Tag: Rail

News involving Caltrain, ACE or BART that affect Silicon Valley’s quality of life.

Labor Day Weekend Transit Update

A little more Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) light rail service was restored today. Starting today, and until further notice:

  • No more substitute bus service on the Blue line.  Instead, light rail trains will run on the Blue line will only run between Baypointe station and Children’s Discovery Museum station in downtown San Jose.
  • As for the Green Line: light rail service will only run between Old Ironsides station and San Jose Diridon Station.
  • Light rail service on all three currently running lines (Orange, Blue, Green) will run every 20 minutes on weekdays, and every 30 minutes weeknights, evenings, and holidays.
  • Service on the rest of the Blue and Green lines will be announced at a later date.  Per the statement from CEO/General Manager Carolyn Gonot at the September 5 VTA Board meeting, this is due to being short-staffed in terms of being able to make repairs to and inspect the lines.

Do you or someone you know live or work in Campbell or South San Jose and normally use VTA light rail? Please read our VTA alternate bus guide for light rail service. It lists VTA bus lines like the 60, 64A, 66 and 68, and how they can be used in place of light rail service until those parts of the line are fully restored. Yes, the trips are longer. Yes, you will need to adapt your travel accordingly. Please remember: all of this is temporary.

On Saturday at 7pm, the San Jose Earthquakes host the Colorado Rapids in Major League Soccer action on the pitch of PayPal Park. Read our revised transit guide for PayPal Park. It shows how VTA’s 60 bus line directly serves PayPal Park, and how the pitch is within walking distance of the Santa Clara Transit Center and Rail Station.

Finally, on Labor Day (September 6) all Silicon Valley transit agencies will be running a Sunday/Holiday schedule. Normal weekday service will return on Tuesday, September 7. Please plan your trips accordingly.

Thank you, and please stay safe this Labor Day weekend.

Eugene Bradley
Founder & CEO, Silicon Valley Transit Users

Know When Light Rail Fully Returns…

Dates on when light rail service returns on the rest of the system will be revealed tonight. Carolyn Gonot, CEO and General Manager of the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA), will report on the dates when full light rail service on the rest of the Green Line and Blue Line will return. View the YouTube video above, to see and hear the announcement for yourself.

Also, read from VTA the current timeline on when full light rail service is being restored, and all of its phases.

Also, compensation for victims (and their families) of the May 26 shootings at VTA’s Guadalupe Yard is due to be approved. It’s an addendum from action the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors took on Wednesday to help the victims of May 26 and their families.

Read more on the agenda for tonight’s VTA Board Of Directors’ meeting here.

The best part? YOU can take part by Zoom video conference.

See you all tonight at 5:30pm.

Eugene Bradley
Founder & CEO, Silicon Valley Transit Users

Welcome Back, Light Rail

Partial service on Silicon Valley’s light rail system returns today. At around 8am this morning, service on the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) Orange Line returned to service.

Also, partial service on the Green Line between Old Ironsides and Civic Center light rail stations was restored today. VTA light rail will be FREE to ride from now until September 12.

No current ETA is available for when light rail service south and west of Civic Center station will be restored.

Meanwhile, do you typically ride VTA light rail to or from Campbell or South San Jose? Check out our alternate VTA bus guide to the light rail shutdown. It lists alternate VTA bus lines that can be used in place of light rail, until full service is restored. That guide will be edited to reflect the partial return of VTA light rail service before Monday morning.

To help get you re-acclimated to VTA light rail, read our first-time guide to riding VTA light rail. Also, read these tips to help you stay safe on light rail platforms (VTA or other transit systems). Finally, view this video that reminds drivers to watch out for oncoming light rail trains and passengers crossing the street at light rail stations.

Let’s stay safe as VTA light rail returns to Silicon Valley.

Eugene Bradley
Founder & CEO, Silicon Valley Transit Users

Happy New Year 2021

Even in a global pandemic, one New Year’s Eve public transit tradition continues.  Transit agencies like Caltrain, SamTrans, and VTA will have free fares for their bus & rail service starting around 8pm.  This despite Santa Clara County’s “shelter in place” health orders in effect until further notice.

Pandemic protection rules such as social distancing and mask wearing on board will still apply.  Per health department directives, avoid crowds to help curb the spread of COVID-19.

Read on for a summary of who’s offering what services on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day, and when.

Christmas Giving…and Taking

Transit riders in the South Bay are in for major changes on December 28.  That’s when the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) will make major changes to bus and light rail service throughout Santa Clara County.  Read and learn more on how your bus and light rail service will be affected on December 28 here.

Our own Monica Mallon was interviewed for a story on ABC 7 News about the service changes. That news story aired December 26 throughout the day.

While VTA is adding service on major bus lines like the 22 and 70, they are also ending service on some bus lines like the 45 and 65.  As the agency converts a limited stop bus line to a rapid bus line (323 to 523), they are eliminating the 304, 321, 328, and 330.  (Some of these bus lines run along county expressways.).  As VTA enables direct light rail service between Mountain View, the Great Mall, Milpitas BART stop, and Alum Rock, it will close the Almaden light rail spur.  (One final group round trip between Ohlone-Chynoweth and Almaden will be on December 27 at 9:30pm.)

The same ABC 7 News story noted that all VTA bus and light rail service will run FREE from December 28-31. On New Year’s Eve, VTA will run a normal weekday schedule, with extra late night service on the 181 express bus line between Warm Springs and 2nd/Santa Clara in San Jose.

We’re looking for stories from you on how the VTA service changes after December 28 will affect your transit travel.  Please comment below, on our Facebook page, or our Twitter feed.  We will soon have tips on what YOU need to do come January 9 to start restoring transit service in Santa Clara County.

Eugene Bradley
Founder, Silicon Valley Transit Users