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Sustainability
VTA values sustainability as part of its core mission. Building on this legacy of sustainability efforts and actions, VTA issued a Sustainability Charter for the BART to Silicon Valley Phase II...
Design Development Framework (DDF) for Downtown San José BART Station Block
VTA created a Design Development Framework (DDF) for the Downtown San José BART station block intended to guide transit-oriented development (TOD) decision-making for the block. TOD increases transit...
VTAlerts - See Something, Say Something
Safety and security are very important at VTA, and we continually strive to find easy-to-use tools and technologies to make our transit system safe for all passengers.
We know that you are...
Transit Security and Safety
Senate Bill (SB) 434 by Senator David Min (D-Irvine) was signed into law in 2023 and requires the state’s ten largest transit agencies, including the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority...
Express Bus Partnership Program
VTA Approved a New Partnership Model for Express Bus Routes
On February 6, 2020, the VTA Board of Directors adopted the Express Bus Partnership Program. As part of the 2019 New Transit Service...
SR 237 Westbound On-Ramp At Middlefield Road
The Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA), in cooperation with the City of Mountain View and the Department of Transportation (Caltrans), proposes to construct improvements at Middlefield...
Sites and Buildings
Place building entrances to support pedestrian access and establish pedestrian connections between buildings to surrounding streets, transit stops, and bike and auto parking areas. Place entrances to...
Building Design
Place windows and doors to invite and animate. Placement of a building’s entrance(s) is critical to the building’s relationship to the street.
- Provide main building entries on public streets or...
Corridors
Vary cross-sections along the length of the corridor to support adjoining uses. In response to heavy pedestrian and transit use in busy core areas, traffic lanes may be narrowed, and sidewalks...
Case Studies (Development and Built Form)
Seattle, WA, USA - University District Urban Design Guidelines
The Seattle Office of Planning and Community Development undertook a four-year strategic partnership between the community, city, and...
Streets as Places
Streets nest into the scaled nature of land use. Local and collector streets are land uses that fill in between buildings and sites. Arterial streets can serve as corridor spaces, which connect...
Connectivity
Create a connected network of streets, sidewalks, and bikeways.
- Streets should follow a grid pattern and avoid loops or cul-de-sacs that limit multi-modal access to peripheral streets. Where cul-de...
Pedestrian Environment
Provide wide sidewalks with unobstructed through zones. The through zone is the part of the sidewalk reserved for pedestrian movement along the street.
- Sidewalk widths should be in the range of 6...
Travelway
Design narrower travelways. Travelway width affects pedestrian crossing distance and vehicle speed, but also the street’s sense of enclosure, visual appearance, and perception as a barrier. Wide...
Intersections
Minimize conflict points and shorten crossing distances.
- Reduce the number of motor vehicle lanes pedestrians and bicyclists must cross. If the intersection legs are wide because of right-turn...
Transit Streets
Speed up transit. On VTA’s high-frequency network, provide design and operational enhancements that reduce transit vehicle delay.
- Implement transit signal priority (TSP) by installing necessary...
Mixed Use Street
Higher priority design elements and traffic management features on mixed-use streets support a thriving pedestrian environment.
- Provide wide sidewalks zones.
- Provide high-amenity transit...
Case Studies (Street Design Implementation)
San José, CA - Downtown Better Bikeways Quick-Build Network (2018 to 2019)
In 2018, inspired by international examples, San José began implementing a network of connected low-stress bikeways...
Case Studies (Revising Transportation Analysis Practices)
Fort Collins, CO, USA - Multimodal Level of Service Standards
The City of Fort Collins was one of the first cities to adopt Multimodal Level of Service (MMLOS) standards to evaluate how projects...
Case Studies (Transportation Demand Management)
Washington State, USA - DOT Moving Washington Program
The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) is considered a national model for its...
Case Studies (Rethinking Vehicle Parking Requirements)
Berkeley, CA, USA - Reforming Parking Policies to Support Smart Growth Study
The City of Berkeley, CA implemented a Smart Growth Study to better manage their parking supply, especially within their...
























