VTA Service Affected By the Great PG&E Power Outage

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Background

In Santa Clara County, PG&E will turn off power in areas of the following incorporated cities and unincorporated areas:

  • San Jose
  • Morgan Hill
  • Cupertino
  • Los Gatos
  • Saratoga
  • Redwood Estates
  • Milpitas
  • Sunnyvale
  • Los Altos
  • Los Altos Hills
  • Coyote (South San Jose)
  • Gilroy
  • Mount Hamilton
  • Palo Alto
  • Holy City

This power outage is expected to last until Sunday afternoon.

In the affected areas, traffic lights will be turned off.  This means motorists have to treat the powered-off lights as a four-way stop sign.

How The Power Outage Affects VTA Bus and Light Rail Service

Below is how the PG&E power outage will affect Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) bus and light rail service.

At noon on October 9, we learned from VTA that PG&E will turn off power at the area around Eastridge Mall in eastern San Jose.  This will affect power at the Eastridge Transit Center and ACCESS Paratransit office.  Also, traffic lights around Eastridge Mall will not be working, as all motorists must treat them as a four-way stop sign.  As a result of traffic, expect at least 10 minute delays on VTA bus lines to and from Eastridge Mall, like the 22, 26, 31, 39, 70, 71, 77, and 522 Rapid, as well as the 103 express bus to/from Palo Alto.

During the power outage, VTA light rail service and Caltrain will continue to run on a normal schedule, whether it’s weekday or weekend.

Bus and Rail Service To Community Centers During the Power Outage

From the People…

During the power outage, our friends at the San Jose Peace and Justice Center will have their office open from 4pm-7pm.  The Peace & Justice Center is located at 48 S. 7th Street (between E. Santa Clara and E. San Fernando Streets) in San Jose. It’s a short walk from VTA’s 22, 522 Rapid, 63, 64, 65, 72, and 73 bus lines on Santa Clara St. and San Fernando Streets.  View a map of the area around the Peace and Justice Center here.

The Center is seeking volunteers to work additional hours during the Power Outage.  Call the Center at (408)297-2299 to help volunteer in this effort.

PG&E’s “Community Resource Center” in San Jose

A “Community Resource Center” run by PG&E has been set up at Avaya Stadium at 1123 Coleman Ave. (across from San Jose International Airport) in San Jose.

From Santa Clara Caltrain Station (served by VTA buses like the 22, 522 Rapid, 32, and 60) or Metro/Airport light rail station, ride VTA’s 10 FREE Airport Shuttle bus to the Avaya Stadium stop on Coleman and Earthquakes Way.  Our transit guide to Avaya Stadium has more information on getting there on means other than driving in traffic gridlock.

Other City of San Jose Resource Centers

The City of San Jose will open three City Resource Centers at community centers. They will be open starting Wednesday, October 9 from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. for the duration of the event. Residents will have access to information, charging stations for phones and plug-in medical devices, water, and light snacks. Spanish and Vietnamese interpretation will be available. Sheltering and medical care will not be provided.

  • Camden Community Center, 3369 Union Ave.  (near Cambrianna Dr. – served by VTA’s 62 bus line)
  • Mayfair Community Center, 2039 Kammerer Ave. (off S. Sunset Ave., – 6 blocks from Alum Rock Ave. and VTA’s 22, 64, and 522 Rapid bus lines)
  • Southside Community Center, 5585 Cottle Rd (at Poughkeepsie Rd. – served by VTA’s 27 and 68 bus lines)

City of Morgan Hill

In Morgan Hill, a charging station will be made available at the Community and Cultural Center at 17000 Monterey Road in Morgan Hill.  (The Center is served by VTA’s 68 bus line.) The charging station will be made available on a first-come, first-served basis.  The charging station will be available throughout the area-wide power outage event.

Bus and Rail Service To Schools During the Power Outage

In eastern San Jose, the Evergreen Valley College campus will be closed during the power outage.  The college is served by VTA’s 31 and 42 bus lines.

Also, according to San Jose Inside, all schools in the Alum Rock Unified School District are closed today and Thursday.

Unless otherwise noted, all other schools, colleges and universities are running their normal class and building schedule.

For More Information…

Follow @svtransitupdts on Twitter for more information on VTA bus and light rail service affected during the big PG&E power outage.  Want to help with updates? Here’s how you can help alert us and others on any VTA service delays during this event.

Eugene Bradley
Founder, Silicon Valley Transit Users