VTA’s transit service has achieved a profound rebound in the face of unprecedented challenges over the last two years. All bus and light rail lines are running, front door boarding has resumed, and two new bus routes just launched. The dedicated employees who keep our system moving have a lot to be proud of, as service continues to recover with increasing travel demand.

VTA remains committed to the goal of providing fast, frequent, and reliable transit service. Navigating the final stretch of service restoration will require that same determination and creative problem solving.

A February 3 Board presentation provided a look at how we can get VTA service back into full gear.

Ramped-Up Operator Recruitment and Training

Expanding frequency and service hours requires a full roster of bus and light rail operators.  Currently, VTA is experiencing a shortage of close to 80 bus operators and more than 30 light rail operators.

To address this shortfall, VTA’s training department has doubled the rate at which new bus driver hires are trained and ready to hit the streets.  VTA runs training classes for bus operators every 9 weeks. For most of 2021, classes were nearly full (with a max capacity of 36 trainees), until November, when applicant numbers fell dramatically, and have remained low ever since.

On average, in the 9 weeks it takes to train a new class of drivers, VTA loses 18 bus operators to commonly experienced attrition (retirement, promotion to another position, job separation, etc.).

VTA is currently conducting a bus operator recruitment campaign to continue attracting more applicants.

For light rail, whose operators must move into those positions from bus operator positions, Staff train an average of 8 candidates per month.

Service Restoration Progress Report

The trajectory for bringing back transit service dates back to the summer of 2020.

Bus schedules have been restored to 91% of pre-pandemic levels. Milestones toward achieving full recovery include:

1. Restore all suspended routes – Completed (Aug 2020)
2. Increase service on routes with the most pass-ups – Completed (Feb 2021)
3. Restore suspended weekend service – Completed (June 2021)
4. Restore school service for fall 2021 term – Completed (Aug 2021)
5. Introduce Valley Medical Center Shuttle and Rapid 568 – Completed (Oct 2021)
6. Restore 15-min weekday daytime frequent network – Completed (Oct 2021)
7. Restore pre-pandemic levels of evening service – Pending (dependent on future operator counts)
8. Restore weekend service frequencies – Pending (dependent on future operator counts)

Light rail schedules have been restored to 75% of pre-pandemic levels. Milestones toward achieving full recovery include:

1. Restore weekday light rail service – Completed Apr 2020
2. Restore weekend light rail service – Completed Jun 2020
   (Suspended light rail service for three months following May 2021 incident)
3. Restored service following summer suspension – Completed Sept 2021
4. Restore 15-min weekday daytime network – Pending (dependent on future operator counts)
5. Restore evening hours of service – Pending (dependent on future operator counts)
6. Restore weekend service frequencies – Pending (dependent on future operator counts)

To illustrate the remaining service yet to be restored, the VTA Service Planning team created a visualization of trips we are currently providing, and those we have yet to return to full operation. This can also be found on page 308 of this week’s Board of Directors meeting agenda packet. 

Future Uncertainties

Three major factors will determine how quickly VTA can get more operators in the coming year, which makes it difficult to predict when full service restoration can be achieved.

Following the implementation of VTA’s new COVID-19 vaccine policy, it remains unclear how many employees will choose to leave the agency rather than comply with the new policy.

The State is also planning to offer another round of supplemental two-week paid sick leave to employees for COVID-related leave (to care for family members or themselves). This is good news for our workforce, and we anticipate that staff will rely on this aid as Omicron continues to spread. However, from a service planning perspective, long periods of time off work will dictate how many buses and light rail vehicles we can operate.

There is also the question of applicant numbers. Bus operator training class sizes have shrunk as the Omicron variant has taken hold, so staff remain hopeful that applications will increase as the current wave of infections subsides.

All this is to say – we cannot accurately predict when VTA’s transit service will be fully restored right now. Please continue to be patient with us as our service is not currently as reliable or frequent as we would like. Our shortage of operators unfortunately means we are forced to cancel trips, so check real-time schedule information on our website, or the Transit app, for your next bus or train.

We know our riders are counting on us, and we continue to adapt to changing circumstances, making every effort to keep as much service running as possible.