As an opponent of VTA’s plan to seize the left lane in each direction on El Camino Real (from Santa Clara to Palo Alto) for its “rapid transit& buses only, I appreciate your September 2 article about the Santa Clara City Council’s postponing an advisory vote on the subject at its August 25 meeting. The local Chamber of Commence had objected to the short notice. The issue may return as soon as the Council’s next regular meeting scheduled for Tuesday, September 22.
We had an advisory vote of the City Council in my City of Mountain View on April 21 and two new councilmembers who had just told voters in the fall campaign they opposed VTA’s plan changed their stance and formed a 3-2 plurality in favor of the bus lanes. Two of our 7 councilmembers were deemed ineligible to vote because they owned property within 500 feet of El Camino. Since that April vote and in the face of a discussion of recall, one councilmember flip-flopped again – claiming he had made a mistake and noting that he had only supported VTA bus lanes that others (such as private buses) could use!