The ongoing strike by South Bay transit workers has now stretched into its third week as negotiations between VTA and the union remain at a standstill -- all while riders are struggling to find alternative transportation.
“It’s hard because somebody has no time to give me a ride. Sometimes my husband can, but sometimes not. So it’s incredible. Three weeks is a long time,” said Rosalia Torres.
She normally takes the bus to work everyday. But since March 10, she's had to figure out a different way to get there.
“Last week I walked from work from Willow Glen to Santa Clara. It was about 7 miles, two and a half hours,” said Torres. “I hope somebody helps because it’s hard.”
Torres is just one of tens of thousands of riders affected by the strike. So, VTA is now offering Uber vouchers to make up for the loss of service.
The Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority is providing riders up to $5 in vouchers for each Uber ride, with a maximum of two rides a day, the agency says.
Riders must pay the first $2.50 of any qualified ride, after which the $5 voucher will take effect. Any additional costs after the voucher is applied will be paid by the customer, VTA says.
Rides must begin and end at a VTA bus or light rail stop and must be ordered on Uber’s mobile app. The ride-hailing company has geo-coded all of VTA's transit stops onto its app, so the system knows when a ride is being hailed in close proximity to a VTA stop, the agency says.
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The offer is valid only during VTA service disruptions directly related to the current work stoppage, the agency says.
On Sunday, VTA offered a new proposal with an 11% raise over three years. The union offered changes to reduce absenteeism and a compromise on holidays, among other things.
But 83% of voting members rejected the offer.
Union leaders are demanding an 18% raise over three years.
San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan called on city leaders to stand strong, writing on X, “ATU is fighting hard for their members but VTA needs to fight just as hard for our riders. And the reality is, if we pay more than we can afford in raises and benefits, services will be cut and riders will suffer.”
For more information and instructions on how to redeem the voucher, visit the VTA website.
