The lunchtime rush on Wednesday at La Grullensa restaurant in East San Jose is nearly non-existent. Only two of its 16 tables had seated customers. Owner Fernando Galindo said this is the worst downtown he's seen in 33 years of business."Usually at this time I'd have at least six or seven tables and a couple of to-go orders," he said. "I'm down a good 60-to-70%...yeah, it's that bad.
VTA and businesses along its light rail lines faced similar problems back when the Alum Rock extension was built about a decade ago. The authority admitted to making mistakes, and then contractor delays exacerbated a bad situation. But officials said they've learned from prior mistakes and have improved the process."We're trying to do as much as we can to let people know the businesses are open. They want people to come in.