Tag: light rail

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

Transit Guides For the Holidays

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Passengers board VTA's 60 bus to San Jose Airport. Bus is white with burgundy and blue stripes. Six passengers are boarding the bus.
Passengers board VTA’s 60 bus to San Jose Airport.

We’re now in the holiday season leading up to the New Year. This means people are going out shopping in malls for holiday gifts. Some people and families are traveling to other cities, in other states. All of this helps to create additional automobile traffic on our streets and highways.

Fortunately, we have Transit Guides ready to help you beat traffic and parking woes. They show you how to ride and pay fare on Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) buses and light rail for work, pleasure, or visiting others, as an alternate to driving.

Read more →

Happy Thanksgiving 2022!

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Happy Thanksgiving sign. Source: pixabay.com
Image by J Lloa from Pixabay

We’ve learned all services at the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) River Oaks headquarters was restored at 3:30pm this afternoon. This includes their Customer Service call center for transit service information.

Given that, on behalf of the Silicon Valley Transit Users, I want to wish you a Happy Thanksgiving.

A reminder: all Silicon Valley transit agencies will be running on a Sunday/Holiday schedule this Thursday. This includes Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) bus and light rail service, Caltrain, Capitol Corridor trains, SamTrans (San Mateo County) buses, and BART trains. Altamont Corridor Express (ACE) trains between Stockton and San Jose in both directions will not run Thursday and Friday.

On Friday, some Silicon Valley transit agencies will run a modified schedule. For instance, VTA buses/light rail will run a normal weekday schedule this Friday, except its five weekday commuter express bus routes will not run that day only.

Plan accordingly if you are riding public transit this Thursday and Friday. Normal weekday service on all these of transit agencies returns on Monday, November 28.

Follow @svtransitupdts on Twitter for the latest Silicon Valley public transit updates and tips. Have a nice and safe Thanksgiving Day holiday weekend.

Eugene Bradley
Founder, Silicon Valley Transit Users