Category: Transit Alerts

Silicon Oven

by  • 

Graphic showing it's 111 degrees in San Jose. Has sun drawing on upper right. Lower right says 111 deg. / 72 deg. feels like 111 Deg. Tue, 2:26pm
Photo courtesy Juan Estrada on Facebook.

This week, temperatures in San Jose and the rest of the Bay Area are at record highs.


The extreme heat is expected to continue for several more days.

To address this, we’ve learned that the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) is providing FREE rides to Cooling Centers throughout Santa Clara County. Here’s an updated list, as of today.

If you use VTA ACCESS Paratransit, call (408)321-2380 to book a trip to a Cooling Center. Due to demand, expect at least a three-hour wait before you can be picked up.

Rail agencies like BART, Caltrain, and Capitol Corridor ran with heat-related speed restrictions so far this week. This has resulted in delays up to 20 minutes on each of these systems. Expect this to be the case the rest of this week.

Locally, VTA has had issues system-wide due to heat causing breakdowns so far this week.

If at all possible, limit when you go outside for the next few days. Let’s not hear about you having to go to the hospital due to dehydration, heat exhaustion, heat stroke – or worse.

Still need to travel outside this hot week? Follow @svtransitupdts on Twitter to keep up with the latest local (Santa Clara County) public transit updates. Here’s steps showing YOU can help keep the svtransitupdts Twitter feed updated.

In the mean time, please stay safe, cool, and hydrated this week.

Eugene Bradley
Founder & CEO, Silicon Valley Transit Users.

Labor Day Weekend 2022 Transit Guide

by  • 

Labor Day! graphic w/ 2 intertwining American flags, fireworks above them, and "LABOR DAY!" written in the style of the American flag.
Happy Labor Day!

On behalf of the Silicon Valley Transit Users, I want to wish you a Happy (and safe) Labor Day Weekend.

Temperatures in Santa Clara County are expected to reach or exceed 100 degrees this weekend. To address this, we’ve learned that the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) will provide FREE transit service to cooling centers throughout Santa Clara County. Some independently-operated cooling centers not affiliated with government will also be open on Labor Day; here’s a list of these cooling centers.

For VTA ACCESS Paratransit riders, please call (408)321-2380 to book a trip to a cooling center. Due to expected demand, please allow at least three (3) hours for pickup.

If you are going out on this hot, long weekend, we have transit guides to some sporting events in Palo Alto and San Jose.

Note that start times to these games may change due to the extreme heat in the area this weekend. Look and listen for news reports on whether or not your game has been delayed or even cancelled due to the heat this weekend.

Read on for more details.

Read more →

Transit Options To July 4 Fireworks

by  • 

July 4, 2022 Fireworks Schedule
July 4, 2022 Fireworks Schedule. Courtesy County Supervisor Joe Simitian.

As Santa Clara County – and our nation – still slowly recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic, more public events are returning. As you can see from the poster above, public July 4 fireworks shows are one such event. Many transit agencies serving Silicon Valley, such as the Valley Transportation Authority (VTA), Caltrain, and BART, will be running a Sunday/Holiday Schedule on Monday, July 4.

Read more →

Full Blue Line LRT Service Restored

by  • 

At 7:14pm, Customer Service at the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) reported that overheard wire work between Tamien and Children’s Discovery Museum stations has completed.

At this time, VTA light rail is serving Tamien, Virginia, and Children’s Discovery Museum stations in both directions. The shuttle buses serving all but Virginia station have stopped running.

Our group will have much to do this week. More information will be posted later tonight showing how YOU can help make public transit better in Silicon Valley.

Eugene Bradley
Founder & CEO, Silicon Valley Transit Users