VTA officials hope to partially restore tram traffic by Sunday – CBS San Francisco

SAN JOSE (CBS SF) -South Bay Valley Transportation Authority officials said Tuesday that tram traffic could be partially restored in time for fans to drive to the 49ers-Raiders game at Levi Stadium this Sunday.

“We don’t use the whole system, but we should get some kind of service enabled in 49er-Raider. That is our goal, ”said Dale Austin Jenkins, Director of VTA Rail Operations, at a news conference on Tuesday morning.

READ MORE: Police warn residents of detecting a mountain lion in Petaluma

The high-speed trams will leave Guadalupe’s yard later on Tuesday as the VTA begins testing 42-mile of overhead and overhead lines, testing 61 stations, and training and re-certifying 300 employees.

By the end of this week, operators will be able to run their routes without support staff and passengers can be added as early as Sunday.

In particular, the agency will focus on activating the Orange Line between Levi Stadium and Mountain View Caltrain Station to serve fans descending from San Francisco and the peninsula.

“Every step must be taken; it must be certified. And it’s the CEO who decides when we’re ready and delivers that information. The service will be returned when we are ready, ”Jenkins said.

READ MORE: UPDATE: San Jose City Council unanimously approves vaccine mandate for city-owned facilities

The high-speed rail system was shut down on May 26 after a deadly massacre at the VTA railroad yard in downtown San Jose. A coworker killed nine employees, who then took their lives.

After that, one of the VTA employees who saw the massacre died by suicide. Also this month, a VTA trainee was arrested for allegedly threatening to shoot the place up if he is not hired.

Many of the workers working there have been confronted with various mental health problems since the traumatic massacre. The VTA also said they may launch an ad campaign to get some riders who found other means of transport during the summer to use the system again.

“That’s why we’ve spent time on a very intentional trauma-based approach, and helping our employees come back, caring for people takes time. We are trying to build a foundation for these employees so that they can return to work without adversity, ”said Carolyn Gonot, CEO of VTA.

For more information on restoring the service, see available on the VTA website.

MORE NEWS: COVID: Benician lawmakers vote unanimously to set a mask mandate

Kiet Do participated in this story.