VTA

smelly, dirty — do they even clean these trains?
I take the train daily and it smells like a poorly maintained restroom

I take VTA almost every day to work. I say almost because there are some days I like to sleep in and then I actually have to drive to work. (LOL). I really like the convenience of having a station near my house and one by work! I love it! I like the fact that there are security guards on board because it makes me feel safer when riding VTA because I have seen the things that go on when noone is around. One thing I find curious is when I see the security guards wearing crossing guard vests. Will they also help me cross the street once I reach my destination? I mean, seriously… What’s up with that? I totally get it, they want to br made visible, but I’ve heard other fellow riders make comments about how silly they look. Don’t get me wrong, thanks for all you do, I just hate to see and hear bad things about people. Another great thing is how inexpensive it is to ride VTA, compared to gas prices now-​a-​days, I’m really liking it (please don’t raise the prices lol)

Thanks VTA 27 WB for being then stopping at McDonald’s while we all wait for you.
Guess consideration of your passengers isn’t one of your strong points
Now he’s skipping stops and yelling at passengers who wanted to get off.

Is VTA fast: Yes
Is VTA cheap: Yes
Is VTA on-​time: Yes
Does VTA have WIfi: Yes
Are the VTA trains clean: Yes
Bus service in SiliconValley/​Jose: Sucks
Why can’t you build a light rail to BART or continue light rail from Mt View to Milbrea?
Why is BART not in San Jose yet?
Woohoo! As good as it gets!

From Ghetto to residential suburbs you will see it all when you take a ride in this light rail. It is amazing how light rails have so few patrons and they still continue this service. Like a machine these trains run every day — chug chug chug
Be prepared for the ghetto factor when you take this route. this one cuts across san jose downtown. Exercise caution and be wary of your surroundings at all time.
Some of the stations are park and ride lots. So it might be worth your while to park your car at one of the stations and take a ride.
San Jose State University students get VTA passes for the semester. So saves some money.

We live in a suburban area so I am grateful that we have some sort of public transportation outlet however, it is nothing what I would like it to be. Trains run ²⁴⁄₇ in cities like New York City and Chicago yet over here — we are pretty limited. Thank goodness I have a car or else I’d be pretty screwed.
Machines should take debit cards and/​or credit cards, lines should be extended, and the hours need to be extended, too.

Light rail has been my primary source of transportation around town. It’s also been a strong factor in where I’ve been looking for work. I live closest to the Ohlone station. I don’t even consider the 27/​Blo Hill bus a factor in looking for work since the last damn eastbound bus doesn’t even go past 8:30PM??? I’m sorry, I thought I lived in the 3^rd largest city in California? San Fran (the 4^th) has better late transpo. At least have the last 3 runs hourly to get past store closings at 9:00. So I can’t even work an evening shift somewhere. It’s bad enough to wait at any public stop if you’re a server and someone does the math that you’re carrying tips. Walking or bicycling is risky when you’re carrying an apron.
The light rail on average goes just past 1:30 in the morning, depending. So if I were to drink it up downtown, I’d still have to leave the bar before last call. I made that mistake new years and had to walk home for 6 hours. In dress shoes. And it was sprinkling and windy cold. Not the best symbolic way to ring in 2011. So when I went to Jack’s (gotta review that) for an after derby party, I knew when I had to leave.
The stops are pretty well kept and decently lit at night, all the ones I’ve been to. Of course, people have to scratch up the fare screen on the pass machines. Come on people, our transportation is not the enemy, trash a senator’s car. I have seen security present pretty consistently, even checking for valid passes. For some reason, restless «element» seem to get more rowdy on the trains than at the stops. Oh, if you put a $ 20 in the machine, you’ll get your change back in golden dollar coins.
The trains are pretty clean also, but it takes just one person to throw a newspaper around or a bag of garbage. I’ve seen a bag of clothes left behind that people didn’t even want to touch because it smelled so bad. The trains have been pretty reliable, at least I’ve never felt that stir crazy «must have just missed one, the next one will never get here COME ON ALREADY» feeling.
They load up the trains for commuter/​student hours and I manage to avoid those times. Once at night, the trains were loaded up for a San Jose bike ride that met at Ohlone. Everyone behaved which was nice. I have ridden the transfer line past Great America. I have been meaning to ride out to Great mall, just to see how long it would take. I transferreed to Campbell to get my Bascom area browsing jones.
I always try to have a weekly to read. I bring books, too, gotta bring the right type, not too big or obnoxious. Don’t want to mess it up. I try not to get involved in the checking you out by constantly looking around thing everyone does.
There are a lot of teens and kids on the train at night, I have noticed this before schools let out for summer. It keeps going thru my head that all our parents when I was in grade school always made us come home before sunset. We would race it home. Night used to be that time where adults come out to rob, to a kid until they’re old enough to get a driver’s permit. Where is going on with the parents letting their kids roam all times of the night? Just from a safety/​concern point of view?
One time I was running low on money and having a bad day and when I got to the Branham stop, I found in the bill acceptor that someone left a day pass wedged in there. It gave me faith in humanity again. Without being specific, I managed to pass it on to someone that night when I got back so they could use it for a few hours.
People are giving VTA low scores, but I remember the buses in the 70’s and 80’s and this system as a whole is in a lot better condition. I’d give it a 4 ½ if Unilocal had Netflix half stars. It’s my main artery around town.
Sometimes I think about the Vegas Monorail when I’m on it. It’s very different though. Come to think of it…

I have taken Light Rail many time to get to place including San Francisco, Oakland and Sacramento. I have not had a problem with the system, security or any passenger’s so far.
I will have to say the VTA Light Rain does get me there on time according to their schedules. Yes, the trains could be cleaner but as public transit goes, they are clean.
I am not giving this higher than three stars due to the cleanness of the train and the lack of communication with any employees with VTA, everything is automated, so unless I have some need for an employee of VTA, three stars is where my review will stay.

I think this line is one of the more crowded ones especially when school/​SJSU/​work people all get on at the same time. I can always rely on this line to be relatively on time and I don’t think a train has never just not arrived.
Of course, I only use this line to get from Willow Glen (Tamien) to SJSU (Paseo de San Antonio) so I never really see the rough parts of this line (especially around the Alum Rock area). Everytime I hear something about violence occurring on VTA it tends to be in the Alum Rock area.
I’m not giving this a 3-​star rating because I think it’s bad, nor do I think it’s good. I think it just works. It gets me there and gets me back.

Ive been taking the light rail for a long time. Before was to get to work or downtown or around the city. Its convenient for only some parts of the bay and not very safe seeing that a girl just got stabbed to death on the alum rock platform at 10:30 pm a few weeks afo when security is suppose to be there. Ive had my share of having to put up with loud and annoying people. Ive even had to defend my self from people trying to touch me and offer me rides. Ewww! Apparently security inst doing their job, which is unnecessary! I’m glad I have a car and locks on my door to keep the hoodlums out. I used to enjoy taking the light rail even for fun or home since it was convenient for my last three residences. But now I steer clear of the light rail or any VTA as much as I can. I cherish my life to much to risk getting stabber or harassed. Sorry but bumper to bumper traffic is much more exciting than wondering if I’m going to make it to the «final destination stop» Thanks but no thanks.