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City of San Jose, CA
03/12/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 03/12/2026 14:38
NEWS RELEASE: City of San José and Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority Awarded $544,850 Caltrans Grant for Lyndale Community Resiliency Project
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT
Dylan Kuhlmann-Haley, Public Information Representative, Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Services Department
408-460-4468, [email protected]
VTA Media Relations
408-464-7810, [email protected]
The Lyndale Community Resiliency Project is a collaborative, multi-agency initiative led by San José's Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Services Department BeautifySJ program and VTA, in partnership with the San José Conservation Corps, Our City Forest, and the Lyndale Community Group. The initiative aims to address persistent litter, illegal dumping, and graffiti while enhancing green space in the Lyndale neighborhood.
"We are grateful to the California Department of Transportation for this grant, which will help transform a blighted area into a welcoming and much-needed green space in the Lyndale Community," said City Manager Jennifer Maguire. "The Lyndale Community Resiliency Project reflects our commitment to equity by directing funding, workforce opportunities, and neighborhood improvements to residents who need them most."
Funding will support a comprehensive approach that combines community-led cleanups, workforce development training, freeway interchange restoration and beautification, and urban micro-forest implementation. It will also support the Keep Santa Clara Valley Beautiful, a countywide anti-litter behavior change campaign.
"Neighbors in Lyndale shouldn't have to live with illegal dumping, graffiti, and neglected public spaces-and thanks to this multi-agency investment, they won't," said Mayor Matt Mahan. "This project brings residents, workforce training, and environmental restoration together to clean up the neighborhood and build something better in its place."
The project will engage young adults (18 to 27) from underserved San José communities through San José Conservation Corps and Our City Forest. It will offer summer internships for up to five high school students and one part-time college internship to document project progress and reports. Participants will gain hands-on experience in environmental careers, develop leadership skills, and learn about civic responsibility and stewardship. The training will help prepare them for careers in natural resource management, urban forestry, and climate action. Both organizations are established 501(c)(3) nonprofits with existing workforce pathways in these fields.
"At VTA, our commitment to the community goes beyond transportation; we're invested in building cleaner, healthier neighborhoods across our region. This Clean CA Community Enhancement Program Award represents a great opportunity to keep engaging our young people in the process," said General Manager and CEO Carolyn Gonot. "With clean-up events, we help to create communities where our young people learn about responsibility and develop respect for the environment. They see firsthand how their actions can make a positive difference. We're helping inspire the next generation to take pride in their neighborhoods."
Through sustained collaboration and long-term sustainability planning, the project seeks to transform the Lyndale neighborhood into a cleaner, greener, and healthier community.
For more information about BeautifySJ and community cleanup efforts, visit www.beautifysj.org.
About the City of San José
With almost 1 million residents, San José is one of the most diverse large cities in the United States, Northern California's largest city, and the 12th largest city in the nation. San José's transformation into a global innovation center has resulted in one of the largest concentrations of technology companies and expertise in the world.
About Parks, Recreation, and Neighborhood Services
The City of San José Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Services Department (PRNS) oversees nine regional parks, 212 neighborhood parks, 293 park playgrounds, 46 community centers, and almost 65 miles of trail. It has one of the most diverse service models of any agency of its type. For more information, please visit www.sanjoseca.gov/prns.
About the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA)
The Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) is dedicated to providing the residents of Santa Clara County with accessible, efficient, and sustainable public transportation options. Through continuous innovation and community engagement, VTA strives to meet the evolving mobility needs of the region, ensuring a high-quality transit experience for all users. To learn more, visit www.vta.org.
CONTACT
Dylan Kuhlmann-Haley, Public Information Representative, Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Services Department
408-460-4468, [email protected]
VTA Media Relations
408-464-7810, [email protected]
City of San José and Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority Awarded $544,850 Caltrans Grant for Lyndale Community Resiliency Project
Addressing litter, dumping, and graffiti, while adding new green space to the neighborhood
The Lyndale Community Resiliency Project is a collaborative, multi-agency initiative led by San José's Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Services Department BeautifySJ program and VTA, in partnership with the San José Conservation Corps, Our City Forest, and the Lyndale Community Group. The initiative aims to address persistent litter, illegal dumping, and graffiti while enhancing green space in the Lyndale neighborhood.
"We are grateful to the California Department of Transportation for this grant, which will help transform a blighted area into a welcoming and much-needed green space in the Lyndale Community," said City Manager Jennifer Maguire. "The Lyndale Community Resiliency Project reflects our commitment to equity by directing funding, workforce opportunities, and neighborhood improvements to residents who need them most."
Funding will support a comprehensive approach that combines community-led cleanups, workforce development training, freeway interchange restoration and beautification, and urban micro-forest implementation. It will also support the Keep Santa Clara Valley Beautiful, a countywide anti-litter behavior change campaign.
"Neighbors in Lyndale shouldn't have to live with illegal dumping, graffiti, and neglected public spaces-and thanks to this multi-agency investment, they won't," said Mayor Matt Mahan. "This project brings residents, workforce training, and environmental restoration together to clean up the neighborhood and build something better in its place."
The project will engage young adults (18 to 27) from underserved San José communities through San José Conservation Corps and Our City Forest. It will offer summer internships for up to five high school students and one part-time college internship to document project progress and reports. Participants will gain hands-on experience in environmental careers, develop leadership skills, and learn about civic responsibility and stewardship. The training will help prepare them for careers in natural resource management, urban forestry, and climate action. Both organizations are established 501(c)(3) nonprofits with existing workforce pathways in these fields.
"At VTA, our commitment to the community goes beyond transportation; we're invested in building cleaner, healthier neighborhoods across our region. This Clean CA Community Enhancement Program Award represents a great opportunity to keep engaging our young people in the process," said General Manager and CEO Carolyn Gonot. "With clean-up events, we help to create communities where our young people learn about responsibility and develop respect for the environment. They see firsthand how their actions can make a positive difference. We're helping inspire the next generation to take pride in their neighborhoods."
Through sustained collaboration and long-term sustainability planning, the project seeks to transform the Lyndale neighborhood into a cleaner, greener, and healthier community.
For more information about BeautifySJ and community cleanup efforts, visit www.beautifysj.org.
About the City of San José
With almost 1 million residents, San José is one of the most diverse large cities in the United States, Northern California's largest city, and the 12th largest city in the nation. San José's transformation into a global innovation center has resulted in one of the largest concentrations of technology companies and expertise in the world.
About Parks, Recreation, and Neighborhood Services
The City of San José Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Services Department (PRNS) oversees nine regional parks, 212 neighborhood parks, 293 park playgrounds, 46 community centers, and almost 65 miles of trail. It has one of the most diverse service models of any agency of its type. For more information, please visit www.sanjoseca.gov/prns.
About the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA)
The Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) is dedicated to providing the residents of Santa Clara County with accessible, efficient, and sustainable public transportation options. Through continuous innovation and community engagement, VTA strives to meet the evolving mobility needs of the region, ensuring a high-quality transit experience for all users. To learn more, visit www.vta.org.
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City of San Jose, CA published this content on March 12, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on March 12, 2026 at 20:38 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]