One VTA Board of Directors’ member replaces another that retired after Super Bowl 50. A new Caltrain schedule will feature three bicycle cars on some trains. Cupertino and Palo Alto want their own local taxes to relieve traffic congestion. An online vote to help name a future BART station in East San Jose. Details on all this are below as we catch up on some recent transit news in Santa Clara County.
UPDATE: CHP estimates bus accident will block NB/SB Hwy 101 HOV lanes in SJ for 8 hours. https://t.co/RvYmIGV4Nu pic.twitter.com/jncWuZ8lno
— ABC7 News (@abc7newsbayarea) January 19, 2016
Tuesday morning’s commute from south of San Jose proved to be a nightmare. At around 6:30am this morning, a Greyhound bus from Los Angeles to Oakland overturned and crashed on Highway 101, just south of Highway 85 in southern San Jose. As of 8:30am, two people have died and 18 have been injured.
The resulting traffic gridlock on Highway 101 northbound has caused at least 30 minute delays on VTA’s 121 and 168 express bus lines from Morgan Hill and Gilroy. Also, delays are expected on Monterey-Salinas Transit’s 55 and 86 bus lines between San Jose and Monterey County.
See your favorite news outlet for more information regarding this tragic bus crash. One definitely must consider use of public transportation like VTA or Caltrain today, if you have not done so already. Let this also be a reminder to SLOW DOWN if you must drive.
Stay safe out there…
Eugene Bradley
Founder, Silicon Valley Transit Users
All paper passes are now a thing of the past. On January 1, the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) eliminated the option of buying paper day passes from bus fare boxes and light rail ticket vending machines (TVMs). Instead, riders will need to purchase a Clipper Card and load money on to it from now on.
Exact cash and coins and day pass tokens are still accepted on buses and TVMs. Also, one-way light rail tickets can still be purchased at TVMs.
From January 4 thru the 28th, VTA will hold outreach meetings throughout Santa Clara County to inform people on how to buy a Day Pass (or Monthly Pass) using their Clipper Card. This is an addition to meetings held back in December. Not sure how Clipper Card works? Please make the time to attend one of the outreach meetings VTA is holding. Alternately, you can visit this site to learn how the Clipper Card works.
Here is a search engine listing stores where you can buy a Clipper Card. For Clipper Card sales at Walgreens stores, purchase Clipper Cards at the photo counter where you used to buy VTA passes.
Use your Clipper Card a lot? Make sure to get the card registered after you purchase it. This way, if your Clipper Card is lost or stolen, you can report it and try to get it replaced. Treat your Clipper Card the same way you treat a bank credit card or debit card – keep it in a safe location and take it only when you need it.
More on Clipper Cards in a future post. See you on board VTA!
Eugene Bradley
Founder, Silicon Valley Transit Users