Senior Advisory Commission
Transportation Interest Letter
Background.
The Senior Advisory Commission (SAC) develops a work plan and goals to focus the SAC efforts throughout the year. The City of Santa Clara became a World Health Organization Age-Friendly City in 2017 and completed a Senior Needs Assessment in that same year. The Assessment considers the eight (8) domains of the World Health Organization’s Age-Friendly City. The eight (8) domains include: Economics and Employment; Community; Housing; Outdoor spaces and Buildings; Transportation and Streets; Health, Wellness, and Nutrition; Social and Civic Engagement; and Access to Community Resources and Information. Subcommittees were developed to focus their attention on four of the domains. Transportation for seniors was a topic of interest with the 2017 Senior Needs Assessment. The SAC has reviewed the Senior Needs Assessment results regarding transportation and learned about shuttle services and different funding strategies in other cities in the County. The SAC recognizes that this topic is beyond the scope of the SAC and has expressed interest to advance the conversation in the City. By way of this interest letter, they endeavor to provoke City prioritization to analyze the current transportation resources and potential need for additional transportation and/or shuttle services in the City. At the May 24, 2021 Senior Advisory Commission Meeting, the Commission recommended forward the communication below to Council.
To: City Council
From: Senior Advisory Commission
Date: May 24, 2021
Subject: Transportation Interest Letter
The Senior Advisory Commission is committed to making a positive impact on the lives of seniors in Santa Clara.
We have reviewed the most recent Senior Needs Assessment and are addressing several issues within our scope through workshops and information disemination as the current situation allows. The most pressing need identified for Santa Clara seniors is for more and better transportation.
The public transportation option in Santa Clara is limited to VTA which has been reducing service not enhancing it. We have been in conversations with our peers in other cities and have learned that virtually all of our neighboring cities, throughout the peninsula are providing specialized, frequent, affordable transportation within their boundaries for their citizens. It is our understanding that these services can often be funded partially or completely with grants. We request the Mayor and City Council put transportation on the work plan for the coming year with the goal of providing local transportation to all citizens.
This would be a direct benefit to the seniors of Santa Clara and would; serve the needs of all citizens for short trips, reduce local traffic, and significantly reduce carbon emissions.
Attachment 1