Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) is embarking on a comprehensive project to enhance transit speed and reliability. Such improvements can help make transit an attractive mode choice for people to travel to work, school, and other daily needs, and can also help Santa Clara County cities meet their mobility goals.
Let’s define these terms. Speed refers to the average mile per hour rate from one point to another when accounting for delays along the route. Reliability refers to the consistency of travel times during different times of day and different traffic conditions.
Transit speed and reliability are important because:
- they make transit service predictable, which is appealing to riders.
- they make service more cost-effective to operate, which means VTA can operate more service.
- they reduce greenhouse gases, which helps cities achieve GHG and mobility goals.
While speed and reliability are distinct concepts, they are interdependent. Enhancing one leads to improvements in the other, creating a more efficient transit system. Here are the ways they are related:
- Impact of Delays: Slow transit speeds can lead to more frequent delays. If a bus or train takes longer than expected, it can disrupt the schedule, making it less reliable for passengers.
- On-time Performance: Higher speeds can improve on-time performance. When vehicles can travel more quickly between stops without unnecessary delays, they are more likely to adhere to their schedules.
- Buffer Time: Transit systems often include buffer time in schedules to account for potential delays. If transit speeds are low, travel times become more variable and more buffer time may be needed, reducing the frequency of services and potentially lowering reliability.
- Passenger Perception: Riders may perceive a service as unreliable if it consistently operates slowly, regardless of whether it is technically on time. A fast, consistent service can enhance the perception of reliability.
- Network Efficiency: Efficient transit networks that operate at higher speeds can better manage demand. This efficiency helps maintain reliability even during peak times, as vehicles can accommodate more passengers without overcrowding.
- Connections: Improving speed makes for consistently, better-timed connections to other routes and transit services.
Implementing transit and speed improvements are the first step toward achieving VTA’s Visionary Network, an aspirational blueprint for future transit service in Santa Clara County. At the core of this vision are across-the-board frequency and hours of operation enhancements to today’s bus and light rail network, designed to support the region’s growing population. Among the service changes included in the Visionary Network are:
Transit Service Enhancements Included in Visionary Network
Weekday Enhancements
- 10 min frequent bus and light rail network
- 20–30 min local bus network
- Extended service hours
Weekend Enhancements
- 15 min frequent bus and light rail network
- 20–30 min local bus network
- Weekend service on all local non-school routes
- Extended service hours
Improvements to VTA’s transit speed and reliability are required to make this vision possible. Higher frequencies mean that transit vehicles run more often. This requires buses to be fast and reliable to reduce the total number of buses necessary to provide the service. It also keeps buses moving along their routes at appropriate distances, without bunching behind each other.
Speed & Reliability Strategies
There is no one simple fix to improve transit speeds. For both bus and light rail, VTA is looking at a slate of potential improvement projects. Read more about some of the strategies being evaluated below.
Light Rail Speed & Reliability Improvements
Green Line Double-Tracking
VTA’s Green Line currently has two single-tracked segments between the Diridon and Campbell Stations. These segments constrain the light rail system and greatly limit operating flexibility. Double tracking these segments would allow for more frequent and reliable operations on this corridor, as west and eastbound trains would be able to bypass each other.
Downtown San Jose Realignment
This project would reconstruct the existing transit mall, which is currently in a couplet configuration on 1st and 2nd Streets, into a combined higher speed light rail corridor on 1st street. This would allow for higher operating speeds, better system reliability, and improved safety.
Grade Separation at Montague Expressway
VTA will examine grade separating the Light Rail tracks at the 1st Street & Montague Expressway intersection. This intersection adds a significant amount of signal delay and unreliability to the Light Rail system. Grade separating this location will improve system speeds and provide better service for passengers.
Union Pacific Track Procurement
VTA is evaluating the potential to procure Union Pacific’s tracks and operating rights for the Vasona Lead track. This track connects the now-closed Permanente quarry west of Cupertino to Diridon Station in San Jose. Procuring these tracks and operating rights would allow for VTA to double track the Green Line in a more cost-effective way.
Tasman/1st Street Intersection Redesign
When VTA’s Visionary Network is implemented, there will be 36 trains per hour operating through the Tasman & 1st Street intersection. The existing signal operations and infrastructure configuration are likely not adequate to accommodate this increase in train traffic. VTA will examine ways to improve operations at this intersection.
Hostetter Turnback
Railway turnbacks allow trains to change direction. This project would construct a turnback adjacent to Hostetter light rail station. This would allow for trains to turn back at Hostetter and would allow VTA to extend blue line service to the Milpitas BART station in a more cost-effective way.
Simulation Modeling
VTA is conducting simulation modeling to better understand operating and capital constraints related to existing system and future system needs. Results from the simulation modeling will inform almost all other Light rail projects planned for the Visionary Network.
Station Consolidation
VTA will evaluate locations within the existing VTA Light Rail system with the intention of consolidating existing stations to improve reliability and system speeds.
Bus Speed & Reliability Improvements
Transit Signal Priority
VTA is working to plan and deploy a centralized transit signal priority (TSP) system that will improve transit speed and reliability on VTA’s frequent routes and advance equity, particularly among disadvantaged communities. Transit Signal Priority reduces the time buses spend waiting at red lights by extending green lights or shortening red lights. This Transit Reliability Improvement and Performance System (TRIPS) in Santa Clara County will make it possible to deploy TSP quickly and cost-effectively across the four different types of traffic signal controllers used by the 16 cities where VTA operates.
Bus Stop Balancing
When bus stops are too close together, the speed of a transit trip decreases. The Bus Stop Balancing project aims to create speed improvements for faster, more reliable transit. Bus stop balancing will identify stops that are too close together and remove or consolidate bus stops based on VTA’s Transit Service Guidelines. For optimal speed and access, there should generally be four to five bus stops per mile. Stops that are too close together cause unnecessary delay for our riders.
Expedited Boarding
In 2024 and 2025, VTA will work with the community to identify barriers to non-cash forms of fare payment, such as Clipper card, and develop policy changes and projects that could help remove the barriers.
VTA is also evaluating the feasibility of all-door boarding, which is meant to reduce the amount of time that buses spend at bus stops while passengers board.
Bus Lanes
Bus lanes restrict usage of traffic lanes to buses and reduce delays caused by congestion. VTA is currently partnering with the City of San Jose to implement quick-build bus lanes on six miles of Monterey Corridor between Alma and Ford Rd. For more information, please visit the City of San Jose’s project page for the Monterey Road Transit Project.
Community Engagement
VTA is committed to an equitable and inclusive public engagement process that centers the voices of community members and stakeholders. For this project, VTA will be partnering with a team of Community-Based Organizations (CBOs) to co-create engagement strategies and ensure that broad, diverse, comprehensive feedback is incorporated into decision-making processes.
Phase 1 Community Feedback
Starting in Fall 2024, members of the project team were out in the community taking feedback on where within VTA’s transit network riders feel that speed and reliability improvements are most needed.
- Thursday, November 7 – De Anza College Quad
- Saturday, November 9 – Morgan Hill Sidewalk Saturdays
- Thursday, November 14 – San Jose City Hall
- Saturday, November 16 – Sunnyvale Farmer’s Market
- Friday, December 6 - La Placita Tropicana
- Saturday, December 7 - Downtown Gilroy Holiday Parade & Festival
- Sunday, December 8 - Winter Wonderland Presents Culture Night Market Holiday Gift Fair
- Saturday, December 14 - Fiesta Navideña at Mexican Heritage Plaza
- Thursday, January 16 - Diridon Station
- Saturday, January 19 - Berryessa Transit Center
- Tuesday, January 21 - Palo Alto Transit Center
- Saturday, January 25 & Sunday, January 26 - Lunar New Year Festival
Paying fares with Clipper Card allows riders to save both time and money. By helping riders access and load Clipper Cards, VTA can speed up buses across the entire network. This Spring, project members will be out in the community talking to riders about how they pay their fares and sharing information about accessing and using Clipper. Talk to staff at any of the following events! *More dates to come. Check back for updates.
- Saturday, April 5 – Cupertino Earth & Arbor Day Festival, 10:00 am – 3:00 pm
- Sunday, April 13 – Viva Calle SJ, 10:00 am – 3:00 pm
- Saturday, April 19 – Mountain View Earth & Arbor Day Festival, 10:00 am - 2:00 pm
- Sunday, May 4 - 2nd Annual San Jose Cinco de Mayo Festival, 11:00 am - 4:00 pm
Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) is embarking on a comprehensive project to enhance transit speed and reliability. Such improvements can help make transit an attractive mode choice for people to travel to work, school, and other daily needs, and can also help Santa Clara County cities meet their mobility goals.
Let’s define these terms. Speed refers to the average mile per hour rate from one point to another when accounting for delays along the route. Reliability refers to the consistency of travel times during different times of day and different traffic conditions.
Transit speed and reliability are important because:
- they make transit service predictable, which is appealing to riders.
- they make service more cost-effective to operate, which means VTA can operate more service.
- they reduce greenhouse gases, which helps cities achieve GHG and mobility goals.
While speed and reliability are distinct concepts, they are interdependent. Enhancing one leads to improvements in the other, creating a more efficient transit system. Here are the ways they are related:
- Impact of Delays: Slow transit speeds can lead to more frequent delays. If a bus or train takes longer than expected, it can disrupt the schedule, making it less reliable for passengers.
- On-time Performance: Higher speeds can improve on-time performance. When vehicles can travel more quickly between stops without unnecessary delays, they are more likely to adhere to their schedules.
- Buffer Time: Transit systems often include buffer time in schedules to account for potential delays. If transit speeds are low, travel times become more variable and more buffer time may be needed, reducing the frequency of services and potentially lowering reliability.
- Passenger Perception: Riders may perceive a service as unreliable if it consistently operates slowly, regardless of whether it is technically on time. A fast, consistent service can enhance the perception of reliability.
- Network Efficiency: Efficient transit networks that operate at higher speeds can better manage demand. This efficiency helps maintain reliability even during peak times, as vehicles can accommodate more passengers without overcrowding.
- Connections: Improving speed makes for consistently, better-timed connections to other routes and transit services.
Implementing transit and speed improvements are the first step toward achieving VTA’s Visionary Network, an aspirational blueprint for future transit service in Santa Clara County. At the core of this vision are across-the-board frequency and hours of operation enhancements to today’s bus and light rail network, designed to support the region’s growing population. Among the service changes included in the Visionary Network are:
Transit Service Enhancements Included in Visionary Network
Weekday Enhancements
- 10 min frequent bus and light rail network
- 20–30 min local bus network
- Extended service hours
Weekend Enhancements
- 15 min frequent bus and light rail network
- 20–30 min local bus network
- Weekend service on all local non-school routes
- Extended service hours
Improvements to VTA’s transit speed and reliability are required to make this vision possible. Higher frequencies mean that transit vehicles run more often. This requires buses to be fast and reliable to reduce the total number of buses necessary to provide the service. It also keeps buses moving along their routes at appropriate distances, without bunching behind each other.
Speed & Reliability Strategies
There is no one simple fix to improve transit speeds. For both bus and light rail, VTA is looking at a slate of potential improvement projects. Read more about some of the strategies being evaluated below.
Light Rail Speed & Reliability Improvements
Green Line Double-Tracking
VTA’s Green Line currently has two single-tracked segments between the Diridon and Campbell Stations. These segments constrain the light rail system and greatly limit operating flexibility. Double tracking these segments would allow for more frequent and reliable operations on this corridor, as west and eastbound trains would be able to bypass each other.
Downtown San Jose Realignment
This project would reconstruct the existing transit mall, which is currently in a couplet configuration on 1st and 2nd Streets, into a combined higher speed light rail corridor on 1st street. This would allow for higher operating speeds, better system reliability, and improved safety.
Grade Separation at Montague Expressway
VTA will examine grade separating the Light Rail tracks at the 1st Street & Montague Expressway intersection. This intersection adds a significant amount of signal delay and unreliability to the Light Rail system. Grade separating this location will improve system speeds and provide better service for passengers.
Union Pacific Track Procurement
VTA is evaluating the potential to procure Union Pacific’s tracks and operating rights for the Vasona Lead track. This track connects the now-closed Permanente quarry west of Cupertino to Diridon Station in San Jose. Procuring these tracks and operating rights would allow for VTA to double track the Green Line in a more cost-effective way.
Tasman/1st Street Intersection Redesign
When VTA’s Visionary Network is implemented, there will be 36 trains per hour operating through the Tasman & 1st Street intersection. The existing signal operations and infrastructure configuration are likely not adequate to accommodate this increase in train traffic. VTA will examine ways to improve operations at this intersection.
Hostetter Turnback
Railway turnbacks allow trains to change direction. This project would construct a turnback adjacent to Hostetter light rail station. This would allow for trains to turn back at Hostetter and would allow VTA to extend blue line service to the Milpitas BART station in a more cost-effective way.
Simulation Modeling
VTA is conducting simulation modeling to better understand operating and capital constraints related to existing system and future system needs. Results from the simulation modeling will inform almost all other Light rail projects planned for the Visionary Network.
Station Consolidation
VTA will evaluate locations within the existing VTA Light Rail system with the intention of consolidating existing stations to improve reliability and system speeds.
Bus Speed & Reliability Improvements
Transit Signal Priority
VTA is working to plan and deploy a centralized transit signal priority (TSP) system that will improve transit speed and reliability on VTA’s frequent routes and advance equity, particularly among disadvantaged communities. Transit Signal Priority reduces the time buses spend waiting at red lights by extending green lights or shortening red lights. This Transit Reliability Improvement and Performance System (TRIPS) in Santa Clara County will make it possible to deploy TSP quickly and cost-effectively across the four different types of traffic signal controllers used by the 16 cities where VTA operates.
Bus Stop Balancing
When bus stops are too close together, the speed of a transit trip decreases. The Bus Stop Balancing project aims to create speed improvements for faster, more reliable transit. Bus stop balancing will identify stops that are too close together and remove or consolidate bus stops based on VTA’s Transit Service Guidelines. For optimal speed and access, there should generally be four to five bus stops per mile. Stops that are too close together cause unnecessary delay for our riders.
Expedited Boarding
In 2024 and 2025, VTA will work with the community to identify barriers to non-cash forms of fare payment, such as Clipper card, and develop policy changes and projects that could help remove the barriers.
VTA is also evaluating the feasibility of all-door boarding, which is meant to reduce the amount of time that buses spend at bus stops while passengers board.
Bus Lanes
Bus lanes restrict usage of traffic lanes to buses and reduce delays caused by congestion. VTA is currently partnering with the City of San Jose to implement quick-build bus lanes on six miles of Monterey Corridor between Alma and Ford Rd. For more information, please visit the City of San Jose’s project page for the Monterey Road Transit Project.
Community Engagement
VTA is committed to an equitable and inclusive public engagement process that centers the voices of community members and stakeholders. For this project, VTA will be partnering with a team of Community-Based Organizations (CBOs) to co-create engagement strategies and ensure that broad, diverse, comprehensive feedback is incorporated into decision-making processes.
Phase 1 Community Feedback
Starting in Fall 2024, members of the project team were out in the community taking feedback on where within VTA’s transit network riders feel that speed and reliability improvements are most needed.
- Thursday, November 7 – De Anza College Quad
- Saturday, November 9 – Morgan Hill Sidewalk Saturdays
- Thursday, November 14 – San Jose City Hall
- Saturday, November 16 – Sunnyvale Farmer’s Market
- Friday, December 6 - La Placita Tropicana
- Saturday, December 7 - Downtown Gilroy Holiday Parade & Festival
- Sunday, December 8 - Winter Wonderland Presents Culture Night Market Holiday Gift Fair
- Saturday, December 14 - Fiesta Navideña at Mexican Heritage Plaza
- Thursday, January 16 - Diridon Station
- Saturday, January 19 - Berryessa Transit Center
- Tuesday, January 21 - Palo Alto Transit Center
- Saturday, January 25 & Sunday, January 26 - Lunar New Year Festival
Paying fares with Clipper Card allows riders to save both time and money. By helping riders access and load Clipper Cards, VTA can speed up buses across the entire network. This Spring, project members will be out in the community talking to riders about how they pay their fares and sharing information about accessing and using Clipper. Talk to staff at any of the following events! *More dates to come. Check back for updates.
- Saturday, April 5 – Cupertino Earth & Arbor Day Festival, 10:00 am – 3:00 pm
- Sunday, April 13 – Viva Calle SJ, 10:00 am – 3:00 pm
- Saturday, April 19 – Mountain View Earth & Arbor Day Festival, 10:00 am - 2:00 pm
- Sunday, May 4 - 2nd Annual San Jose Cinco de Mayo Festival, 11:00 am - 4:00 pm