The Cupertino Courier

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VTA may cut slow routes, shift buses to busier areas

By Cody Kraatz

The Valley Transportation Authority is slated April 5 to consider cutting buses and trimming service on sparsely used routes throughout Santa Clara Valley and shifting the savings to areas where ridership is higher.

The plan is "cost neutral" throughout the system, meaning VTA would offer the same number of service hours, but service in Cupertino could decrease.

Cupertino lies outside VTA's core network area, where most riders start and stop their rides, but 11 routes run through the city.

Because they are busier, routes 23 and 25 on Stevens Creek Boulevard and Bollinger Road, respectively, would get more buses. Routes 51, 53, 54, 55 and 81 would lose some buses.

"While some people would say we lose in Cupertino, I say we have a big, big gain," with faster service where it is most needed, said Cupertino City Councilwoman Dolly Sandoval. She chairs the Transit Planning and Operations Committee that recommended the changes, and loathes empty buses.

"Nothing infuriates me more than to see my tax dollars wasted like that," said Sandoval.

The proposed changes come in the shadow of general manager Michael Burns' call for reform at VTA after a March 22 audit slammed, among other things, the way VTA allocates its service based on political considerations.

"Board members have been too protective of their own city, and not looking at the region enough. We are supposed to looking at projects regionally, if it's a good project for the people no matter where they live," said Sandoval. "We spent a lot of time getting ourselves into this situation."

She said this is the first time VTA has studied its operations comprehensively in well over a decade. Sunnyvale City Councilman Dean Chu and San Jose Vice Mayor David Cortese also serve on the committee.

The committee proposes 59 fewer buses overall, almost 5 percent of the fleet, with no change in the service hours. That takes 77 buses off the road at peak hours (6:30 to 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 to 6:30 p.m.), adds 11 at midday during the week, and adds seven on weekends.

The committee targeted routes based on farebox recovery ratios, or how much of the route's cost is recovered from riders' fares. The system wide average is 14 percent. Only four Cupertino routes are above that average. VTA's goal is a 20 percent to 25 percent farebox recovery. Buses with low ridership are subsidized by county sales taxes.

The committee advocates a Bus Rapid Transit bus where route 23 runs now, modeled on route 522 that runs on El Camino Real, The Alameda and downtown San Jose.

Cupertino resident Lieh Wang takes either route 54 or 55 to light rail in Sunnyvale, then to work at Cisco Systems in San Jose, which bought all employees a bus pass. He leaves for work around 10 a.m., and it takes him about an hour.

The bus was late when he talked with the Courier.

"The biggest problem is that when the bus is running late, we miss the light rail sometimes. The most important thing for me is to make the bus connection. They say save the Earth; I don't know how much I can do," said Wang, who said he would start driving if service got worse.

Changes to route 54 on Mathilda Avenue in Sunnyvale would reduce Wang's midday waiting time by 15 minutes.

San Jose resident Ryota Sakurai regularly takes route 23 from Lawrence Expressway and Stevens Creek Boulevard to Foothill College. The committee suggested the route, which starts in downtown San Jose, terminate at De Anza College, leaving route 52 to serve Foothill College.

Sakurai, who does not have a car and came to the United States seven months ago, is opposed to route 23 not continuing to the Foothill campus.

"It does not make sense to me because I have to wait. I [would] have to take two buses, or more than two," he said. "Normally I can take only one bus. That's terrible."

He estimates it could add 30 minutes to his commute.

Cupertino resident Milon Dewan goes to San Jose State University full time. He lives on Stevens Canyon Road and takes route 23. He wouldn't be able to take the bus from his house if the route ended at De Anza.

"It's OK. What can you do? In the peak hours there are 20 or 25 people, in midday there are maybe two or three," said Dewan, who does not have a driver's license.

"That's not good," he said.

Bus Routes

The VTA is considering changes to bus service throughout the Santa Clara Valley. Affected routes that pass through Cupertino are:

23: Four more peak hour buses, three more midday buses, three minutes shorter wait time. (downtown San Jose to Foothill College)

25: One less peak hour bus, five more midday buses, five minutes shorter midday wait time. (De Anza College to Alum Rock)

26: Three fewer peak hour buses, three more midday buses, wait time somewhat shorter. (Mountain View light rail to Eastridge Shopping Center)

51: One less peak hour bus, one less midday bus. (Vallco Fashion Park to Mountain View)

53: Two fewer peak hour buses, same one-hour wait time. Route would cut off at De Anza College, leaving Bubb Road, Rainbow Drive and Westgate Shopping Center at the curb (downtown Sunnyvale to Westgate Shopping Center).

54: Two fewer peak hour buses, 15 minutes less midday wait time. (West Valley College to Sunnyvale)

55: One less midday bus, wait time slightly shorter (De Anza College to Great America)

81: Five fewer peak hour buses, five fewer midday buses. Service would end at downtown San Jose.

(Vallco to Alum Rock light rail)

Peak hours are 6:30 to 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 to 6:30 p.m.

Source: VTA Comprehensive Operations Analysis draft report