TO: TRANSPORTATION AND FROM: Bicycle and Pedestrian
ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEE Advisory Committee
SUBJECT: Diridon Station Status Report DATE: 5/19/25
______________________________________________________________________________ Your Bicycle Pedestrian Advisory Committee (BPAC) would like to submit the following comments on the "Diridon Station Status Report":
1. We support our City’s plan for Diridon Station, and we look forward to this project’s completion.
2. Given the new and uncertain budgeting constraints, we ask you to do whatever is needed to ensure that these remain part of this project:
a. Please ensure that key elements of this plan include bike lanes, a shared use path, and ensure that this station’s interaction with adjacent roads favors vulnerable roadways users in alignment with Vision Zero goals.
b. If this isn’t being done already, we ask that the “Reimagining Santa Clara Street” initiative be coordinated with VTA on the timeline, construction, and planning of the Diridon Station.
c. Given Diridon Station will connect commuters to AMTRAK, CALTRAIN, and VTA options, and there is local, regional, and statewide support of mode shift, please include bicycle parking facilities to serve the many hundreds of riders now and the thousands of the future.
d. We respectfully request that every effort be made to connect bikeways from our City’s most traveled streets to the Diridon Station, as well as to BART’s new stations, and to existing VTA transit centers—especially those within San José’s East Side and at other underserved areas of San José.
3. Because the Diridon Station is in the heart of San José’s downtown and this station will connect commuters to AMTRAK, CALTRAIN, and VTA transit options, we have a golden opportunity to convert many motorists from stressful bumper-to-bumper work commutes to a greener transportation option that will help our city achieve its Move San José and Climate Smart goals. To do this, the station must be built for people, not for cars.
These comments were appoved unanimously at the May 19th, 2025 BPAC meeting.
Sincerely,
Aarshdeep Kahlon, Chairperson
1 Memorandum TO: Diridon Station Steering Committee FROM: Member Matt Mahan Vice Chair Michael Mulcahy Member Betty Duong DATE: May 20, 2025 SUBJECT: May 21st Meeting Agenda Item # 6: Approval of Station Alternative Recommendation Recommendation 1. Approve the staff recommendation, 2. Continue to develop project designs in partnership with the community, particularly near grade separations or closures and adjacent residential areas, 3. Develop a funding strategy, including but not limited to, sales tax measures, local financing tools, and state and federal funding like the Cap-and-Trade, Federal State Partnership and Corridor Identification programs; and provide an update to the committee before the end of the year. Discussion We extend our sincere thanks to the staff and partners at the City of San José, Valley Transportation Authority (VTA), Caltrain, the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC), and the California High-Speed Rail Authority (CAHSR) for undertaking the ambitious, once-in-a-generation effort to reimagine and modernize Diridon Station. Since the launch of the Diridon Integrated Station Concept (DISC) in 2018, these agencies have been working collaboratively to realize a shared vision: transforming Diridon Station into a world-class transit hub capable of accommodating an estimated eightfold increase in ridership from pre-pandemic levels. This transformation stands to deliver significant economic, mobility, and environmental benefits for our communityfrom unlocking transit-oriented development potential to advancing our state and local climate goals. -grade alternative presents a compelling and innovative path forward. With a lower cost estimate, limited need for track expansion beyond the existing rail footprint, and preserved access to the Central Equipment Maintenance and Operations Facility experience and neighborhood connectivity. However, as with any major infrastructure project, this alternative raises important questions. A comprehensive, transparent, and holistic environmental review process is essential to ensure accountability and maintain public trust.
2 To this end, the neighborhoods surrounding the stationincluding those near Auzerais Avenue, West Virginia Street, Stockton Avenue and othersmust remain central to this process. Communities such as Gregory Plaza, Gardner, Delmas Park, Plant 51 and others have been actively engaged since the development of the Diridon Station Area Plan began in 2009 and deserve a continued seat at the table as we explore trade-offs and benefits of the proposed alternative. inevitable, the outcome must be a station that enhancesnot burdensthe communities it serves. It is essential that this project continues to progress on parallel tracksadvancing pre-development activities while actively and strategically pursuing funding across all levels. Funding opportunities may include, but are not limited to, local financing tools, potential future revenue from sales tax -and-Trade program. We request that staff work diligently to develop a full funding plan and update this committee on progress and tradeoffs before the end of the year.
Putting Diridon back on track
Why the “at grade” alternative was never going to work
and how to fix it without impacting the Historic Depot, The Alameda, Stockton, Vespaio, Whole Foods
or anything else on the west side of the tracks
Fatal flaws
• “At grade” is 20 feet below Los Gatos Creek/Guadalupe embankment • 20-foot drop impacts The Alameda, Stockton and Whole Foods • 20-foot Paseo de San Fernando “Big Dip” conflicts with the light rail • The PG&E substation conflict was addressed in the Downtown West EIR • The one-block shift to the north impacts the Vespaio apartment complex • The light rail realignment bisects Downtown West (conflicts with EIR) • The light rail realignment conflicts with the Historic Depot • There is no integration between BART and the light rail • Buses, Kiss & Ride and taxis are on the wrong (north) side of Santa Clara • The I280 viaduct is completely missing
The Paseo de San Fernando “Big Dip” conflicts
with the light rail alignment
The light rail tunnel realignment requires a complete
demolition and reconstruction of the historic depot
The iconic gateway to Downtown San Jose is missing