Diridon Integrated Station Concept Plan Public Engagement Archive
What is DISC Public Engagement?
Throughout the Concept Plan, ongoing public engagement has been planned by the Partner Agencies to:
Inform and educate the public about the project and decision-making process
Encourage active public participation by a broad range of the community
Gather feedback for the Partner Agencies to consider during preparation of the Concept Plan
Foster a sense of pride and collective ownership in the ultimate vision for the station established by the Concept Plan
The Partner Agencies have completed five rounds of public engagement.
2020 Public Engagement
The Partner Agencies have competed the following outreach activities this year:
Co-hosted, on April 8, 2020, a virtual Diridon Staction Concept Plan Update called "What will 2020 bring for the Diridon Station Concept Plan"
For more information, visit https://www.spur.org/events/2020-04-08/diridon-station-concept-plan-2020.
Caltrain Board of Directors accepted the recommendations of the Concept Layout
The San José City Council voted on Decision #3: Existing Track Approaches into the Future Station on February 4th, 2020
Facilitated a Study Session with the San José City Council on January 28th, 2020.
Provided an update at the January 16, 2020 Station Area Advisory Group (SAAG) meeting.
2019 Public Engagement
The Partner Agencies competed a full calendar of outreach in 2019 including:
December 3, 2019 presentation to the San Jose City Council on the staff-recommended Concept Layout.
November 22, 2019 Virtual Town Hall on the Concept Layout.
November 15, 2019 presentation to the Diridon Joint Policy Advisory Board (JPAB) on the staff-recommend Concept Layout.
[Staff Report][JPABStaffReport]
[English slides][JPABEnglishSlides]
[Spanish slides][JPABSpanishSlides]
Appendices A, B (1 of 3), B (2 of 3), B (3 of 3), C, and D
September 23, 2019 Community Meeting on layout concepts at Poor House Bistro.
August 30, 2019 update on the Concept Plan process to the Diridon Joint Policy Advisory Board.
June 15 – July 4, 2019 Community Survey on priorities and possible layouts for the Concept Plan.
June 26, 2019 Community Meeting offered in the Spanish-language at the Roosevelt Community Center.
June 6 & June 13, 2019 Pop-ups (informational tables) outside Diridon Station in the evening commute hours
June 10, 2019 Community Meeting at the Gardner Community Center.
May 17, 2019 update on the Concept Plan to the Joint Policy Advisory Board.
May 22, 2019 update to the City’s Station Area Advisory Group (SAAG).
March 25, 2019 Community Meeting.
March 11, 2019 presentation to the City’s Station Area Advisory Group (SAAG).
January 31, 2019 presentation to the Diridon Joint Policy Advisory Board.
2019 | Fall | Fifth Round
After four rounds of outreach, The Partner Agencies conducted a fifth round of public outreach and meetings in fall 2019, following the release of a staff-recommended Concept Layout. This round began with an update to the Diridon Joint Policy Advisory Board (JPAB) on Friday, November 15, 2019. The JPAB is an advisory committee administered by VTA. Shortcuts to the materials are available here: staff report, slides (English), slides (Spanish), and Layout Development Report, including Appendices A, B (1 of 3), B (2 of 3), B (3 of 3), C, and D.
The Partner Agencies then hosted a virtual town hall on Friday, November 22, 2019. This included a video presentation that describes staff’s recommended layout and the Phase 1 process. It also included a live chat between the project team and community members, allowing an opportunity to learn about the direction of the Concept Plan, submit questions, and provide feedback for the Partner Agencies’ consideration. View archived presentation on YouTube.
The Concept Plan was also a topic of discussion at Community Meetings hosted by the City for all major Diridon Station Area projects on November 18 and December 7. See the Diridon Station Area + Google Project page for more info on these events. In addition, the Concept Plan was a topic of discussion at the Small Group SAAG Meetings held on November 19, 21 and December 2, 2019.
2019 | Summer | fourth Round
The project team completed a fourth round of public outreach and engagement in late summer 2019. The purpose was to report back on community input received and progress completed, present a fourth draft layout for feedback, and further explore the “big moves” of the future station (including the vertical position of the station platforms, location of the station entrances, and track approaches from the north and south).
This fourth round included the following events:
An update on the Concept Plan to the Diridon Station Joint Policy Advisory Board on August 30, 2019, the Partner Agencies presented. View agenda and presentations.
· A Community Meeting on Monday, September 23 at 6:00 PM at Poor House Bistro’s Studio. Click here for the presentation in English and the presentation in Spanish, and the event flyer in English and Spanish. View notes from the workshop.
A pop-up workshop at the Viva Calle SJ event on September 22, 2019. In addition to advertising the Community Meeting, people were invited to complete the priority dot exercise used during the third round of outreach. View results from the exercise.
2019 | spring | third Round
The third round of public outreach on the Concept Plan focused on three possible layouts for the future station, as summarized in this Joint Staff Memo. The memo was provided to each of the four Partner Agency boards in May 2019, and is available to download in Spanish and Vietnamese. The third round included the following activities:
An update to the Diridon Station Joint Policy Advisory Board (JPAB) on Friday, May 17.
An update to the City’s Station Area Advisory Group (SAAG) on Wednesday, May 22. Visit the SAAG page to see the presentation, video of the meeting, and handouts.
A Community Meeting #3 hosted by the Partner Agencies on Monday, June 10 at the Gardner Community Center and in Spanish on Wednesday, June 26 at the Roosevelt Community Center. Click here for the slideshow presentation and the meeting summary.
An update to the San José City Council on June 4
An update to the Caltrain Board of Directors on June 6
An update to the High-Speed Rail Authority Board of Directors on June 18
An update to the VTA Board of Directors on June 21
Pop-up informational tables outside Diridon Station on Thursday, June 6 and Thursday, June 13 in the evening commute hours
Priority dot exercises with SPUR members and Plant 51 residents
An online survey open from June 15 through July 4, 2019, which asked about priorities for the station, thoughts on the possible layouts, and any other comments or questions about the Concept Plan. Input gathered can be accessed via English Survey Results and Spanish Survey Results
During the 2018-2019 school year, San Jose State University’s Masters of Urban Planning capstone classes worked with the City and its partners to study Diridon Station and its connections with Downtown destinations. The students supported community engagement efforts by conducting focus groups, interviews, and community events. A goal of the project was to help inform the Diridon Integrated Station Concept Plan and the City's Downtown Transportation Plan, which is kicking off in 2019. The students brought fresh perspectives and creative ideas to the process. This final report called “Downtown to Diridon” documents the students’ methods, assessments, and findings.
The project team provided this memo to the City’s Diridon Station Area Advisory Group (SAAG) for their August 22, 2019 meeting: Update memo on the Diridon Integrated Station Concept Plan. It summarizes the community input received during the third round of outreach, work completed since May 2019, and next steps.
2019 | winter | second Round
As part of the second round of outreach on the Concept Plan, the Partner Agencies:
Presented an update to the Diridon Station Joint Policy Advisory Board on January 31, 2019. The JPAB is an advisory committee administered by VTA. View meeting materials.
Provided brief updates on the Concept Plan at the following meetings (click on links to see the meeting materials):
February 5: City of San Jose City Council
February 7: Caltrain Board of Directors
February 7: VTA Board of Directors
Presented an update to the City’s Diridon Station Area Advisory Group (SAAG) on March 11, 2019
2018 | Fall | first Round
The first round of outreach asked for feedback on the initial high-level vision and key objectives for the future station. As part of the first round of outreach on the Concept Plan, the Partner Agencies:
Presented to the City’s Diridon Station Area Advisory Group (SAAG) on Oct. 18, 2018
Held a Community Kick-off Meeting on Dec. 10, 2018
Supported SJSU Master’s of Urban Planning capstone class project on Diridon Station, which included focus groups of community leaders and an interactive event on Dec. 1, 2018
What OTHER Civic Engagement Activities Happened in 2018?
The civic engagement process leading up to the City Council’s decision included a variety of methods to share information and gather input on the community’s hopes, issues, and ideas. At the core of the process was the Station Area Advisory Group (SAAG), which includes 38 community members appointed by the City Council. In addition to SAAG meetings, the City also hosted Community Forums, walking tours, pop-ups at neighborhood events, presentations to stakeholder groups, and an Online Feedback Form. This report summarizes this process: Diridon Station Area Civic Engagement Report (2018).
Virtual Town Halls
In conjunction with the November JPAB presentation of the Concept Layout, the Partners hosted a live town hall on YouTube on November 22, 2019. The intent was to inform the general public regarding the recommended Staff Concept layout.
As Electrified Caltrain, BART, and High-Speed Rail will soon be rolling into the San José Diridon Station, significant planning work is needed to develop a world-class center of transit and public life that provides smooth connections between modes and integration with the surrounding neighborhoods.
With these changes, Diridon Station is poised to become one of the busiest intermodal stations on the West Coast. The California High-Speed Rail Authority (CHSRA), Caltrain, Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA), and the City of San José (Partner Agencies) are working together on a plan to expand and redesign Diridon Station.
Video starts at 44:48