Mobility: Commercial Space Near Transit

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Why is this a Climate Smart indicator?

One of our Bold Goals is to create an additional 22 million square feet of commercial space within a half mile of transit by 2030.
Locating commercial space near transit makes it easier for people to commute to work using transit instead of driving. This helps reduce our greenhouse gas emissions. It also reduces traffic, air and stormwater pollution and crashes.
Another of our Bold Goals is to reduce the number of drive-alone commute trips to only 40 percent of all commute trips by 2040. This is only achievable if other ways of commuting, such as public transit, become more common.

What is the City doing to make progress on this indicator?

Completed

BART Silicon Valley Phase I (began service in 2020)
Downtown West Mixed-Use Plan (approved 5/25/21)
Seven Urban Village Plans (since 2018), with Capitol Caltrain Station Area Plan most recently approved (11/28/23.) The General Plan identifies Urban Villages within San José that focus on jobs and high-density growth to foster vibrant, walkable, bicycle-friendly, transit-oriented, mixed-use urban settings for new housing and job growth.

In Progress / Ongoing

Advance long-range transit projects that serve growth areas by developing plans and implementing them in conjunction with the VTA and other cities
Promote Transit Oriented Developments (TOD) through implementation of the Envision San José 2040 General Plan, San José Downtown Strategy (adopted 12/18/18), and UrbanVillage Plans, and Specific Plans
Partner with regional agencies on regional transportation solutions
Develop the Diridon Integrated Station Concept plan with regional partners
Plan to locate new commercial development and 85 percent of new jobs near transit
Facilitate the development of Downtown West, a massive new mixed-use corporate campus within the Diridon Station Area
Development of three new Urban Village Plans (anticipated adoption Fall 2025 – Winter 2026): Five Wounds, Eastside Alum Rock, and Saratoga Avenue
BART Silicon Valley Route Phase II (expected 2037)

Planned

About the data

Sources

Data on commercial properties (location, square footage, year built) come from the Santa Clara County Tax Assessor’s Office. Commercial properties were defined as properties with the Use Code Categories “Shopping Centers,” “Other Shopping Centers,” or “Other Urban.” Commercial properties described as “Parking,” “Residential Care Facilities,” or “Social Clubs, Fraternal Orders, Community Centers” were excluded.

Transit stop locations include both existing transit stops based on General Transit Feed Specification (GTFS) data and transit stops that are planned as part of Plan Bay Area 2050. High quality transit stops are defined as those where wait time is less than 15 minutes in the morning and night time.

Limitations

The County Tax Assessor dataset is missing some needed data for a small percentage of properties. These properties were excluded.

Numbers for 2012-2021 are based on 2022 transit stop locations, which are likely slightly different from transit stop locations in previous years.

Last updated

July 2025

City of San José

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