Plus, Joey Chestnut does it again.
 
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64º | Overcast | 6% chance of rain | Sunrise: 7:19 a.m. | Sunset: 5:16 p.m.
 

Local projects steaming ahead

San Jose’s transit projects: What’s the status?
A BART train at the Berryessa train station.
Photo via Wikimedia Commons
You may be asking, “There’s all these transit projects in the news, what’s the progress?”

Well, we’ve got the scoop for you on three major transit projects happening in San Jose + California as a whole — on both their status and 2024 goals.

🚈 San Jose BART stations

Est. completion date: 2040
VTA is planning to extend the Berryessa Line to four stations: 28th Street/Little Portugal, Downtown San Jose, Diridon, and Santa Clara.

Early November 2023, the city finalized the purchase of the Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) that will dig a tunnel with five miles of train tracks — expected to take 3-4 years to complete. The TBM will take six months to assemble on-site, so major tunneling won’t start until 2025.

Surface construction began at all four future station sites in late November 2023, and you can get updates by signing up for notifications.

The outside of the Diridon Station.

Diridon Station may be getting some serious upgrades.

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Photo by SJtoday staff

🚉 Diridon Station Area Plan (DSAP)

Est. completion date: Unknown
First introduced in 2014, this project was approved by City Council in 2021 to be built in conjunction with Google’s Downtown West project. The DSAP envisions Diridon Station as a major transit hub — one that could be the gateway for BART extensions + the new High-Speed Rail.

As of last fall, five partner transit agencies started work on the Diridon Station Business Case, which evaluates the costs + benefits of proposed station designs, while also considering public input from 2018-2020.

The next steps for this year include developing station design alternatives, establishing a governance structure, and securing funding.

A rendering of the California High-Speed Railway train during the day.

This is what the new high-speed trains could look like.

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Rendering via California High-Speed Rail Authority

🚄 California High-Speed Rail (HSR) Phase I

Est. completion date: 2030
This project has been the talk of many towns, as Phase I aims to provide fast transportation (220 mph to be exact) from SF to LA in under three hours.

Environmental clearance for 422 miles has been completed, with only 72 miles (Palmdale-Burbank + LA-Anaheim) left.

In December 2023, the US Dept. of Transportation granted $3.1 billion to the High-Speed Rail Authority to advance the already-active construction of 119 miles of train tracks in the Central Valley.
 
Events
Thursday, Jan. 18
  • Drink and Draw | Thursday, Jan. 18 | 7 p.m. | The Art Boutiki, 44 Race St., San Jose | Free | Enjoy an all-vinyl evening of pop, soul, and Mo-town classics, as you doodle + mingle.
  • Gallery Talk: “If toxic air is a monument to slavery, how do we take it down?” | Thursday, Jan. 18-Friday, Jan. 19 | Times vary | San Jose Museum of Art, 110 S. Market St., San Jose | Free | Learn more about the exhibit that talks environmental racism, from Chief Curator Lauren Schell Dickens.
Friday, Jan. 19
  • “Something Rotten!” | Friday, Jan. 19-Sunday, Jan. 21 | Hammer Theatre Center, 101 Paseo de San Antonio, San Jose | $25-$35 | Performed by students in grades 9-12 from Starting Arts’ Dream Team program, this production tells the comedic story of two brothers who set out to create the world’s first musical.
Saturday, Jan. 20
  • Ali Siddiq: I Got A Story To Tell | Saturday, Jan. 20 | 7 p.m. | California Theatre, 345 S. First St., San Jose | $26.50-$46.50 | The Houston-based comedian + public speaker’s unique style of stand-up was born behind bars.
  • San Jose Sharks vs. Anaheim Ducks | Saturday, Jan. 20 | 7 p.m. | SAP Center, 525 W. Santa Clara St., San Jose | $49-$ | Celebrate “Summer in January” with an all-arena, Hawaiian-printed shirt giveaway.
  • We Are Young: 2010’s Party | Saturday, Jan. 20 | 9 p.m. | The Ritz, 400 S. First St., San Jose | $15-$20 | Party rock is in the house tonight.
Events calendar here
Click here to have your event featured.
 
News Notes
Development
  • A Tesla center is being proposed on the corner of East Capitol Expressway and Evergreen Place in east San Jose, next to the Costco Business Center. The store building would be 49,600 sqft + add to the mixed-use project, Evergreen Circle. (The Mercury News)
Award
  • Former SJ councilwoman + county supervisor Blanca Alvarado recently received the Iola M. Williams Lifetime Achievement Award for being a trailblazing woman in our region’s history. As former colleagues, Alvarado + Williams were the council’s first women of color. (The Mercury News)
Legacy
  • The vice president of business operations for the San Jose Barracuda, Frank Torres, died this week after a “brief illness.” Torres joined the team in 2022, and was a key player in opening the Tech CU Arena, as well as bringing the 2024 AHL All-Star Classic to SJ this year.
Feel Good
  • Earlier this month, a German Shepherd named Marley was recovered by SJPD with several gunshot wounds. This week, the San José Animal Care Center announced that the community donated $27,000 towards the puppy’s surgery — and, as of Monday, Marley’s been recovering smoothly.
Sports
  • The SF 49ers will host a fan rally + watch party this weekend in SJ. Head to Blanco Urban on Friday, Jan. 19, 5-8 p.m., for a pre-game celebration, then enjoy a watch party at San Pedro Social on Saturday, Jan. 20, 4-9 p.m. Tickets are still available.
Trending
  • Our local competitive eater is at it again. Joey Chestnut scarfed down 15 bagels — with cream cheese — in eight minutes at Las Vegas’ “Seigel’s Bagelmania” to secure yet another foodie belt. Chestnut beat his closest competitor by half a bagel + took home $5,000. (KVVU-TV Fox 5)
Ranked
  • In WalletHub’s recent ranking of the best cities for STEM jobs, San Jose ranked No. 6. The only other California city that scored higher was Sacramento (No. 5), but SF scored slightly lower (No. 7). (WalletHub)
Plan Ahead
  • Join Jumbo at the Tank next month. San Jose Sharks legend Joe Thornton will have his No. 19 retired at a special ceremony on Sunday, Feb. 25. Thornton came to the 408 in 2005, and grew to become one of the most celebrated players in NHL history.
Active
  • Is there a gym or fitness studio around town you’ve been wanting to check out? Get a free month of ClassPass + sample multiple gyms with just one membership.*
Outdoors

🗑️ Rot or not?

The beginner’s guide to composting in San Jose
A heap of tomatoes and vegetation in a dark brown wooden bin outside.
One person’s organic trash is another’s compost treasure. | Photo by Eva Bronzini via Pexels
Ready to begin composting? We’ve got the dirt on how to get started, plus the best compost bin for your needs.

What is composting?

Composting is the process of decomposing organic matter — like leaves, food scraps + yard trimmings. The result is a dark, nutrient-heavy material, like soil, that you can use to enrich your lawn or garden.

How do you get started?

Find a dry and shady spot in your backyard to build your compost pile. Be patient — composting can take several months.

If you don’t want a pile of decomposing waste in your backyard, try a compost bin. Here’s some options we’ve bin eyeing:
  • For beginners | Try it out before you commit. This bin is easy to clean and is perfect for collecting scraps on your counter.
  • For style icons | Composting, but make it cute. Just don’t mistake this odor-free bin for your cookie jar.
What you can't compost
The Buy

The Buy 1.18.23 (Affiliate + Six & Main)
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The Wrap
 
Alyson Chuyang headshot

Today’s edition by:
Alyson
From the editor
While updating myself on transit news, I found out that Caltrain celebrated 160 years of rail service from SF to SJ this week. The idea was born in1851, when San Jose was still the capital of California — and by 1864, the line was complete. Neat, huh?
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