FAQ

Special Event Service

Yes, we will have ambassadors at the stadium and key light rail transit centers answering questions and helping customers reach their event.

VTA Orange line serves Levi's Stadium, and connects with Caltrain at the Mountain View Station. Please go to www.caltrain.com/events for more information.

The VTA Orange line which serves Levi’s® Stadium connects with BART at the Milpitas Station.

VTA to Levi's - Simple as 1-2-3 1. Find where to board 2. Plan your schedule 3. Buy your ticket Fill details on the VTA Levi’s® page
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Real-Time Updates

Real Time is a way to identify where in the route your bus or light rail train is currently. Real time data is fed from the bus or light rail train to keep track of the vehicle's location. Our new...

Other than the Real Time feature, you have several options to access real-time information for bus and light rail vehicles: VTA's Customer Service, which can be reached at (408) 321-2300, or customer...

Service Alerts will notify you of long-term disruptions and detours in place, including reroutes, bus bridges, and moved/closed bus stops. On the other hand, the Real-Time feature will be able to...
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Business

The Programming and Grants section of VTA's Congestion Management Agency is charged with countywide fund programming and administration for Federal and State transportation grant funding recipients.

If you tried to reset your VTA.org Vendor Portal password and didn't see the email in your inbox within a minute or two, it may have been caught in your spam filter. Due to the increasing importance...

VTA's fiscal year is the 12-month accounting period that starts on July 1 and ends on June 30. Fiscal year is often abbreviated FY, and the year referenced is the end of that period. For example, FY...

The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) is used by the United States, Canada, and Mexico to classify businesses by industry. VTA uses the NAICS business code system in its Vendor...
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BART

VTA received Board approval of its California Environmental Quality Act document (Subsequent Environmental Impact Report) in April 2018. The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) issued a Record of...

Approximately five of the six mile Phase II Project will be in a subway tunnel, starting just east of US-101 and Las Plumas Avenue and ending just north of I-880 and Newhall Street. The 28th Street...

The projected 2035 daily ridership for Phase II is approximately 54,600. This projection is based on a 2012 travel demand model that includes Association of Bay Area Governments 2009 land-use data...

As Santa Clara County's Congestion Management Agency, VTA is responsible for designing and constructing the BART Silicon Valley Extension Program. VTA will own all the property, facilities, and...

VTA's BART Silicon Valley Phase II Project will be the largest infrastructure project in Santa Clara County. The community will see numerous benefits from it, including A one seat ride from San José...

A Major Investment Study, completed by VTA in 2001, evaluated 11 different combinations of transit alternatives and alignments for the I-880 and I-680 corridors. BART was identified with the currently...

When the BART District was formed in the 1960s, Santa Clara County opted out. As population and job growth rose in Santa Clara County, congestion along the I-880 and I-680 corridors grew as well. VTA...

VTA's BART Silicon Valley Extension Program will bring Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) into Santa Clara County and ring the San Francisco Bay with frequent rail service. The program is a 16-mile, six...

VTA intends to engage the community throughout the project. Please sign-up to receive updates in the "Subscribe to Updates" section on this page. There will also be several opportunities to attend...

VTA has a long standing partnership with the cities. This includes coordination with city staff within the Planning, Engineering, and Public Works departments. This relationship and partnership will...

The funding strategy for VTA's BART Phase II Project is planned through multiple revenue streams including: Local Funding State Federal Funding
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BART Phase II Construction & Environmental

In 2008, before the BART Extension Program was broken into two phases, a twin bore configuration with cut-and-cover stations was relatively advanced. However, those plans are now nearly 15 years old...

During the environmental clearance phase of the VTA’s BART Silicon Valley Phase II Extension Project, both the twin-bore and single-bore tunneling methodologies were evaluated and assessed regarding...

At approximately 90 feet below ground, station platform and tunnel depth is comparable to several other stations throughout the United States. Locally, it is about the same depth as the Union Square...

During Phase II Project construction, activities on Santa Clara Street near Market Street will be primarily contained to a fenced-in staging area off-street. Construction will be similar to other low...

All stations are designed per BART standards and house many required BART support facilities within: First, all stations have 700-ft long platforms to accommodate a typical 10-car BART train. Second...

Through public meetings, Community Working Group meetings, and the Project website & hotline, VTA is committed to keeping you informed on future construction activities. VTA will meet with...

VTA is using innovation to minimize impact to small businesses. VTA and BART chose the single-bore tunnel construction methodology to reduce street-level impacts to the extent feasible that...

At approximately 90 feet below ground, the boarding station platforms are comparable to other underground stations in California and around the United States. Within the Bay Area, it is about the same...

Based on our project team’s advanced engineering efforts to determine schedule and cost, VTA anticipates: Early Works Construction begins Fall 2023 Tunneling and Ongoing Construction begins Spring...

In early April 2018, the VTA Board of Directors approved VTA’s BART Silicon Valley Phase II Extension (BSVII) Project, certified the Final Subsequent Environmental Impact Report (SEIR) as CEQA lead...
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BART Milpitas and Berryessa

VTA built and owns both new transit centers and the BART stations in them. Through an agreement, VTA pays BART to operate and maintain the BART stations, trains, and tracks. In short, BART operates...

BART charges a distance-based fare. For information on how much it costs to go to other BART stations, see the fare calculator on BART's website.

Please refer to the BART Schedule page for the most up to date information as well as access to the BART trip planner.

It takes about 59 minutes from Milpitas and 63 minutes from Berryessa/North San José to travel to San Francisco's Embarcadero BART Station.

VTA offers paid parking at the Berryessa and Milpitas Transit Centers. Both locations have garage and surface lot parking. To avoid waiting for pay kiosks at transit centers, VTA recommends its riders...

No, these parking lots are operated by VTA and parking fees will be enforced 24 hours per day, 7 days a week, including holidays. The Milpitas and Berryessa Parking information page provides...

No. All parking is first come, first serve.

Law enforcement officers patrol these areas. If you are ever worried about your safety or the safety of others, please call 9-1-1.
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Fares

The per-person annual SmartPass rates are based in part on the VTA service available at the site’s geographic location. The following chart summarizes the Service Level at different geographic...

If your card is registered, contact Clipper Customer Service to report it lost or stolen: Log in to your Clipper account, select Report Lost or Stolen from the More Options menu, or Call 877.878.8883...

Visit 511.org for information about replacing a lost or stolen Regional Transportation Connections (RTC) card.

Seats near the front door of all VTA buses and Light Rail trains are designated for seniors and persons with disabilities. Passengers who want to use the priority seating area but find that it is...

VTA light rail operates on a proof-of-payment system. You must possess validated fare while on the light rail system. Fare inspectors regularly patrol the system and ask passengers at random to...

Boarding with a Clipper Card Tag Clipper cards on the Clipper reader located next to the farebox. Coins You can use any U.S. coin up to $1.00 in value. Insert them one at a time. Foreign coins and...

You can perform the following transactions on Ticket Vending Machine: Purchase an Adult Clipper card for $3 at select light rail platforms Load Clipper e-cash value, VTA Monthly Pass, or other transit...

A personal care attendant is someone who accompanies a passenger with a disability to provide assistance with the trip or with tasks needed at the trip’s destination. Attendants with passengers...

To qualify for discounted fares, Seniors must be age 65 or older and Youth must be age 5-18. Visit VTA's Fares page for more information.

No refunds will be made for purchased passes, based on VTA Board approved Fare Policy. Lost or stolen Day Passes or Monthly Passes will not be replaced.

VTA has agreements with the following regional transit operators to provide convenient transfers - find the details on our Regional Transfers page: Highway 17 Express Caltrain BART ACE AC Transit...

Find out your options for loading value on a Clipper card on our Clipper page or on Clipper.com.

The Standard SmartPass is valid on all VTA local buses and light rail. The Express SmartPass is offered only to SmartPass institutions who have partnered with VTA in its Express Bus Partnership...

No, you are not eligible to purchase a SmartPass as an individual. Only employers, residential developments, and colleges within Santa Clara County may purchase a SmartPass. Institutions enter an...

No. Institutions are required to purchase SmartPasses for all eligible individuals at a given location. This requirement allows Institutions a cost-effective way to provide access to public transit to...

Visit VTA's Fares page for details about our fares and payment options.

Due to VTA and Clipper’s Privacy Policies and state and federal privacy laws, SmartPass institutions are restricted to anonymized aggregated utilization data. See SmartPass Instituion Portal Training...

VTA offers discounted fares for Youth (5-18), Senior (65+), and people with disabilities. Visit our Fares page to learn more.

For information about the RTC card eligibility, application forms and other information, please visit 511.org. Please be advised: As of January 9, 2022 there are no fees for new and renewal cards, and...

Please contact your SmartPass coordinator immediately. All SmartPass replacements should go through the coordinators. VTA and Clipper cannot verify your SmartPass eligibility thus would not be able to...

Visit our Fares page to find out what proof is required for Senior (65+), Disabled and Youth (5-18) discounts.
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FasTrak

Drivers can enter and exit the 237 Express Lanes anywhere, except where there are double white lines. Southbound on I-880 When driving southbound on I-880, you may enter the Express Lane in Milpitas...

Revenue remaining after supporting the operations and maintenance of the Express Lanes will be used to fund transportation improvements along their respective corridors. This can include transit...

If a vehicle does not have a FasTrak toll tag, license plate camera images are used to match the vehicle to a valid FasTrak account and charge that account. If a driver does not have an account, the...

The high-occupancy vehicle requirement for the SR 237 and US 101/SR 85 Express Lanes is three or more riders (or HOV 3+). Vehicles with two riders will be eligible for a 50% toll discount with a...

Tolls change as traffic conditions change. When traffic increases, tolls increase. When traffic decreases, tolls decrease. Solo drivers decide if the travel time savings are worth the price. A driver...
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Lost & Found

If you have lost an item please call 408-321-2300 to check if your item has been turned in and find out how to claim it. Most items found will be kept for 90 days, except cash and medication. To claim...

Medication (prescription and over-the-counter) left on VTA is destroyed immediately. These items are not stored or returned to owners.

Cash in excess of $100 left on VTA is turned over to the Santa Clara County Sheriff. Contact the Sheriff's office at 408-808-4400 to check for found cash.
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Park & Ride

There are three ways to pay for parking. All options require you to provide your vehicle license plate number or the last eight digits of your vehicle identification number (VIN), which is then...

Yes, advanced payment for long-term parking at the Berryessa and Milpitas transit centers can be made at www.vta.org/payparking or at on-site pay stations at the rate of $7 per calendar day. There is...

An automated license plate reader system moves through all parking lots and garages to ensure every vehicle parked has paid.

Motorcycles parked in the designated “Motorcycle Parking” area park for free. If you park your motorcycle in a regular parking space intended for a vehicle larger than a motorcycle, you will be...

There are 24 ChargePoint electric vehicle charging stations in each of the Milpitas and Berryessa transit garages that are first come, first serve. The fee to charge your electric vehicle is currently...
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Planning & Projects

Open project calls will be posted on our Programming & Grants page.

An award shows that VTA and a grantee have executed an agreement to fund a project. Learn about Allocations and Expenditures.

An Expenditure is VTA's reimbursement of 2016 Measure B funds to a grantee. Learn about Allocations and Awards.

The total allocated funding is the total amount of 2016 Measure B funds the VTA-Board has authorized for use.

Santa Clara County voters have approved 2016 Measure B, a 30-year, half-cent countywide sales tax to enhance transit, highways, expressways and active transportation (bicycles, pedestrians and...

A project timeline is a visual list of tasks or activities placed in chronological order, which allows you to view the entirety of the project in one place.

Revenue collected is the net receipt of 2016 Measure B sales tax revenue, excluding interests earned. Sales tax revenue collection for 2016 Measure B started April 1, 2017 and the measure will...

An allocation is the VTA Board-approved amount of 2016 Measure B funds available for a specified project or program. Learn about Awards and Expenditures.

The 2016 Measure B ballot language specified nine Program Categories, with allocations specified for each: Local Streets & Roads BART Silicon Valley Phase II Bicycle and Pedestrian Caltrain Grade...

Grantees are agencies that receive 2016 Measure B funds for projects. They include 15 cities, Santa Clara County, Caltrain and VTA.

The ballot allocation is the amount (in 2017 dollars) that can be spent on each program category as written in the 2016 Measure B ballot language. The ballot allocations were as follows: Local Streets...

Each program category in 2016 Measure B has specific project eligibility criteria. Access the program-specific guideline documents.

No, only public agencies in Santa Clara County - 15 cities, Santa Clara County, Caltrain and VTA - are eligible to apply for 2016 Measure B funds. You may partner with a public agency to apply for a...
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Riders Tips

The free Wi-Fi available on Light Rail, many buses, and select VTA Transit Centers (Winchester, Alum Rock and Chynoweth​​) helps you be more productive. Look for the “VTA Free Wi-Fi" network when you...

Our printed and online schedules only list major timepoints for reference, but trains will stop at all stations when a customer onboard requests the stop or someone is waiting to board. You can use...

Mobility devices must be secured every time when used upon a VTA bus. VTA also recommends, but does not require, the use of lap belts and shoulder harnesses. Bus operators are responsible for ensuring...

Bus operators will assist passengers with disabilities and seniors: Boarding or exiting buses Using the wheelchair lift or ramp and deploying it on request (anyone may request the use of the lift or...

Service animals and service-animals-in-training may ride on VTA buses and light rail trains. Service animals are specially trained animals that assist persons with disabilities. The customer’s...

1. Plan Ahead Download the Transit app, endorsed by VTA for trip planning and real time information. Contact VTA Customer Service for a customized trip plan or with any questions. Visit our Trip...

You can customize your schedule by selecting your starting and ending locations from any route schedule page. You will see a summary of your trip with estimated travel time.

Customers may bring small pets on buses and light rail only in a completely enclosed cage or carrying case that is small enough to fit on the customer’s lap. The animal must not endanger or annoy...

For a list of VTA bike locker locations, visit the BikeLink website. At sites where bike parking demand exceeds parking supply, VTA is transitioning from the current one-locker-per-person system to a...

Rapid buses may depart up to five minutes earlier than the time shown on our schedules, if traffic allows, with the exception of the start of the trip. Please plan to arrive at your stop five minutes...

Our trip planner will help you plan your route based on your starting and ending locations. Your trip will be customized to get you to depart or arrive based on your needs. You can also select your...

On our printed and listed schedules, we only list major timepoints for to keep schedules more compact and easier to read. There are stops in between those time points. You should use the listed time...

VTA's most up-to-date frequency chart can be accessed on our Service Changes page, under Related Documents.

Our detailed system maps will assist you in planning your trip by identifying the routes that serve your starting point and destinations. Please visit our Maps Page for more information.

The schedule map will show you where lines intersect and also provide major cross street and landmark information.

Find out how to contact ACCESS Paratransit, Human Resources, Board Secretary's office, Title VI and other departments on our Contacts page.

Bus VTA has equipped all buses with exterior bike racks that can accommodate up to three bicycles. Rapid 522 buses (the long blue ones) can hold three bikes on the front rack plus two inside the rear...

VTA's light rail stations can be found the "VTA Light Rail Stations" page, which includes the station, location, and Park & Ride option.

People who do not speak English as their primary language and who have limited ability to read, speak, write, or understand English can be limited English proficient, or “LEP.” These individuals may...

If you believe that you have received discriminatory treatment by the VTA on the basis of your race, color or national origin, you have the right to file a complaint with the VTA Title VI Coordinator. The preferred method is to file your complaint in writing using the Title VI Complaint Form.
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Safety

BART Police is responsible for safety and security within the BART station gates, on the platforms, and in the trains. VTA contracts with the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office to maintain public...

In the event of an emergency, call 911 for immediate assistance. Download the free VTAlerts app to report safety concerns, suspicious activities and medical emergencies. If you do not own a smartphone...

As a safety measure, a VTA bus operator can stop at a location that is closer to your final destination than the regular stop, providing it is along the designated route. This service is available...

As a safety measure, a VTA bus operator can stop at a location that is closer to your final destination than the regular stop, providing it is along the designated route. This service is available...

VTA is proud to be part of the "Safe Place" program. As a safety measure, a VTA bus operator will offer a “safe place” to any minor in need, including runaways, the homeless, the abused and/or...

At VTA, our goal is to provide customers with a safe, comfortable trip every time they ride our system. Clean vehicles, reliable service, and nice amenities like WiFi on the light rail, are just a few...

Title VI is a section of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 requiring that “No person in the United States shall on the grounds of race, color or national origin, be excluded from participation in, be...
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School Trippers

School 256 only operates on days when Willow Glen High School is in session during the regular school year and is subject to adjustment or cancellation based on school calendars. For adjusted...

School 246 and 247 only operate on school days when Milpitas High School is in session during the regular school year. Visit our School Trippers page for more information.

The Northbound 288L will depart Palo Alto Veteran’s Hospital 10 minutes after Gunn High School dismissal time. Learn more about VTA school service.

288 will depart Palo Alto Veteran’s Hospital 12 minutes after Gunn High School dismissal time. The 4:22 pm trip will operate on regular school days. Learn more about VTA school service.
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Seasonal Information

VTA buses and light rail operate on Sunday/Holiday schedule for the following holidays: New Year's Day Memorial Day Independence Day (4th of July) Labor Day Thanksgiving Day Christmas Day We also...
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