March 25, 2004

Street Talk by Shari Kaplan

There are many differing opinions on the Light Rail: some people find it very useful; some think it's a mistake and a waste of money; some are undecided. What do you think of the Light Rail, and how often do you use it? (Asked at Quicksilver Mines County Park)

"I've probably used it once by accident, to go a few stops in downtown San Jose. We don't really see ourselves using it in the future. We used to live in a big city in Russia and it was much easier to use public transit there. I think the Light Rail should be restructured to connect better with more transit options."

Igor Gopp , 49
Almaden Valley
Engineer

"It's handy for Tapestry in Talent or other downtown festivals; we like not having to deal with parking. When our grandchildren come over we ride it to the Children's Discovery Museum and they love it. It's part of the whole experience for them. I think we all have to move away from being married to our cars and consuming so much gas. The Light Rail may have come here ahead of its time, but I think it'll become more popular as San Jose gets more crowded."

Louise Persson , 56
Blossom Valley
Elementary school principal

"They're bringing the Light Rail right by where I work, but I don't live anywhere near a station, so why would I use it? I think it's very valuable for people who do live and work near a station. If they put it down the major expressways, like Almaden and San Tomas Expressways, I think a lot more people would use it. I only take it about once a year with my 9-year-old son. It's a novelty for him."

Steve Burdett , 33
Cambrian
Computer company planner

"I don't personally take the Light Rail, but I think it'd be a lot more well-used if it could cover more of San Jose. They need to bring it to parts of San Jose where people are more likely to use public transit, like the East Side. I've used it a few times for school field trips, but that's about it."

Jack Wong , 22
East San Jose
College student

"If you look at the great cities of the world where public transit works well, like New York or London or Paris, there's no place to park a car anyway. Here, the Light Rail is mainly for people who don't have a car, or who're drunk too much to drive. Having a 'little bit' of Light Trail doesn't really work. It needs to be more ubiquitous; it's not connecting with enough people. It's not always convenient to drive or walk to a station. But if you get rid of it, you're further away from the dream of a working system."

Charlie Rettner , 50
Blossom Valley
Research scientist

"I feel that if only a small number of people are benefiting from the Light Rail, it's not really worth it. I don't think the benefits outweigh the costs to the city—that's the economics major in me! Even though it's free to San Jose State students and some business employees, not a lot of people use it. I've never ridden on it, and I don't know anyone who uses it."

Kim Le , 23
San Jose
College student