Tag: caltrain

National Championship Transit Options

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Levi’s Stadium, east of Great America light rail station.

College football’s national championship game comes to the Bay Area for the first time.  On January 7 at 5pm, college football’s National Championship game will take place at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara.  The Clemson Tigers face the Alabama Crimson Tide for major college football’s national championship.

This post will help detail Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) public transit options to and from fan events in San Jose and Santa Clara on January 4-7.  These options help you beat expected traffic gridlock, parking woes, and potential road rage incidents at the events.  This post will also help detail a local guide for first-time public transit riders – especially those visiting San Jose and Santa Clara from out of town.  Read on below for more information…

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Happy New Year 2019!

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

On Tuesday, all public transit agencies serving Silicon Valley like Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA), Caltrain, and SamTrans will run a Sunday/Holiday schedule.

All three transit agencies will have FREE service on the night of New Year’s Eve (about 8pm), until early morning on New Year’s Day (about 5am). This includes VTA, Caltrain, and SamTrans.

Please make sure to take advantage of these FREE transit services on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day – especially if you have been drinking.  To help you use public transit on New Year’s Eve – and any other time – read our new First Time Transit User guide.

Have a safe and sane New Year!

Eugene Bradley
Founder, Silicon Valley Transit Users

October Transit Schedule and Fare Changes

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Changes to Silicon Valley bus and rail schedules are being made this month.  As regular service is being operated today (October 9), the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) made changes to several bus line schedules in Santa Clara County.  Some of the schedule changes enable better connections with the Caltrain commuter rail service.  Read up on the service changes here and learn how YOU will be affected by these changes.

Speaking of Caltrain: several fare changes were made on October 1:

  • The price of a monthly Caltrain parking pass was raised from $55.00 to $82.50.  This is because Caltrain changed their basis of a “month” to 15 days from 10 days.
  • Caltrain riders will pay an additional 25 cents per zone they travel
  • Caltrain 8-ride tickets are no longer available for purchase.  Current 8-ride tickets will no longer be valid after October 31.

This is in addition to the changes Caltrain made to its Monday thru Friday schedule, to increase “operational efficiency and customer satisfaction.”  These changes were approved by Caltrain’s Joint Powers Board back in August.

What are your thoughts on the schedule and fare changes at VTA and Caltrain?  Please discuss them in comments below.

Eugene Bradley
Founder, Silicon Valley Transit Users

Palo Alto Transit Center Closed Until Jan. 27

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Due to city sewer replacement work, the Palo Alto Transit Center will be closed for bus service until January 27.  As a result, SamTrans and Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) bus riders must board buses on El Camino Real and Quarry, near Stanford Shopping Center.  Here is the SamTrans bus boarding plan and the VTA bus boarding plan during the work.  Staff from both agencies are expected to be on hand to assist those who need transfers between these buses and Caltrain.  Meanwhile, Caltrain will still serve the Transit Center.

Transit As Designated Drivers

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Image courtesy 321happynewyear.com

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

As usual, many Silicon Valley Transit agencies will run extended bus and rail service on New Year’s Eve and early New Year’s day.  The Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) will have free fares for its buses and light rail from 8pm-5am New Year’s Day.  This also includes a special schedule for the 181 express bus between San Jose and Fremont BART station.

Also, SamTrans in San Mateo County will have free fares for its buses from 8pm-5am New Year’s Day.  Caltrain will have free fare service between San Jose and San Francisco from 8pm until about 2am New Year’s Day.  They will also have four trains leaving San Francisco after midnight, making all local stops to San Jose.  In San Francisco, MUNI will have free fares on its buses and light rail from 8pm-5am New Year’s Day.  BART will run trains until 3am system-wide, with extra service to accommodate for the New Year’s Eve fireworks show along the Embarcadero in San Francisco.

All transit agencies will run a Sunday/Holiday schedule on New Year’s Day (Sunday) and Monday, January 2 when New Year’s Day is officially observed.

Take advantage of these free and extended services tonight.  They will help avoid traffic gridlock and the possibility of getting arrested for driving under the influence.  They also help you beat the “surge pricing” expected for ride-booking companies like Uber and Lyft.

Follow @svtransitupdts on Twitter for transit updates to and from these and other events. Transit reports from BART, VTA, and other transit agencies from transit riders like YOU are reported daily.  Here’s how YOU can help report public transit delays.

Eugene Bradley
Founder, Silicon Valley Transit Users