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Bus Alternatives For VTA Light Rail

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Light rail service in Santa Clara County is still down. The Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) continues to suspend all light rail service after the shootings at Guadalupe Yard May 26. VTA briefly ran shuttle buses in the place of light rail from May 27 until June 1, until limited shuttle bus service was restored August 2. There is currently no ETA for when light rail service will be restored.

Meanwhile, here are some tips for you to use VTA bus (and Caltrain) service that parallels light rail.

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Shooting, Fatalities At VTA Light Rail Shop

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https://twitter.com/SVscanners/status/1397622106657935361

Police scanner audio above may be objectionable and sensitive to some of our readers. Listener discretion is advised.

May 26th, 2021 is now a day that will live in infamy in Silicon Valley. At around 6:30am this morning, we learned that a mass shooting had taken place at VTA’s Guadalupe light rail maintenance shops on 1st and Younger in San Jose. (That’s by the County Sheriff’s Office, and 1 block north of the Santa Clara County Building and County Jail.)

As of 3pm, nine (9) people are dead, including the shooter. The shootings took place during when the light rail employees were having a morning meeting.

VTA shut down light rail as of noon, for the rest of today. Shuttle buses are running instead of light rail throughout the system today. This will allow law enforcement to properly investigate the Guadalupe light rail (LRT) shops, as the facility remains an active crime investigation scene at this time.

Watch your favorite news outlet for the latest information. We’ll try to keep things updated here, as information and circumstances warrant.

More on this – and how YOU can help provide relief for the victims and their families – are below.

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Stop Leaving Us Stranded, VTA!

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Tried to take a Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) lately? Ever been left stranded due to the bus being at its safe capacity limits? You’re not alone. The chart above shows nearly 1,400 riders per day are stranded by full VTA buses who pass them. That’s enough to fill two sections of the where the Sharks, 49ers, or Earthquakes play at. Bus lines like the 22, 25, 66, and 68 are just some examples where we’ve read reports of riders left stranded.

VTA has the money, courtesy of the Federal government, to fix this NOW. They also have the money to help improve safety on its bus and light rail fleet NOW. Here’s details on how YOU, me, and our fellow riders can make VTA make it happen…

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No VTA Light Rail Service In Campbell Until May 9

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We’ve learned that, until May 9, the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) will run shuttle buses instead of light rail between the Winchester and Bascom stations in both directions. This is to allow for station platform (re)construction work at the Hamilton light rail station. Read here for more details.

Per VTA Customer Service, the shuttle buses will run on the same schedule light rail uses now. (Note expected departure and arrival times only list the Winchester and Bascom stations. Schedule courtesy of VTA.) As the shuttle buses must navigate traffic on city streets, add up to 15 minutes’ more travel time in either direction between Winchester and Bascom stations.

Call VTA at (408)321-2300 then press 1 for Customer Service, or email VTA Customer Service, for any questions regarding this or other bus/light rail services.

Tell Your Transit Truth To Tran

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VTA Interim General Manager and CEO Evelynn Tran. Source: VTA

Before a key workshop on Friday, an interim General Manager will be voted for confirmation.  The Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) will confirm Evelynn Tran as its interim General Manager and CEO.  If confirmed, she will replace Nuria L. Fernandez, who resigned from VTA on Tuesday to accept a deputy administrator post at the Federal Transit Administration.

After the confirmation vote, the VTA Board Of Directors will have a workshop to discuss how funding for 2016 Measure B sales tax will be spent for the next ten years.  Read more and learn how you can tell the VTA Board to preserve funding for bus and light rail service in Friday morning’s workshop.

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