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Two Pedestrian Safety Projects Complete on Hostetter and Morrill

My office worked with the Department of Transportation this summer to expedite the improvement at two key crosswalks in Berryessa. Both of these crosswalks are heavily used by students on their way to school.

Upgrading crosswalks at strategic intersections provides pedestrians with designated and highly visible areas to cross, effectively reducing the chances of accidents and collisions with vehicles. The addition of clear signage further reinforces the presence of pedestrian crossings, promoting driver awareness and adherence to yielding right-of-way.

Bright, new LED flashing signage, reflectors, and fresh paint on the crosswalks at Hostetter and Agua Vista.

Brightly colored bollards and freshly repainted street markings contribute significantly to the overall safety of our residents. Bollards act as physical barriers between pedestrian walkways and vehicle lanes, slowing rates of speed, preventing inadvertent drifting, and bolstering protection. Repainting street markings not only revitalizes road visibility but also helps define pedestrian pathways, delineating safe routes to use.

Collectively, these improvements engender a culture of safety, encouraging residents to choose active modes of transportation and fostering a stronger sense of community cohesion. The actions to fortify pedestrian safety in District 4 help creating a more livable, interconnected, and secure community.

New bollards, signage, LED flashers, and paint near Morrill Middle School.

According to the Department of Transportation, vehicles' speed at crosswalk decreases on average by 19-32% when flashing lights are illuminated. According to IESNA (2000) [5] the nighttime fatal accident rate in non-illuminated conditions is about three times the day time rate.

There are several other crosswalks slated for improvement in the year ahead.

Dumpster Day in Alviso

Our Alviso Dumpster Day event was a big success! I'm so proud of my team and all of our volunteers for staying hours later than we'd planned, helping residents dispose of so much junk and debris that we had to order twice as many dumpsters as we'd expected! Get in touch with my office if you're interested in helping out with our next event!

USA Gymnastics Returns to San José

It was an honor and a pleasure to host Li Li Leung, President and CEO of USA Gymnastics, as my City Council colleagues and I presented a proclamation recognizing USA Gymnastics and welcoming their National Championships to San José.

Individual session tickets for the 2023 U.S. Gymnastics Championships, to be held August 24-27 at SAP Center, are on sale now. Don’t miss the action as America’s top gymnasts return to our great city to compete for national titles on the road to the Paris Olympics in 2024. 

Many of these events will sell out fast, so get your tickets now!

Paying Homage to Flea Market Roots

Long before Shoe Palace became a go-to store for sneakerheads with more than 200 locations, the retailer’s founders sold shoes out of the Berryessa Flea Market in San Jose. With its 30th anniversary this year, these beginnings have inspired its latest celebratory sneaker collaboration. 

Arriving this week is the Shoe Palace x Adidas “Flea Market” collaboration, featuring two sneakers, including new-look iterations of the Forum ’84 Low and the NMD R1. To pull off the theme, Shoe Palace took inspiration from the vintage signs in the flea market.

• Peter Verry, footwearnews.com

SV Pride Events

This weekend is Silicon Valley Pride, which includes a parade down Market Street and a festival in Cesar Chavez Park. My team will be walking in the parade Sunday morning at 10 am. If you would like to join us, please email angela.pedrigal@sanjoseca.gov.

"Silicon Valley Pride is a celebration of the LGBTQ+ community and our allies. It all started back in 1975 as a gay rights rally and evolved into San Jose Pride Festival in 1976. The following year, 1977 San Jose added its first parade to the celebration. In 2014 San Jose Pride was changed to Silicon Valley Pride to include neighboring cities to encourage unity. It is now the largest Pride celebration of the South Bay and is a family friendly event. That is 44 years of honoring and celebrating our rights to choose whom we love and spend our lives with! The LGBTQ+ movement has been built on the backs of people who have fought hard for equality and progression. We choose to honor those individuals and those whom we’ve lost. It is important, now more than ever, to make our voices heard and to celebrate our diversity! We will not be pushed aside and we will not be erased!" - from SVPride.com

Seeking Applicants for Water and Agriculture Committees

We're seeking applicants for Environmental Water Resources Committee and the Agricultural Committee. Water and agricultural projects being considered in District 4 need input from residents in our community, so if you have experience or interest in either topic, please contact Richard Santos at Santa Clara County Water District 408-234-7707 for more information.

Closing the Digital Divide in San José

SJ Access is a citywide initiative led by the Library that provides residents and students access to quality internet, free Wi-Fi, and digital literacy programs and opportunities. Through the program, residents can check out mobile hot-spots for the convenient Wi-Fi access and borrow devices like laptops, tablets, and Chromebooks. SJ Access is designed to help households with little or no internet access get connected by partnering with school districts and businesses, installing outdoor Wi-Fi access at libraries and community centers, distributing new and refurbished devices, and providing workshops and other programs to improve digital literacy. The program is innovative in its holistic approach to closing the digital divide, which up to now has been addressed in a more piecemeal way.

A key component of the City’s Education and Digital Literacy Strategy, approved by the City Council in 2018, SJ Access aims to bridge the persistent digital divide that disproportionately impacts our residents, particularly low-income communities and people of color. Access to digital connectivity — a fast and reliable internet connection — has become an essential service for residents in San José, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic, with our students and teachers navigating the challenges of distance learning.

The City of San José estimates that 41,000 residents are without internet and 25,500 are under-connected without adequate technology to take full advantage of the digital economy. Additionally, a Santa Clara County Office of Education May 2020 Needs Assessment revealed that 37,876 students rely on their school to provide them with digital devices; and over 10,000 school-age children from low-income families are struggling to maintain their academic skills through distance learning.

SJ Access goes beyond device distribution to offer trainings in multiple languages that help community members acquire the skills they need to get the most out of those devices. Library staff make it a priority to offer residents trainings in topics that matter to them. For some, this means how to support children in distance learning and communicate with teachers; for others, it is learning how to search for jobs and apply for openings online. The SJ Access curriculum also includes tips for getting access to low-cost or free IT services so that widespread digital inclusion is sustainable over the long term.

With support from SJPLF, the Library is able to conduct this work at scale through 25 branches across the city, partnering with smaller community agencies where appropriate to expand its reach. To assist with allocating resources, SJPL created an equity index screen in January 2020 to collect data on poverty, K-12 enrollment, ethnicity, English proficiency, and technology access.

Beginning in Fall 2020, SJPL has collaborated with the Santa Clara County Office of Education to distribute 12,800 hotspots to families with children in K-12 schools in San Jose who lacked sufficient connectivity at home. Additionally, the Library is currently working with the City’s IT department to establish free neighborhood-based WiFi in an equitable fashion, and 3,000 hotspots are available for checkout to SJPL members. Building upon these initial steps, the Library can provide the means for tens of thousands of families and working-age adults to become informed participants in digital life.

During the pandemic, SJ Access has provided Tech@Home kits including a laptop or iPad and mobile hotspot that can be checked out by Library members for up to 120 days. The program has also offered free digital literacy workshops in English, Spanish, and Vietnamese to help low-income households become at least minimally proficient in using a computer and navigating the web. In-language technical assistance is also available over the phone for anyone who needs extra help. Additionally, the Library’s Maker[Space]Ship mobile tech center has made weekly visits to underserved communities.



In 2021, SJ Access built a free outdoor Wi-Fi service for East San Jose. This community Wi-Fi service provides Wi-Fi to the surrounding areas of three major high schools in East San Jose, with access planned for another five high schools by 2022. The Library also created a free Downtown Wi-Fi network in partnership with Facebook and Cambium Networks.

Not a Library member? No problem. You can sign up anytime!

Pickleball, Pickleball, Pickleball!

Everyone seems to be talking about Picklball these days, it's the fastest growing sport in the country!

There are several Pickleball classes being offered in San Jose through the Parks and Recreation Neighborhood Services however, they fill up quickly. Interested players are encouraged to get on the "waitlist" if class is full, since they add classes based on interest.

Please direct them to www.sanjoseca.gov then go to residents drop down, Parks & Recreation, PRNS Directory, Programs & Activities under fitness classes "Pickleball" all the classes appear at Camden Community Center and Almaden Community Center (50+).

Stay tuned for information about the upcoming installation of pickleball courts in District 4!

BART Maintenance Projects

BART will soon perform preventative maintenance work in areas all over San José to protect the system from fallen trees.    

Approximately 35 hazardous trees, between the Union City and Fremont BART stations, have been identified for pruning or removal. Work is scheduled now so trees with the greatest potential to impact BART operations are removed well ahead of winter storms. Last year, fallen trees derailed two trains and delayed train service on multiple occasions.  

This important safety work will take place on three non-consecutive weekends in August and September. During these weekends, train service between the Union City and Fremont BART Stations will be replaced by a free bus shuttle, which could result in delays of up to 30 minutes. The construction weekends are: 

·        August 26 – 27 

·        September 9 – 10 

·        September 23 – 24 

In addition to tree pruning and removal, BART will perform track improvements and station maintenance. Tree work will take place from 7am – 7pm and include the use of chainsaws and woodchippers. Other construction activities will require lights and equipment with backing alarms for worker safety.  

You can learn more about BART’s efforts to remove hazardous trees on the BART project website. 

Mid-Autumn Festival, Save the Date!

Mời quý vị và con em tham dự Tết Trung Thu! Chúng tôi cũng đang tìm các thiện nguyện viên nào có thể:

* Kể chuyện cổ tích

* Biểu diễn văn nghệ: múa lân, múa rồng, múa quạt, võ thuật…

    Thứ Bảy ngày 30 tháng 9 từ 10g sáng đến 1g trưa. Nghị Viên David Cohen mời quý vị và con em tham dự Tết Trung Thu. Xin đến để thưởng thức bánh trung thu miễn phí! Nghe chuyện cổ tích, vẽ lồng đèn, và xem văn nghệ từ các nhóm trong vùng.

    Nếu có thể tham gia tổ chức/biểu diễn, xin liên lạc Angela Pedrigal at angela.pedrigal@sanjoseca.gov

Join us in celebrating the Mid-Autumn Festival!

We are looking for volunteers to:

• Retell cultural holiday legends 

• Put on cultural performances: dragon/lion/fan dances, martial art demonstrations, musical performances, and more.

• Help run the event (set up, clean up, or stage management) 

If you're interested in helping out, performing, or you just plan on attending and have questions, comments, or suggestions, please don't hesitate to get in touch!

Test Drive an Electric Car (No Pressure)

San José Clean Energy invites you to attend Breathe California's fifth annual Ride and Drive on Saturday, August 26 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Lake Cunningham Park. This is your chance for a FREE test drive of an electric vehicle (EV) in a sales-free environment.

• Experience driving an electric car. Several models will be available.
• Chat with EV owners and experts about your questions and learn about incentives to save money on a new or used EV.
• Enjoy food from local food trucks, face painting, and music.
• Chance to win prizes!
• The first 30 families to arrive will receive two (2) free tacos.

Organize an Event in Your Neighborhood!

Do you want to help make a difference in your neighborhood? Are you part of a group looking for ways you can give back to your community? Litter Pick-Ups and Clean-Up Events are a great way to give back and to make an impact you can see right away! It's also tons of fun and a great way to get some exercise while meeting people and even chatting with local officials like myself and my team. If the parks, creeks, and streets in your area could use a little love, get in touch with my office now to get the ball rolling on an event!

Your Feedback is Important to Us!

Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) is studying opportunities to improve how you get to and from Berryessa Station. This study is focused on identifying recommendations and projects to make it easier to walk, bike, and take connecting transit to Berryessa Station (such as bicycle and pedestrian access, better lighting, bus waiting areas, and more). Your answers to the following questions will help identify the station's needs and prioritize future improvements. 

Volunteer In Your Community

Volunteer Opportunities: 

If you are interested in volunteering over the summer, we are in need of volunteers for a wide array of events that take place in District 4! Please consider helping out your community.

Please contact our Volunteer Coordinator, Angela Pedrigal, at angela.pedrigal@sanjoseca.gov for more information. 

Let's Be Friends!

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We post everything from emergency notifications and district specific updates to council meeting breakdowns and inside looks at life at City Hall. Got recommendations for businesses, schools, or local heroes we might want to highlight? Send us a DM!

We welcome all your feedback as comments on our posts, direct messages in our inbox, phone calls to the office. Click the links above or the icons below to connect with us.

Easily Access City Services

San Jose 311 is your gateway to City Services from vehicle blight abatement, graffiti removal, reporting fireworks, illegal dumping, pot holes, and more.

click here to get started.

Rebates up to 90% for Your Building Upgrades!

Through the San José Energy Efficient Business Program, your business can receive rebates when you make certain energy-saving upgrades. These significant rebates (80-90% off!) help make the projects more affordable, and when you combine the rebates with your lower monthly energy costs, the upgrades can quickly pay for themselves.

click here to get started.

Who's making a big difference in our community? A great teacher, business owner, a police officer who goes beyond the call of duty. Maybe there's someone spending their free time organizing creek clean-ups or blanket drives for the unhoused... If you've got someone special in your neighborhood, let us know by nominating them to be a District Hero!