Overview
- Local officials and family said he died at 87 from cancer complications, and the Mercury News reported he developed sepsis after a January radiation treatment.
- The Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority called him a visionary whose five decades of advocacy helped build and expand the region’s transit network.
- He was widely credited with helping bring BART service into Santa Clara County and laying early groundwork for Caltrain electrification.
- He served 20 years on the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors, led key regional agencies including MTC, BAAQMD, and ABAG, founded the Mineta Transportation Institute, and joined the inaugural California High‑Speed Rail board.
- San Jose’s main rail hub now carries his name, reflecting a public life that followed two Navy combat tours in Vietnam and a late‑career push to keep high‑speed rail on track.