Transportation & Parking
I’m all for Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) housing, but only when it makes sense. Studies say public transportation success depends on three things:
- Big urban populations
- Reliable, flexible and fast commute options
- Short commutes (ideally, 3 miles or less)
First off, Gilroy isn’t a huge city. With 58,005 people in 2022, we’re growing but still pretty rural. And even if we were a big city, that’s not enough to reap TOD benefits. It works in places like Boston, NY and San Francisco because people live close to work and have great public transit. LA, on the other hand, is a sprawling mess where people drive 15+ miles to work. TOD doesn’t work there because people rely on their cars.
I support TOD housing near our future transportation hubs, but not *on* those hubs. Some folks supported developing the VTA parking lot in Downtown Gilroy. I’m not on board with that. Our train station will eventually be a major hub like San Jose Diridon Station when CalTrain extends service to Los Banos, Monterey and Hollister. That’s why I fought to protect our train station parking lot in 2021 and again during development of our 2023-2031 Housing Element as Planning Commissioner. Gilroy will need those parking spaces more than ever when it becomes a bustling transfer station.
I even filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request to get the VTA parking study for our train lot. Despite huge data integrity issues, their study showed a 13% increase in parking use from September 2013 to September 2019 — almost 2% more each year. Gilroy residents are already using public transit more, despite the challenges.
Now, about commuting distances. There’s a lot of talk about reducing Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT). I’m all for it! I’d love to take the train to work again if it’s viable. But around 89.90% (2020 study) of Gilroy residents commute to San Jose and Santa Clara, far from the ideal 3 miles for TOD projects. Toll roads, mileage taxes and other penalties aren’t the solution when viable public transit options don’t exist.
Let’s dig deeper. When the VTA parking lot was at risk, I wondered why. Turns out, the VTA needs money. The 2019 Santa Clara County Civil Grand Jury report revealed VTA is in a financial crisis with a massive budget deficit and little to no reserves. They’ve failed to monitor their financial performance and their director and board are more focused on political demands than fiduciary duties.
Sometimes, you’ve got to dig deep to understand what’s really happening. As your City Council Member, I’ll do just that for you!