VTA (Valley Transit) Santa Clara
To the Editor Joe Rodriguez is right (December 21). Lower income people rely on buses
more than light rail. The Valley Transit Authority threat to cut 70 percent of
bus service, while cutting only 10 percent of light rail service would fall
much harder on low income people.
It would disadvantage minorities disproportionately as well. According to the
2000 Census, work trip bus ridership by Hispanics in Santa Clara County is more than five times that
of Non-Hispanic Whites (6.5 percent compared to 1.2 percent). African-American
work trip bus ridership is 4.5 times that of Non-Hispanic Whites, at 5.4
percent. All three groupings rely on light rail to the tune of from 0.2 to 0.3
percent. Something is amiss. Sincerely, Wendell Cox Principal Wendell Cox Consultancy, St. Louis Former Member, Los Angeles County Transportation Commission
(1977-1985) Visiting Professor, Conservatoire National des Arts et Metiers,
Paris
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