Tag: south san jose

Silicon Oven

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Graphic showing it's 111 degrees in San Jose. Has sun drawing on upper right. Lower right says 111 deg. / 72 deg. feels like 111 Deg. Tue, 2:26pm
Photo courtesy Juan Estrada on Facebook.

This week, temperatures in San Jose and the rest of the Bay Area are at record highs.


The extreme heat is expected to continue for several more days.

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.

How “Work With…” Won Better

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Aboard VTA's 568 Rapid bus stuck in Monterey Hwy. traffic.
Aboard VTA’s 568 Rapid bus stuck in Monterey Hwy. traffic in San Jose.

On August 9, three (3) major votes affecting housing and public transportation in San Jose were approved by City Council. Our group helped encourage citizens like YOU to urge City Council to approve these votes.

Read on for what those votes were, and how our group took part in encouraging and making them happen.

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Transit Options To July 4 Fireworks

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July 4, 2022 Fireworks Schedule
July 4, 2022 Fireworks Schedule. Courtesy County Supervisor Joe Simitian.

As Santa Clara County – and our nation – still slowly recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic, more public events are returning. As you can see from the poster above, public July 4 fireworks shows are one such event. Many transit agencies serving Silicon Valley, such as the Valley Transportation Authority (VTA), Caltrain, and BART, will be running a Sunday/Holiday Schedule on Monday, July 4.

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Weekend Update – 10/23/2021

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Let’s get together Saturday at noon to help the drivers who have helped us in the pandemic. There will be a rally at San Jose City Hall at noon to demand “hazard pay” for bus drivers and light rail operators who kept us moving during the pandemic.

Several Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) bus lines stop at San Jose City Hall for the rally. Also, San Jose City Hall is only two blocks from and a 5 minute walk from the Santa Clara (Street) light rail station. VTA buses like the 22, 522 Rapid, 523 Rapid, 64A, 64B, 72, and 73 stop in front of San Jose City Hall for today’s rally.

Not sure how to ride and pay for your VTA bus or light rail ride? Our guide shows you how. Also, given heavy rain expected on Sunday, here are tips on how to ride buses or trains during the inclement weather.

Note that this guide is being provided as a public service, and is not affiliated with any public transit agency mentioned here. This is one of several events this weekend that you can take Silicon Valley’s public transit system to and from. More information on these events follow.

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Weekend Transit Update – 9/11/2021

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First, let’s pay homage to those who perished during and after the horrific events of September 11, 2001. Let’s make sure we never forget this date, nor those who perished.

This Sunday, light rail service returns to South San Jose. The Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) will restore light rail service on the Blue Line between Santa Teresa, downtown San Jose, and Baypointe stations on Sunday morning. This will occur more than three months after that portion of light rail was shut down since the shootings of May 26 at Guadalupe Rail Yard.

Our group has also learned that VTA will extend FREE fares on light rail only, until September 30.

Light rail riders of the Green line between Campbell and downtown San Jose still have no current date for the return of light rail service. In the mean time, read our alternate bus guide to the light rail shutdown and learn how bus lines like the 60, 61, and 523 Rapid serve as an alternate to light rail service in that area.

Read on for more to do via public transit in Silicon Valley this weekend.

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