 Dear Neighbor, There are a lot of things we don’t notice until they break. The washing machine that springs a leak when we have a week’s worth of laundry piling up. The coffee maker that breaks when we have a big presentation at work in an hour. The remote control that runs out of battery just before the big game. These are all things we have control over. But what about the things that feel outside of our control? Specifically, our roads. While they may not be the most exciting topic, roads are a fundamental part of our city’s infrastructure, and something we often don’t notice until they aren’t working. I know we’ve all cringed when we hit the same pothole for the third time in one week and felt helpless to fix the situation while our tires and alignment pay the price – and ultimately, so do we. The average repair cost for damage caused by a pothole is $406 – painful for any of us, and a cost many working families simply can’t afford. Which is why my predecessor Sam Liccardo made a vow to pave 1,000 miles of local roads. And this week — we hit that milestone.  This goal was first announced in 2019, and today, we’re seeing the difference in the data. Five years ago, our Pavement Condition Index score (scaled 0 to 100) was 66, or “fair.” Our smaller, neighborhood streets, however, only ranked a 60. By last year, sustained funding and an aggressive implementation plan by the Department of Transportation brought the overall score up to 70 and local streets up to 67. And we expect these scores to continue to climb in the years ahead as we work toward repaving or repairing all 1,500 miles of local roadways in our city. You can learn more about our pavement program and see upcoming paving projects by visiting Repave San Jose and exploring the three tabs near the top of the page. Our pavement maintenance program isn’t just about creating smoother roads. Over the past decade, we’ve coordinated hundreds of safety projects with our local paving efforts, including restriping, adding bike lanes, enhancing crosswalks, and testing quick-build infrastructure that calms traffic along our most dangerous streets. The quality of our roads affects each of us daily. It’s something we don’t think about much until they’ve fallen into disrepair. And they are one of the most basic responsibilities of government. I want to thank you for helping us reach this milestone. Without voters choosing to support the City’s Measure T and VTA’s Measure B, we wouldn’t have the resources to make this progress possible. (It’s also worth noting that Senate Bill 1, authored by San Jose’s very own former State Senator Jim Beall, is a third and important source of funding for this work.) So it turns out, we do have the power to create smoother roads. We have our voice and we have our vote. If we hadn’t used them to prioritize infrastructure investments, we wouldn’t have smoother and safer streets today. As this year’s election gets closer, I hope you’ll remember that we are responsible for asking for what we need from government. And by voicing our opinion through the electoral process, we can create change. Click here to check if you’re registered to vote, and make a plan to turn in your ballot by November 5th! Sincerely,  Mayor Matt  By now most of you have heard about the allegations against Councilmember Torres and read excerpts from the police affidavit. Let me be very clear – you have the right to be shocked, disgusted and furious. You have the right to feel as though he can no longer represent you. And at the same time, Councilmember Torres, like anyone else in our community, has the right to a thorough investigation and due process under the law. While we have very limited tools in this circumstance, the rest of my Council colleagues and I called on Torres to step down last week. We know that as elected officials, we are held to a higher standard of conduct – and for good reason. Trust is the foundation of representative democracy. So far, he has not listened to the voices of the community asking him to step down for the good of the city. Unfortunately, the Council is limited in the action we can take to remove him from office. He can either resign, the community can gather signatures to recall him through a long and expensive process, or if he misses 5 consecutive Council meetings, his seat can be considered vacant. For the past two weeks, Torres has not shown up to any council meetings, community meetings or committees he is assigned to. We must ensure continuity and representation on various boards and commissions involving city business. Just as my team and I have vowed to step in and take on more constituent services in District 3, I am recommending that Council colleagues step in to fill those gaps in other important roles and functions for the time being. We will be taking a vote to reassign his duties at this week’s council meeting. I want to assure you – we will not let this unfortunate situation distract us from making progress on the issues you care most about. We will fill in the gaps caused by his absence until a more permanent solution is possible. Because life goes on and so does city business.   On Walk and Bike to School Day last week, we heard from students at KIPP who are feeling a lot safer on their route to school these days. Last year, these young people stood up for their education, spoke out for a safer school, and used the power of collective action to push for change. In response, City Council voted to establish a 150-foot buffer zone for encampments and oversized vehicles around schools. And it’s working — Principal Vo said that break-ins are down and student safety is up this school year!   Reimagining the Civic Commons is a collaboration of national foundations and civic leaders dedicated to revitalizing public spaces. And this week, they announced a new $750,000 investment in San José, which will complement ongoing work on Downtown’s Guadalupe River Park, the SoFA Pocket Park, and San Pedro Square over the next three years. Specifically, the grant will enable the following investments: Arena Green, Guadalupe River Park: new placemaking kiosk to support park recreation and activation, enhanced landscaping and beautification elements, calendar of public program offerings, and engagement to support community-based activities and events; led by Guadalupe River Park Conservancy and City of San José, Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Services. SoFA Pocket Park: expand local micro-business food concepts from East San José to downtown, add new pocket park improvements including shade, seating for visitors and customers, and movable lighting, and study options to better connect SoFA Pocket Park to Parque de Los Pobladores; led by Veggielution. San Pedro Square: add public space features such as interactive art, seating, planters, and other furnishings to compliment the recently completed full-street mural, and host regular programs to highlight downtown businesses and local makers; led by San Jose Downtown Association and City of San José, Economic Development & Cultural Affairs. The best cities have the best public spaces — and investing in downtown landmarks like the Guadalupe River Park is key in achieving this world-class vision. San Joséans will have clean, activated public spaces to connect and a gateway to the restaurants, parks, art, and experiences our Downtown has to offer.       Overfelt and Chinese Cultural Garden Clean-Up Day Friday, October 25th at 9:00 AM to 1:30 PM Location Provided Upon RSVP Help improve San Jose’s wildlife habitat and strengthen our cultural history! Overfelt Gardens is an historic site, representing San Jose’s agricultural history and housing percolation ponds for local wildlife. After a productive morning of beautifying our city, all volunteers will enjoy a free lunch. Learn more and RSVP here. Second Annual Neighborhoods Conference Saturday, October 26th at 8:00AM to 2:00PM City Hall Rotunda, 200 E Santa Clara Street, San Jose, CA 95113 Join PRNS for the Second Annual Neighborhoods Conference! Connect with your neighbors and discover new ways to make a positive impact in your neighborhood. Learn more and register here. Clean-Up at Meadowfair Park Saturday, November 9th at 8:30AM to 11:00AM Meadowfair Park, 1898 Barberry Lane, San Jose, CA 95122 We’re rolling up our sleeves with California Volunteers, BeautifySJ, and the Meadowfair Neighborhood Association to clean up Meadowfair Park! Join us to pick up litter, pull weeds, and create a safer, cleaner city. Learn more and RSVP here. San Jose Veterans Day Parade Monday, November 11th at 11:00AM Starts at the intersection of Almaden Boulevard and Santa Clara Street Honor all those who have served or are currently serving at the largest Veterans Day parade in Northern California. Stop by Plaza de Cesar Chavez for the pre-parade ceremony at 11:00AM, before the parade officially begins at 12:00PM. Find the full parade route and learn more here. San Jose City College & Work2Future’s Fall Career Fair Thursday, November 14th at 11:00AM to 2:00PM San Jose City College Quad, 2100 Moorpark Ave, San Jose, CA 95128 Join San Jose City College and Work2Future for their Fall Career Fair — open to job seekers of all ages and backgrounds! Attendees can visit over 30 recruiting and resource booths, explore promising career options, and connect with potential employers. Learn more and register here.   It’s another beautiful day in San Jose! At the start of the weekend, this area near the Tully Ballfield was covered in weeds and dirt regularly fell off the hillside, covering the path. We came together last Saturday to install a retaining wall and improve the terrain with drought tolerant plants and river rock. Thanks to Pastor Abraham, the Westgate Church and our parks department for leaning in and making a difference. Join us next time: http://bit.ly/cleansj  Last week, we invited unhoused families living at our Evans Lane interim housing community to the San Jose Sharks’ home opener. Our families got to show up and show out in teal to cheer on our team in the Shark Tank — an opportunity that would likely be inaccessible otherwise. Thanks to PATH for helping make the night special and providing much needed services day in and day out! Visit our Website!       |
