SAN JOSE, Calif. (KGO) — Among the commuters who’re impacted enormously from the continuing VTA strike, are the unhoused.
With no buses or gentle rail trains operating, easy errands should not attainable for the unhoused, particularly throughout a sprawling San Jose.
“Lots of people have signed as much as get to YMCA to get to bathe and all the things. The bus stops proper in entrance and we cant go,” one girl mentioned.
We spoke with one man who missed a medical appointment as a result of it is too far to stroll. He credit VTA for providing courtesy rides.
Friday afternoon, Shaunn Cartwright, founding father of the Unhoused Response Group, delivered sizzling meals and different items to these residing at an encampment in Columbus Park.
“I really feel like town and county, just like the second you already know the VTA goes to go on strike, you need to have a plan in place,” Cartwright mentioned.
RELATED: VTA, union hope Gov. Newsom will assist them attain settlement to finish strike
Friday marked day 12 of the employee strike.
Daniel Burdick is an avid rider.
“About as soon as a day. Yeah, so now I’ve to trip my bike in every single place in order that will get slightly harry,” Burdick mentioned.
So is there an ending in sight? Probably. A deliberate Saturday vote on a brand new contract was postponed. The VTA Board of Administrators are holding a particular closed session assembly on Sunday morning.
A union official tells ABC7 Information they count on a brand new provide out of that assembly with a vote by its membership most definitely taking place on Monday.
So far as the neighborhood affect, a meals pantry off seventeenth and Julian have seen dwindling traces.
RELATED: VTA, union leaders meet as staff search eventual return to work, finish of strike
Pastor Ralph Olmos runs Lighthouse Meals Rescue and Distribution.
“We have seen like a lower by 30% of our purchasers not being to make the pickup for the meals. And we have been getting quite a lot of telephone calls asking about doorstep supply, we’re not there but,” Pastor Olmos mentioned.
Pastor Olmos mentioned they’ve needed to shut early the previous few days due to the low turnout.
Lighthouse feeds round 700 folks a day.
“So everybody that reveals up there feeds two different folks, so the affect is fairly huge. It impacts kids, it impacts senior residents,” Pastor Olmos mentioned.
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