Tag: caltrain

Soccer Weekend In Silicon Valley

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Courtesy: San Jose Earthquakes

It’s that time of year again for soccer fans in Silicon Valley. As we celebrate Independence Day this coming Tuesday, the California Clasico soccer match between the San Jose Earthquakes and Los Angeles Galaxy is set for Saturday night at 7pm at Stanford Stadium in Palo Alto. Fireworks at the stadium area will follow after the game ends.

Caltrain from San Francisco, the Peninsula, and San Jose is your best bet to and from the festivities. Our transit guide to Earthquakes soccer matches shows you how to ride Caltrain to beat traffic and parking woes at Stanford for the game. Our guide also shows you how San Mateo County Transit (SamTrans)’ ECR bus line and Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) 22 local and 522 Rapid bus lines are a short walk to and from Stanford Stadium.

This year, Caltrain will provide charter train service to and from Stanford Stadium. Read here to learn how fans going to and from the game can ride the charter train.

More professional soccer in Silicon Valley will be played the day after. On Sunday, VTA will provide special bus and light rail service for the CONCACAF Gold Cup soccer doubleheader at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, starting at 4pm. The first game features Jamaica vs. St. Kitts & Nevins; the second game immediately afterward features Mexico vs. Qatar. Read here to learn more details on that special service.

More transit news will be posted here tomorrow.

Eugene Bradley
Founder, Silicon Valley Transit Users

TAKE ACTION! Ensure Public Transit Stays In the State Budget Proposal

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Riders boarding Caltrain in Mountain View station. Front of the train is on the right, with its lights on. Passengers boarding and alighting are on the left.
Riders boarding Caltrain in Mountain View.

California Governor Gavin Newsom’s latest state budget proposal cuts funding for public transit. If passed into law in June, it would result in fare hikes and service reductions for many transit agencies throughout California. This as several key Bay Area transit agencies like Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) and Caltrain struggle to regain pre-COVID pandemic ridership. This also occurs as many public transit agencies are running out of federal COVID relief funding to run their buses and trains.

Our group is part of a coalition to have the California State Legislature pass “gap” funding in the State Budget until public transit agencies pass their own operations funding means.

Read more on what’s going on, and how YOU can get involved.

Read more →

Heavy Rain & Winds May Delay Transit

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Source: ABC 7 News Bay Area on Twitter

Severe rain and high winds are forecast for Silicon Valley today and tomorrow. Because of this, if you must travel, allow extra time for your commute. Especially if you ride Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) buses and light rail.

Based on events during recent storms, be prepared for delays of at least 20 minutes on BART, ACE Trains, and Caltrain. Also, be prepared for delays of at least 15 minutes on SamTrans bus service as well as all VTA bus and light rail service. They may need to traverse and detour around flooded streets and downed trees this week.

If at all possible, please stay home. Here’s how to report flooding you see in your part of Santa Clara County. Do you need to find warmer shelter? Here’s a list of warming centers throughout Santa Clara County. Other Warming Centers in Santa Clara County are also in county libraries. Many of these Warming Centers are near VTA bus and light rail lines. We’ll alert you when we learn from VTA whether or not they will offer free transit rides to and from these Warming Centers.

If you must travel, be careful when riding public transit. We have a guide that shows you how to ride public transit in wet weather.

Follow @svtransitupdts on Twitter for the latest public transit updates and tips this week. Here’s how to keep us and others updated on our Twitter feed.

Listen to your local television or radio news for the latest updates on the storms this week.

Eugene Bradley
Founder, Silicon Valley Transit Users

Happy New Year 2023

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"Happy New Year" text center-right justified among blue and red fireworks, on a dark blue background.
Happy New Year!

On behalf of the Silicon Valley Transit Users, I want to wish everyone a Happy New Year.

We’ve learned the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) will continue its tradition of offering FREE bus and light rail fares throughout Santa Clara County tonight and tomorrow morning. Hours of the free service are from 8pm tonight until 5am tomorrow morning. VTA is running on its normal Saturday schedule today, and will run a Sunday/Holiday schedule tomorrow and Monday. Extended service on all three light rail lines and the 500 Rapid will take place until about 2am tomorrow morning. Here’s more info from VTA on their New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day (after) service hours.

Also, Caltrain will have FREE fares for its train service from 8pm tonight, until the last train from San Francisco at 2am tomorrow morning. Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) trains will have extended Saturday service until about 1am Sunday morning. Both services are set up to accommodate those attending fireworks shows in San Francisco tonight.

On New Year’s Day, all Silicon Valley transit agencies will run on a Sunday/Holiday schedule. On Monday, January 2, all except BART will run a Sunday/Holiday schedule to observe New Year’s Day. BART trains will run on a regular weekday schedule on Monday, featuring improved service after 9pm between Daly City and West Oakland stations.

Given the heavy rain, gusty winds, and flooding expected this weekend, be careful when riding public transit. We have a guide that shows you how to ride public transit in wet weather.

Follow @svtransitupdts on Twitter for the latest public transit updates and tips this weekend. Here’s how to keep us and others updated on our Twitter feed.

If you must drink tonight, make sure to use public transit where possible, as a safe alternate to driving. Please stay safe tonight and tomorrow. Happy New Year!

Eugene Bradley
Founder, Silicon Valley Transit Users

Christmas Day (After) 2022 Schedules

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Blue sign with "Merry Christmas" with a white electronic tree to the left, and white snowflakes on the top and right of the picture.
Merry Christmas, everyone!

On behalf of the Silicon Valley Transit Users, I want to wish you and your loved ones a Merry Christmas.

A reminder: transit agencies serving Silicon Valley (Caltrain, SamTrans, BART, ACE trains, VTA) are running a Sunday/Holiday schedule today. Here’s information from VTA on their Christmas holiday transit schedules.

On Monday, the official observed Christmas holiday, all of these transit agencies except BART will run a Sunday/Holiday schedule. BART will run its usual weekday schedule on Monday. Please plan your trips accordingly today and tomorrow.

Need help planning your trip during the Christmas holidays? Dial “511” from any telephone in the Bay Area and say “Departure Times” when prompted.

One more thing: please be good to each other out there. Not just to those who are driving VTA buses and light rail this time of year. Be good to those who have to work in stores, shops, and other places open during this holiday season. Be good to those who might not have the privileges you may have this holiday season. You don’t know what these people are going through. Your kindness to these people may help make their holiday season a little more bright.

Please stay safe on public transit, and be good to each other.

Eugene Bradley
Founder, Silicon Valley Transit Users