_{*Edited on 11/21/19 to clarify information about Express Bus service changes EXPECTED to take effect December 28, 2019}

As part of the New Transit Service Plan (NTSP) and an effort to operate more cost-effective and efficient bus service, VTA identified bus routes that need to be canceled due to low ridership or high cost per passenger. Many Express Bus routes fall into both categories, and it’s time to face reality.

Routes that will go away

There are three Express bus routes that will be eliminated when the new transit service starts on December 28, 2019: Routes 120, 140, 180. Express bus 181 will continue in the interim with a stop at Alder for passengers connecting to VTA Light Rail on the new Orange line. The 181 will be eliminated when BART service begins at Milpitas and Berryessa. AC Transit route 217 will be routed to the Milpitas BART station on December 28. 

Routes that will be modified

Express bus route 168 will remain as-is through the end of 2020. Proposals to pull the 168 off the freeway to operate it as a rapid route on Monterey Road will be evaluated in the spring of 2020 and VTA will collect public feedback before the final route change is implemented in 2021.

Routes a company can sponsor

Before the remaining Express bus routes are eliminated, we are reaching out to Silicon Valley companies who may want a hand in keeping them. By funding approximately 38% of the cost of the route, a private company can partner with VTA to not only save an Express bus route from discontinuation, but also influence the path of travel.

The Express Bus Partnership Program is seeing some success so far with Stanford Research Park and VMWare stepping up to fund routes 101, 102, 103, and 104. The remaining routes available for sponsorship include 121, 122, 182, and 185. Companies that wish to sponsor one of these routes should contact VTA Community Outreach at 408-321-7575 community.outreach@vta.org.

VTA began contacting local companies since early this summer, and we have been notifying Express bus passengers since August of the potential service cancellation. We hope companies will see this opportunity to not only provide their employees with a low-stress, environmentally friendly alternative to solo driving, but unlike with the private shuttles we have come to recognize with their signature dark tinted glass, this option is open to the public at a fraction of the operating cost. For more information, visit vta.org/ExpressBusProgram.