA light rail workers were killed by another employee.
The San Jose Spotlight reports the funding — included in budget bills making their way through the state legislature — is intended to help the agency provide mental health resources to workers and their families and to resume light rail service. The light rail system has not operated since the May 26 shooting [see “San Jose-area light rail system could be shut down for months …,” Trains News Wire, June 2, 2021].
State Sen. Dan Cortese, a former VTA board member, said the money would go directly to the VTA, which will decide how to distribute it between personnel and capital needs.
The money will also fund improvements at the Guadalupe Rail Yard, site of the shootings. The VTA is considering replacing the building where the shooting occurred, but county supervisor and VTA board member Cindy Chavez said that would require additional state funding.
“This is a very important location, and so making sure that location is hardened and protected long term is going to be very important so that employees feel safe going back to work,” Chavez said.
The VTA website shows:
“Light rail service continues to be suspended indefinitely. At this time, there is no estimate of when this service will resume.
In addition, because of limited staffing, we can no longer offer substitute bus service along light rail routes.”
If they can do without the Light Rail this long; it’s been over a month and going on two – with NO substitute bus service, they don’t need the line. How much subsidy can they save by abandoning the line?
They’re not operating because the main repair and storage depot for VTA is a CRIME SCENE.
And when Fedex had a shooting at its hub in Memphis, they closed it down for days.
Crime scene? C’mon Mike, the crime was weeks ago. The world doesn’t shut down b/c of one crime.
Mike, study some history. In wartime, railroads hit by plane-loads of bombs are rebuilt and reopened in days.
Charles, it is still an active crime scene, not only did 9 employees lose their lives in front of co-workers, a lot of equipment also suffered damage and needs to be replaced, another reason service can’t resume. Home made explosive devices had also been placed around the building(or more than one, that hasn’t been confirmed yet) and those had to be cleared out. The facility hasn’t changed one iota since it was built, it’s outdated now, this is a chance to improve it and make it more safe…when it was built, workplace mass shooting weren’t a common occurrence. Sometimes you open your mouth before learning the facts(which in this case you’ll never know because it’s already out of the national news).
You are correct, and to add to your statement, some of the equipment required to operate and maintain the light rail fleet was damaged/destroyed in the shooting. It needs to be replaced before service can resume, and you can’t resume service with employees that fear for their lives all the time.
I’d like to come back a year from now and see exactly where they spent $20mm, and why. I’d like to know why they aren’t operating. This is a public service and I don’t see how they are serving the public by not running.
Before this whoever heard of a corporation shutting down because a crime occurred on the premises? Or asked $20 million to re-open? Only in California.
Charles, the VTA did NOT ask for the $20 million dollars, it is being included at the behest of the State Senator, Dave Cortese. The VTA has never asked the state for money to help with the employees and to reopen.
And did the VTA turn down the $20 million? Just another case of California snowflake syndrome.