Gonot named to lead Santa Clara VTA
California’s Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority has selected Carolyn Gonot as its new CEO and General Manager. Patch.com reports Gonot, who spent more than 20 years with the agency, will return to lead it after almost two years as the executive director of the Utah Transportation Authority. She will replace VTA General Counsel Evelynn Tran, who has served as interim CEO and general manager since January. Tran was appointed to the position after the previous CEO, Nuria Fernandez, left to join the Federal Transit Administration, where she is awaiting confirmation as head of the agency [see “Digest: Biden to nominate Fernandez …,” Trains News Wire, April 13, 2021].
Santa Clara agency increases capacity for light rail, buses
The Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority will increase capacity on light rail equipment and buses as of Wednesday, May 26, reflecting Santa Clara County’s move into the less restrictive Yellow Tier of COVID-19 measures. The change in status will allow 3-foot distancing between passengers, increasing light rail capacity to 34 passengers per car. Under the more restrictive 6-foot distancing in place since March 2020, capacity had been reduced up to 90% on buses. VTA boardman chair Glenn Hendricks said in a press release, “We are not completely out of the woods until we can be at full passenger capacity on board our trains and buses, and this is a big step in the right direction.”
Twin Cities’ Metro Transit ends all transit capacity limits
Metro Transit in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area will lift all light rail and bus capacity limits on Friday, May 28, in response to decreased COVID-19 restrictions set by Gov. Tim Walz. Federal mask rules for those riding or waiting for transit remain in place, the agency says.
