LocalNews
VTA looks to improve service to Levi’s Stadium The Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority is assessing ways to improve carrying fans to Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara after the first event there Saturday included long wait times and overcrowded light-rail cars, an agency spokeswoman said today. The VTA moved about 9,000 people to the stadium for the San Jose Earthquakes’ soccer match against the Seattle Sounders FC, with 8,300 taking the agency’s light-rail system and 700 coming in express buses, VTA spokeswoman Colleen Valles said. “There are a lot of things that went well and some things did not go right,” Valles said. “We have a lot of things to look at, what worked, what didn’t work.” On the positive side, VTA’s express bus service to the stadium worked well and passengers also transferred smoothly from Caltrain trains to the light-rail station in Mountain View to get to the match, according to VTA officials. But other light-rail riders had a more difficult time. Wait times for people trying to get on trains ranged from 15 minutes to an hour and was the worst after
the match at the Great America station on Tasman Drive, Valles said. Too many passengers at times crammed into the light-rail vehicles and “the cars would get packed,” she said. At one point, one of the lightrail trains lost power and stalled while taking passengers to the stadium. The air conditioning went down and stayed off during the hot summer day even after power was restored and the train resumed its run, Valles said. The transit agency might decide to deploy more lightrail trains at different times to deal with the wait times and overcrowding during future big events at Levi’s Stadium, according to Valles. Saturday’s match attracted 48,765 fans to the stadium, where the Earthquakes defeated Seattle 1-0. Mountain View’s downtown station is expected to become a popular hub for fans taking transit to stadium events, and the city has instituted paid and permit parking to handle the anticipated crowds on event days. The $1.3 billion Levi’s Sta-
dium, with a seating capacity for 68,500 fans, is the new home field for the San Francisco 49ers football team, which will have its first game there on Aug. 17, a preseason contest against the Denver Broncos. The VTA will be in better shape by the 49ers preseason game when its “pocket track” for light-rail will be completed, Valles said. The track on Tasman Drive will hold in reserve three threecar trains for up to 1,350 passengers that can be sent out to move riders faster during busy times such as when people are departing Levi’s Stadium, she said. The VTA on Saturday also began a pilot program of charging people $20 a day to park at its River Oaks and Interstate Highway 880/Milpitas light-rail station lots during events at Levi’s, Valles said. The program, involving a few hundred parking spaces at the stations, is meant to provide a revenue stream for VTA over the course of the 49ers’ first season at Levi’s and will include events other than football games, she said. —Bay City News Service
MV firefighters help battle NorCal wildfires By Cooper Aspegren
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he Mountain View Fire Department has stepped up to help with efforts to put out wildfires raging throughout Northern California. On Sunday, Aug. 3, Mountain View’s Engine 152 and two battalion chiefs were sent to Fortuna to cover for fire personnel who were sent to fight the wildfires, said fire department spokeswoman Jamie Garrett. A couple of days later, on Aug. 5, Engine 154 and its crew were sent to Laytonville to help fight the wildfire in that city’s area, she said. Both engines include a crew of four firefighters, according to Garrett. Another battalion chief from the Mountain View fire department was sent to help with the Beaver Fire at Klamath National Forest, she said. The battalion chief is a part of the overhead team that provides expertise in safety, operations, logistics, planning and other issues. As of Wednesday, Aug. 6, the battalion chief was still active at Klamath, Garrett said. The Mountain View Fire
Department employs four battalion chiefs, according to Garrett. In the absence of a battalion chief, a captain within the fire department steps into the role. Garrett said that the fire department had no additional engines to send to help with the Northern California wildfire effort. If the firefighters are needed over a longer period of time, the fire department could rotate its personnel, according to Garrett. Mountain View engines were last deployed as part of a strike team to help fight the Rim Fire at Yosemite last year, Garrett said. As of Aug. 6, Engine 152 was covering a 150-mile spread of fire stations that includes Crescent City, Garberville, Weott and Trinidad, according to Garrett. Engine 154’s crew was helping both to provide structure protection for homes in Laytonville and assisting in the effort to contain the wildfire there, she said on Wednesday. There were 17 wildfires active in Northern California as of Aug. 1, prompting Gov. Jerry Brown to declare a state of emergency. The declaration
authorized the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services and State Emergency Plan to direct personnel and resources to the effort of fighting the wildfires. As of Aug. 6, the number had dropped to 12 active wildfires, according to Garrett. “This is projected to be a really bad fire season because of the drought,” she said. Mountain View firefighters were deployed as part of the California Master Mutual Aid Agreement, in which the state’s department of forestry and fire protection provides all available assistance to other fire departments within the state when necessary. In return, the department can access local fire departments to help put out wildfires. Garrett said that Mountain View’s firefighters are safe and in good condition. “The firefighters are all in good spirits and healthy,” Garrett said. It’s uncertain when they’ll come back home; there is no timetable for the return of the Mountain View firefighters or battalion chiefs, Garrett said. Email Cooper Aspegren at caspegren@mv-voice.com
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