Hwy 85 discussion May 21, Saratoga City Council

At the May 21, 2014 Saratoga City Council meeting, a letter from VTA representative, John Ristow, was read.  In part, the letter stated that the VTA staff is leaning towards using the existing HOV lanes as toll lanes and that no new lanes would be added.

This fight is not over, as "learning towards" does not constitute a firm commitment. 

The agreements between Los Gatos, Saratoga and Cupertino state that VTA will provide landscaping and noise abatement measures.  That agreement, AKA: Performance Agreement,  was signed in 1989 and has, as yet, remained unfulfilled.

It is likely that public input and responses from our elected officials played a major part in this partial win; however, pressure still must be exerted in order for VTA to keep its commitments regarding noise abatement procedures and landscaping.  And, as there is no firm statement regarding the plan to no longer build 2 additional, express toll lanes, we must remain vigilant.