The stage is set for Sunday afternoon in Las Vegas for Super Bowl LVIII. Can’t make it to the rematch of the Big Game between the San Francisco 49ers and Kansas City Chiefs? There are local parties at bars, clubs, and restaurants throughout Santa Clara County – and beyond. Read on for more details.
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
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.
September 6 featured record high temperatures in Santa Clara County. One result of this, we learned, was that the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) had to take 40 buses out of service that day. This was covered in the Mercury News (via East Bay Times) and CBS Bay Area.
Below highlights what was learned directly from VTA on what else happened that hot dayIt’s deeper than what has been reported in the press on this matter. Read and learn for more details.
This week, temperatures in San Jose and the rest of the Bay Area are at record highs.
To address this, we’ve learned that the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) is providing FREE rides to Cooling Centers throughout Santa Clara County. Here’s an updated list, as of today.
If you use VTA ACCESS Paratransit, call (408)321-2380 to book a trip to a Cooling Center. Due to demand, expect at least a three-hour wait before you can be picked up.
Rail agencies like BART, Caltrain, and Capitol Corridor ran with heat-related speed restrictions so far this week. This has resulted in delays up to 20 minutes on each of these systems. Expect this to be the case the rest of this week.
Locally, VTA has had issues system-wide due to heat causing breakdowns so far this week.
If at all possible, limit when you go outside for the next few days. Let’s not hear about you having to go to the hospital due to dehydration, heat exhaustion, heat stroke – or worse.
Still need to travel outside this hot week? Follow @svtransitupdts on Twitter to keep up with the latest local (Santa Clara County) public transit updates. Here’s steps showing YOU can help keep the svtransitupdts Twitter feed updated.
In the mean time, please stay safe, cool, and hydrated this week.
Eugene Bradley
Founder & CEO, Silicon Valley Transit Users.