# VTA Light Rail Experience



## Killroy (Feb 9, 2006)

I leave work after an 11 hour day and I break a spoke in my rear wheel of the Raleigh One Way after going down 3 concrete stairs. I don’t want my wheel to unraveled, so for the first time I decide to take VTA Light Rail from 1st street North San Jose to Campbell Down. Besides the charity from a bike riding stranger, the sitting on my ass on Light Rail sucked compared to just pedaling home.

I have always wanted to ride light rail all the way to work because in the winter it might be a good alternative to driving the cage (car) when it is raining.

My work is a block a way from the nearest station and my home is only 2 blocks, so I expected to save a lot of time over pedaling all 11-12 miles one way. I was wrong. This is to my bewilderment because whenever I ride along light rail, it always zooms buy and I never seem to catch it even though it is making stops.

Here were my woes:

1.	The station does not take debit or credit, so I had to quickly run to BofA across the street to get cash.
2.	The station does not take over $10 bills, so I was screwed a second time, but a a fellow bike commuting stranger paid my $1.75 pass when I asked if he had change for a $20. Thanks.
3.	The light rail is fast on 1st street, but onces it gets down town, it really crawls and there are a lot of stops.
4.	Even though I’m going south the tracks unexpectedly turn north to go bike the Cal Train station. This wastes more time. I was pulling my hair out at this half way point because I expected to be home already.

Door to door on Light Rail was about 75 to 85 minutes when pedaling takes me 35 to 45 depending on how scenic I want my bike route.


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## RedRex (Oct 24, 2004)

Public Transportation = one dollar bills. Been that way for a longggg time.


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## mohair_chair (Oct 3, 2002)

Yep, light rail is ridiculously slow through San Jose. It's almost as fast or faster to walk. And waiting at lights? If I wanted to wait at lights, I would have driven my car. It's one reason why I am now opposed to any rail system that isn't built underground. It's unusable otherwise.


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## robwh9 (Sep 2, 2004)

From North San Jose, where I work, to Sunnyvale, where I live, the light rail is faster than me on a bike.


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## mohair_chair (Oct 3, 2002)

robwh9 said:


> From North San Jose, where I work, to Sunnyvale, where I live, the light rail is faster than me on a bike.


Sure, because it can go maximum speed. But through the downtown area, it runs at a crawl.


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## grrrah (Jul 22, 2005)

Everyone's right in this thread.

In my past, I lived right next to the lick mill station and worked downtown. I took LRT in with my bike in about 45 minutes door to door because we didn't have showers, and rode home in about 30 minutes


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## snapdragen (Jan 28, 2004)

Yeah, it is pretty slow in the downtown area, but I prefer light rail over driving if I'm going downtown. Where are you catching it? It usually only takes me a little over an hour to get from the Bascom (Southwest Expressway) station to downtown Mountain View, I can't see how it would take 75 -85 minutes from downtown San Jose to Campbell.


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## masterken911 (Jun 17, 2009)

vta is always crowded specially " rush hour " and i use them only when i've a flats or rainning. all and all it's not bad when those " high schoolers " aren't riding.


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## Leopold Porkstacker (Jul 15, 2005)

Back when I was employed, I found that via VTA (which took two buses and about 1/2 mile of walking) took 1 hour and 45 minutes to get to work (Almaden/Branham/Capitol San Jose area to Wolfe/Kifer Sunnyvale area), bicycling took between 47 minutes to 1 hour, and automobile took between 37 minutes to 1 hour. Oh, and taking Caltrain or light rail would put me out of my way, and cost several dollars more than just the VTA buses.

Yeah, “mass transportation” in the Bay Area is a GODDAMN JOKE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Where the f**k are my tax dollars really going???


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## Killroy (Feb 9, 2006)

snapdragen said:


> Yeah, it is pretty slow in the downtown area, but I prefer light rail over driving if I'm going downtown. Where are you catching it? It usually only takes me a little over an hour to get from the Bascom (Southwest Expressway) station to downtown Mountain View, I can't see how it would take 75 -85 minutes from downtown San Jose to Campbell.


Don't kid yourself on the time cost of Light rail. Time your door to door time and compare it to your bike commute time. I think you will be surprised. 

75-85 is the door to door time. That includes riding 1 block to the 1st street station by just north of Trimble, waiting a long time for the train, arriving in down town Campbell and riding 2 blocks to my house.


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## Killroy (Feb 9, 2006)

Here is my light rail route. South of down town, the tracks practically make a loop before going back south. I was pulling my hair out when we started to turn north.

http://www.mapmyride.com/ride/united-states/ca/san-jose/309124914082311169


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## charliethetuna (Jul 11, 2009)

ride the rails all day for less than two bucks? cant do that in new york.


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## rox (Jul 7, 2009)

not only is it slow but the metal hook on the racks makes me afraid to put anything with a decent wheel up there.


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