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South Bay Household Annual Transportation Cost Tops $14K
Report Cites Transit, Land Planning as Long-term Solutions
| Release Number: | nr 09 11 05 |
| Release Date: | Nov 12, 2009 |
San Jose, Calif. –The Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) is noting Bay Area Burden—a report just released by the Urban Land Institute—offers compelling evidence that continued development of public transportation services and infrastructure is critical in efforts to reduce sky-high South Bay transportation costs.
According to the report, households of largely-suburban Santa Clara County spend more than $14,000 a year on transportation, and incur more than $4,000 a year more in transportation costs compared to drivers in transit-friendly San Francisco, where housing density is higher and job centers more centralized.
“Transportation costs for the average household in Santa Clara County are among the most expensive in the country and ranks only behind San Mateo and Marin counties in the San Francisco Bay Area,” said VTA General Manager Michael Burns. “Utilizing VTA services is one way south bay residents can reduce the significant financial burden of their annual transportation expenses.”
Bay Area Burden also notes high local housing costs mean many South Bay workers purchase less expensive homes in outlaying regions of the Bay Area and then endure long commutes. Two current VTA projects under development that will help address needed regional transportation improvements for long-distance commuters are the freeway Express Lanes and the BART to Silicon Valley projects.
The report promotes the concept of “location efficiency,” or the proximity of housing to transportation hubs and notes the South Bay needs to encourage higher density housing along key transportation corridors, such as the VTA light rail system and the planned bus rapid transit routes.
The realized efficiencies, in addition to reducing transportation costs, also offer the opportunity to reduce congestion and green house gas (GHG) emissions in the South Bay, where transportation is responsible for 40.6 percent of GHG emissions, compared to the national average of 33 percent. VTA offers residents who want to help reduce local GHG emissions the option of riding VTA light rail or a variety of VTA bus services, including express buses that provide service to and from major job location centers.
More information on the Urban Land Institute and the Bay Area Burden report is available at a website of the same name. In addition to the report, available at the site is an interactive tool that allows someone to calculate their own annual housing and transportation costs and also to compare their costs with other local communities.
Visiting the VTA website at www.vta.org will provide additional information on the transportation solutions currently offered or under development by VTA.  Go To Top
About VTA
Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) is an independent special
district that provides sustainable, accessible, community-focused transportation options that are innovative, environmentally responsible, and promote the vitality
of our region. VTA is responsible for bus, light rail and paratransit operations; congestion management; specific highway improvement projects; countywide transportation planning and provides these services throughout the county including the cities of Campbell, Cupertino, Gilroy, Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, Los Gatos, Milpitas, Monte Sereno, Morgan Hill, Mountain View, Palo Alto, San Jose, Santa Clara, Saratoga and Sunnyvale. VTA continually builds partnerships to deliver transportation solutions that meet the evolving mobility needs of Santa Clara County
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