January 2019 Downtown Dimension Highlights

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

The JANUARY 2018 Downtown Dimension is now available at:

https://sjdowntown.com/wp_2016/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/137084-1-DTDJANUARY2019-PP2.pdf

In this edition:

• Kristi Yamaguchi Downtown Ice remains open through Jan. 27. It will be a featured attraction during both the College Football Playoff Jan. 1-8 and the NHL All-Star Game Jan. 25-27.
• Groundwerx has some new equipment and a new App to improve efficiency.
• MOMENT at San Pedro Squared won the Golden Nail Award of Distinction for outstanding architecture.
• Colliers International and Cohesity make moves toward their future downtown.
• An entire block of east Santa Clara Street between Second and Third  streets changes owners.
• Google continues to buy properties on downtown's west side.
• An independent firm concluded that High Speed Rail should not go underground through downtown.

If you missed SJDA's End-of-Year meeting, it is available on video at SJDowntown.com

Always available:

• Live and Local SJ supports live music in the center city.
• Traffic alerts keep up with lane and road closures and openings.
• Maps of downtown commercial property availability and development proposals.
• Boom City: SJDA's summary of new downtown building proposals and west side acquisitions.

Downtown Dimension is a leading source for information about downtown San Jose news, events and businesses.  Subscribe with a simple email to sjda@sjdowntown.com, subject line: Subscribe. 

For information about downtown events, also subscribe to Downtowner Online.

Stringent E-Scooter Regulations for San Jose

Guest Post by written by Samantha Larson

The San Jose scooter fad may come to a halt due to new legislation. Last week, the San Jose City Council passed stringent laws against scooter companies to help mitigate the serious safety concerns they present for residents.

To continue operating in San Jose’s city limits, scooter companies, such as Lime, Bird, and Wind, must receive a permit, pay an annual permit application fee of $2,500 and fork over $124 per scooter each year to continue operations. But with an estimated worth of $1 billion and $1.1 billion, these fees are merely chump change to Bird and Lime.

The real hard-hitting legislation is that these companies must also protect the city from legal claims and obtain sizable insurance. In addition to a rise in scooter-related injuries, scooters pose a serious threat to an already seriously high rate of pedestrian accidents in San Jose. To help combat these statistics, the ordinance will limit scooter speeds to 12 MPH, and come July, will force companies to find a solution to keep scooters off public sidewalks.

If companies fail to keep scooters off public property, the ordinance requires a 24-hour customer service line in three languages, English, Spanish, and Vietnamese, to respond to reports of improperly stored scooters within a two-hour window. Companies will also have to consider the socio-economic impact of their service: the ordinance mandates scooters will need to be equally distributed to low-income areas and provide discounts to low-income users. User data will be shared with the city of San Jose to track the number of devices and user behavior.

Any violation of the rules above will cost companies $100 for their first offense, rising to $500 fines for repeat offenders, with the possibility of having their permits revoked.

But San Jose is far from the only city passing stringent laws. Many cities nationwide are facing the duality of scooter presence; on one hand, scooters are eco-friendly and low-cost, but on the other hand, they pose a serious personal injury and public safety threat.

Since the birth of e-scooter dockless sharing began in February of 2018, it has helped San Jose towards its goal of climate change consciousness and Vision Zero. This being said, it has also birthed and exacerbated issues of pedestrian safety, equitable access, and rider education.

Though the ordinance is expected to come into practice by February, it is possible 2019 can bring even more changes for scooter services and rider expectations to best fit the needs and demands of San Jose city life.

Souresseau News: Waterways and Floods

This week's history video is about waterways and floods. Interestingly enough, in 1915 the Guadalupe River was briefly dammed to great a lake in Downtown San Jose (photo below). Another interesting tidbit is that Alviso has been flooded more often than any other part of San Jose (likely the reason why the region never took off).

To watch the two minute video, click here.

Happy New Year!

We wish all of the San Joseans and friends from neighboring cities out there a wonderful and prosperous 2019! Hopefully we will see our city grow in every way possible this year!

December 2018 Downtown Dimension Highlights

The DECEMBER 2018 Downtown Dimension is now available at:

https://sjdowntown.com/wp_2016/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/DTDDEC2018.pdf

In this edition:

• Dec 4 is Google Tuesday, when the City Council decides whether to sell city-owned properties to the information company.  Our feature story focuses on what the vote is all about and why it's good for San Jose.
• SJDA Board President Michael Rewkiewicz takes a walk around downtown and sees signs of the city's promise fulfilled.
• Parking systems upgrades are coming in 2019.
• Plans evolve for the Jose Theater and Museum Place.
• Have you skated Kristi Yamaguchi Downtown Ice yet?  Open through the holidays and most of January.
• Claudia's Pastes and The Hot Grill join the roster of downtown eateries -- both offering some unique menu items.
• Veggielution moves its operation offices downtown, thanks to All Good Work, an NYC-based non-profit whose mission is to keep other non-profits up and running in available co-working spaces.
• Enjoy 2018's Downtown San Jose for the Holidays!

Always available:

• Live and Local SJ supports live music in the center city.
• Traffic alerts keep up with lane and road closures and openings.
• Maps of downtown commercial property availability and development proposals.
• Boom City: SJDA's summary of new downtown building proposals and west side acquisitions.

Downtown Dimension is a leading source for information about downtown San Jose news, events and businesses.  Subscribe with a simple email to sjda@sjdowntown.com, subject line: Subscribe.

For information about downtown events, also subscribe to Downtowner Online.

Sourisseau News: New Almaden

This week's history video is about New Almaden, one of San Jose's most hidden neighborhoods. The Quicksilver (mercury) mine in New Almaden produced an incredible amount of wealth, more than any gold mine in the state. If you go to the site of the old mine today, there is actually a neat little museum there.

To watch the two minute video on New Almaden, click here.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

We hope that you and your family have a wonderful holiday season.

If you have already done the standard San Jose holiday traditions at Christmas in the Park and Santana Row, you can go on an adventure through our neighborhoods. You can find the addresses of the most decorated homes in San Jose over here. Some even have light shows synced to music--it's worth the drive.

Happy Holidays!

Tiny homes for the homeless

San Jose is exploring a novel way to house part of our homeless community, currently around 3,231 people. The city is working with Gensler to build 80 "tiny homes" that would cost as little as $6,500 each to build. The homes are 80 SQFT but have a bed, storage areas, and a sitting area. Each also come with heating and cooling and three windows.

The plan is to build two pilot communities that would each have 40 of these homes, along with communal areas for cooking. Bathrooms would be placed in a temporary structure.

It may not seem like much, but this would greatly help those that need it most get back on their feet--not to mention reduce the population of our "tent cities." The goal is for residents of these homes to move to permanent housing within 6 months.

This kind of out-of-the-box thinking is exactly what we need in order to make an impact. Just doing more of the same does not seem to be working. Fingers crossed that this will help ameliorate one of our key social issues.

Source: SVBJ