Vicky Rana

an Jose State University (SJSU) student Vicky Rana is quietly eating a late lunch as he sits at the bench waiting for the 180 to Fremont at Great Mall Transit Center. Spread before him are several textbooks and Rana looks like he is deep in his thoughts. His concentration is briefly interrupted by a ray of light coming from the late afternoon sun that suddenly hits his eyes. 

Rana has had a long day of attending classes. But that’s his life now. Rana is from India and has been studying in the United States for about a year. Schooling is the reason why he is here. 

Rana has an SJSU issued VTA EcoPass. In addition to providing a way to commute regularly to the university, Rana explains the pass program is a great value and helps him with his daily life.

“It’s very useful when I go grocery shopping and run other errands,” said Rana. “Also, I’ve never seen more inspectors checking on tickets, so it’s good to have handy.”

Rana routinely spends about a half hour either on Bus Line 180 or Rapid 522 and light rail. He is impressed by the service VTA offers and appreciates the effort the agency takes to ensure that his ride is comfortable. 

“It’s very on time and service is customer friendly. Light rail is always clean too.”

As Rana takes the last bite of his sandwich, he quickly gathers his things and takes out an iPod before he prepares to board the coach. He smiles shyly and indicates that although he is dedicated to his studies while abroad, he gets to enjoy his music on his VTA ride home.