San Jose Department of Transportation staff and consultants on Monday presented two concept packages intended to reshape Santa Clara Street’s downtown corridor and invited public feedback on which elements to carry forward.

Eric Eidlin, project lead for the Department of Transportation, said the work grew out of the downtown transportation plan and aims to improve mobility while making the street a place where people want to stay. "We actually learned that 85% of the people on Santa Clara Street are driving to destinations right here in downtown," Eidlin said, arguing that finding ways to slow traffic and expand space for walking, transit and dining could help merchants and increase foot traffic.

Consultant Julie Guendo, director of landscape planning at SiteLab Urban Studio, presented two contrasting directions. "Spark" emphasizes dispersed, adaptable "bright moments" — modular parklets, movable furnishings, programmable lighting and curb extensions that businesses could use for cafe seating or special events. "Mosaic" envisions a managed linear park and cultural canvas, using planting, public art and dedicated programmed space to celebrate San Jose’s cultural communities, indigenous plants and murals.

The consultants and staff described how design choices change the street’s cross‑section. Santa Clara Street is roughly 97 feet wide, with about 16-foot sidewalks on each side; the team said curb shifts could expand plaza or linear-park space by roughly 17 feet in some locations while preserving travel lanes and loading zones. The recommendations will be refined after public input and the team expects to return an advanced option early next year.

Residents attending the event raised recurring concerns about parking, transit operations, maintenance and safety. Carol Savoy, who lives on 10th Street, asked whether the plan would remove on-street parking as development proceeds; staff replied that conditions vary by corridor segment and noted downtown garages currently show unused capacity — a cited peak of about 55% at one facility — so the team is focusing community requests on improving pedestrian space and accessibility.

Several speakers pressed about bus routing and transit priority. Vicky Harrison said buses had been shifted to Santa Clara during the pandemic and asked whether routes might be sent back to parallel streets. Eidlin said VTA’s earlier network consolidation concentrated many lines on Santa Clara to make transfers easier and that, based on the team’s counts, most trips on the corridor are downtown‑bound. Staff also confirmed they will pursue operations tools such as queue‑jump signals to give buses priority at intersections.

Community members repeatedly flagged maintenance and management as a potential barrier. Alan Williams, who worked on temporary bike-lane projects, warned that new furnishings and planting require an ongoing upkeep plan and budget. Project staff said maintenance strategies, potential partnerships (including business improvement or assessment districts) and funding approaches would be considered as the design advances.

Other themes in the Q&A included: whether a shared bus‑bike lane would be safe (staff said bikes are being prioritized on parallel north–south streets), how event closures on Santa Clara would redirect traffic onto narrow neighborhood crossings, and how curb design must accommodate deliveries and ride‑hail pick‑ups. Adrian Rothschild of VTA’s BART Phase 2 program told the audience VTA materials include funding strategies and playbooks the city can use to leverage development and other sources for implementation and upkeep.

Public comments reflected a mix of enthusiasm and caution: supporters said better lighting, tree canopy and wider sidewalks would improve safety and student access, while skeptics urged that streetscape changes be coordinated with development, enforcement and long‑term maintenance commitments.

The Department of Transportation and consultants encouraged attendees to leave notes on display boards and sticky notes to help the team refine a preferred option. The project team stated it will incorporate public feedback, further study operations and maintenance needs, and present a refined design package early next year.