Citizendia

A schematic map of the VTA LRT system
A schematic map of the VTA LRT system

The VTA light rail system consists of 42. 2 mi (68 km) of track, currently consisting of two main lines and a spur line. There are currently 62 light rail stations in operation on the three lines. The light rail system was opened in 1987 and has gradually expanded since then. [1]

Contents

Alum Rock — Santa Teresa

Designated as 901, this line runs from the Alum Rock station in East San Jose (or Alum Rock) to Santa Teresa station in the Santa Teresa neighborhood of San Jose, via Milpitas and downtown San Jose. Alum Rock - Santa Teresa is a Light rail route operated by Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority. Alum Rock is a Census-designated place (CDP in Santa Clara County, California, United States and a neighborhood of San Jose. Santa Teresa is a Light rail station operated by Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA Santa Teresa is a Neighborhood in the south of San Jose California, USA. Milpitas (mɪlˈpiːtəs is a City in Santa Clara County California. There are 36 stops on this line. In South San Jose, the line operates in the median of State Route 87 and 85. State Route 87, locally called Highway 87 or the Guadalupe Freeway, is a north-south State highway entirely within San Jose California, State Route 85, commonly known in the San Francisco Bay Area of California, United States as Highway 85, is a Highway which connects A proposed future development is an extension past Alum Rock along Capitol Ave. and Capitol Expressway to the Eastridge Transit Center, which would effectively duplicate (and possibly replace) the current service by the 522 bus line along this corridor.

Mountain View — Winchester

VTA Light Rail Car
VTA Light Rail Car

Designated as 902, this line runs from Downtown Mountain View station in Mountain View through Sunnyvale, Santa Clara, North San Jose along Tasman Drive, North First Street, Downtown San Jose, and the Southwest Expressway on its way to its terminus at the Winchester station in western Campbell. Mountain View - Winchester is a Light rail route operated by Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority. Downtown Mountain View station is an Intermodal passenger transportation station that serves the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority Light rail Sunnyvale ( or) is a city in Santa Clara County, California, United States. Santa Clara California (ˌsæntəˈklærə founded in 1777 and incorporated in 1852 is a city in Santa Clara County, in the U Campbell (ˈkæmbəl is a city in Santa Clara County, California, part of Silicon Valley, in the San Francisco Bay Area. It has 32 stops, 14 of which are shared with the Alum Rock-Santa Teresa Line.

Almaden Shuttle

Designated as 900, this is a 3-stop spur from the Ohlone/Chyoweth station to Almaden station at the Almaden Expressway in the Almaden Valley. Ohlone/Chynoweth - Almaden is a light rail route operated by Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA. Ohlone/Chynoweth is a Light rail station operated by Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA Almaden (VTA is a Light rail station operated by Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA County Route G8 is an important north-south Arterial from the south valley area of Santa Clara County California, USA to near Downtown San Jose. Almaden Valley (often just called Almaden) is a Neighborhood of about 37000 in the southwestern portion of San Jose California, USA, roughly The Ohlone/Chynoweth station provides connection to the Alum Rock-Santa Teresa Line, and the Almaden station connects to VTA bus service. It receives little traffic, even though there is an intermediate stop at the Westfield Oakridge mall. Westfield Oakridge, formerly known as Oakridge Mall is a Shopping mall owned by The Westfield Group in San Jose California, United States

Light rail vehicles

From 1987 until September 2003, the system was served by a fleet of high-floor light rail vehicles built by Urban Transportation Development Corporation. The Urban Transportation Development Corporation was a Crown corporation created in 1973 as Ontario Transportation Development Corporation by the Government In 2002, VTA introduced new low floor light rail vehicles by Kinki Sharyo into the fleet. ( is an Osaka, Japan -based manufacturer of Railroad vehicles The low floor vehicles initially operated only on the Tasman West line (Downtown Mountain View — I-880/Milpitas)because the vehicles' floor height matched the platform height only at that line's stations and was only able to provide level-boarding there. Downtown Mountain View station is an Intermodal passenger transportation station that serves the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority Light rail I-880/Milpitas is a Light rail station operated by Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA In 2003, after VTA reconstructed platforms along North First Street from the Japantown/Ayer stop northward (with wooden ramps provided for the leading car's front door at all other stations), VTA replaced the entire fleet with low floor light rail vehicles. The 29 (802-830) high floor vehicles were sold to Utah Transit Authority and 20 (831-850) sold to Sacramento Regional Transit. TRAX (full name Transit Express, though rarely used is a two-line Light rail system in Utah 's Salt Lake Valley, serving Salt Lake City The Sacramento Regional Transit District, commonly referred to as the RT, is the agency responsible for Public transportation in the Sacramento California Only 1 car was retained as a wrecker. Currently, all stations on the Mountain View - Winchester line and all stations from the Convention Center station northward on the Alum Rock - Santa Teresa line provide level boarding at all doors. Convention Center is a Light rail station operated by Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority.

Stations south of the Convention Center station on the Alum Rock - Santa Teresa line and all three stations on the Ohlone-Chynoweth - Almaden line still only provide level boarding at the first door via wooden ramps. Ohlone/Chynoweth - Almaden is a light rail route operated by Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA. VTA plans to renovate these platforms beginning in February 2008 to allow level boarding at all doors of these stations. [1]

HF LRV specifications

Urban Transit Development Corporation high-floor light rail vehicle - used by VTA between 1987-2003.
Urban Transit Development Corporation high-floor light rail vehicle - used by VTA between 1987-2003.

LF LRV specifications

A Kinki Sharyo Low Floor Light Rail Vehicle in Mountain View - used by VTA since 2002
A Kinki Sharyo Low Floor Light Rail Vehicle in Mountain View - used by VTA since 2002

Major Accidents and Incidents

Virginia Station Derailment

On March 21, 2008, at approximately 7:10 pm, a southbound 2-car light rail train derailed just north of the Virginia station. The standard gauge (also named the Stephenson gauge after George Stephenson, or Normal gauge) is a widely-used Rail gauge. Four people, including the train operator, were injured, and the train was heavily damaged. At the time of the accident, trains were operating on a single track through the area because of construction at three nearby light rail stations. The train involved was attempting to switch between tracks when it derailed. The investigation into the accident is ongoing, but the VTA has ruled out mechanical or equipment failure as a cause for the accident. [2]

Future

In 2000, voters approved Measure A, which will provide funding for two new light rail corridors. [3] The proposed corridors are:

VTA is planning an extension continuing south of Alum Rock to [Eastridge Center|Eastridge],[4] but it has drawn criticism over extending an already unpopular track, and exasperating the problem addressed by a Downtown/East Valley connector. [5]

Major light rail connections

References

  1. ^ Light Rail Services. Santa Clara County Valley Transportation Authority. Retrieved on 2006-04-10. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 879 - Louis III becomes King of the Western Franks. 1407 - the lama
  2. ^ Swift, Mike. "'Mechanical causes' Unlikely in Derailment", San Jose Mercury News, 2008-03-23. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 1174 - Jocelin, Abbot of Melrose, is elected Bishop of Glasgow. Retrieved on 2008-03-26. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 1026 - Pope John XIX crowns Conrad II as Holy Roman Emperor.  
  3. ^ http://www.vta.org/2000_measure_a/pdf/2000_measure_a_ballot_language.pdf
  4. ^ http://www.vta.org/projects/dtev/documents3.html
  5. ^ http://vtawatch.blogspot.com/2007/08/new-dash-and-more.html
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