Most of the Bay Area transit systems are offering free New Year’s Eve service; BART is offering a $6.00 flash pass.

VTA will provide free service on all light rail and bus lines from 7:00 pm Wednesday, December 31 until 3:59 am Thursday, January 1, 2009. VTA will operate on a regular weekday schedule on Wednesday and Sunday/Holiday schedule on Thursday.

Caltrain will offer free rides beginning at 11:00 pm on New Year’s Eve. Caltrain is adding three post-midnight, southbound trains that will depart the San Francisco station at 1:00 am, 1:45 am, and 2:15 am. Caltrain does not allow open alcohol containers on trains after 9:00 pm.

On New Year’s Eve, SamTrans will offer free rides beginning at 11:00 pm running until 2:00 am. SamTrans will operate on a regular weekday schedule on Wednesday and a Holiday schedule on Thursday.

BART’s “New Year’s Eve Flash Pass” costs $6.00 and is good for unlimited rides on BART from 6:00 pm Wednesday, December 31, 2008 through 3:00 am Thursday, January 1, 2009. To accommodate New Year’s revelers, service will end around 3:00 a.m. on Thursday, New Year’s Day, including stand-by trains to accommodate crowds throughout the evening. BART runs a Sunday/Holiday schedule on New Year’s Day.

This weekend the Caltrain Holiday Train will be making stops at eight different Peninsula Caltrain stations; four on Saturday and four other stations on Sunday.

This special non-passenger train decorated with more than 40,000 lights arrives at each station about 30 minutes after festivities begin at each station; see the schedule below.

This free, family event gives you a chance to sing along with live holiday music and meet Santa and Mrs. Claus along with Rudolph and Frosty. Visitors are encouraged to bring a new, unwrapped toy or book to drop into toy barrels at the stations.

Visitors are invited to visit the stations and view the Holiday Train show but are not permitted to board or ride on the train.

Entertainers will give a brief performance at 4:30 p.m. before the Holiday Train departs from the San Francisco station on both days.

Saturday, December 6 (Entertainment begins at the time indicated):

Burlingame Caltrain Station – 5:05 p.m.

Redwood City Caltrain Station – 5:45 p.m.

Menlo Park Caltrain Station – 6:35 p.m.

Sunnyvale Caltrain Station – 7:20 p.m.

Sunday, December 7 (Entertainment begins at the time indicated):

San Bruno Caltrain Station – 4:58 p.m.

San Mateo Transit Center – 5:32 p.m.

Mountain View Caltrain Station – 6:50 p.m.

Santa Clara Caltrain Station – 7:35 p.m.

The current BART extension plan calls for six BART stations in the South Bay. Six. Of those six stations, four are in San Jose and of those four stations only one is technically downtown.

The downtown station will be located on East Santa Clara Street, between Market Street and 3rd Street. Another station will be located near the the Arena and the Diridon train station. Some say that area is part of downtown; I say it is a stretch. The other two stations are on the east side of San Jose, Alum Rock and Berryessa.

The Alum Rock station will be located at East Julian & North 28th Streets, near 101.

The Berryessa station will be located in the Flea Market area. The city wants to flatten the Flea Market and replace it with housing. Just think of all the people who would come down to the Flea Market from around the Bay Area to spend their money. But, no! Put in housing so those residents can take BART out of the area.

There will also be a station in Milpitas (Montague/Capitol) near the Great Mall and there will be a station in Santa Clara near the Caltrain station.

With these exciting San Jose station locations, where will we be going in San Jose? Could it be that there will be a great deal of ridership between the Alum Rock and Berryessa stations? Maybe downtown residents will hop on BART at the downtown station so they can go up to the Great Mall in Milpitas. The city will want to get those Shop San Jose posters up in the stations.

I did not mention the really exciting news, the Santa Clara station will have an Automated People Mover system that would connect to the Norman Y. Mineta International Airport! Wow! Now everyone in the Alum Rock, Berryessa, and Milpitas areas can haul their luggage on BART and a people mover to the airport! The ease of it all. Wait a minute. The Santa Clara station would be on the west side of the airport and the terminals are on the east side of the airport. That Automated People Mover will cost a pretty penny to build/operate.

So, you want to use BART to get the heck out of San Jose you say. Currently there are plans for 5,000 paid parking spaces with plans to increase that to 10,000 by 2030. VTA claims there will be over 100,000 riders (Yeah, right). Let us assume half that number will leave San Jose, how are they getting to one of the stations? Well, VTA would love for you to take one of their buses or light rail. However, will VTA be able to handle/afford the increased demand? Are you willing to spend most of your life on public transit?

We could save money by forgetting BART and electrifying Caltrain for a great deal less money. Electrified Caltrain would be environmentally good and the trains would be faster (faster to SF than BART). Not to mention we would only have to pay for the Caltrain portion in Santa Clara County.

Stuff to read: Transbay Blog, BayRail Alliance, and VTA.

This Thursday, June 19, transit will be free all day on Bay Area bus and light rail systems, and until 12 noon on BART, trains, and ferries. The region’s 30 transit systems including BART, Caltrain, the ACE train, Dumbarton Express, SamTrans, along with VTA light rail and buses will participate.

This is the last free ride since “Spare the Air” day began in 2004. Last summer there were two “Spare the Air” days that cost $4.6 million. With a lack of federal funding the two government agencies, the Bay Area Air Quality Management District and the Metropolitan Transportation Commission, have determined that the money could be better spent in long-term projects other than reducing emissions for only a few days.

“Spare the Air “ will become “Spare the Air Every Day” and will urge the public to reduce energy use every day.

Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA)

511

Google Transit

Bay Area Air Quality Management District

Caltrain will be doing routine maintenance on its train tracks from South San Francisco down through the South Bay this week.

Monday through Friday crews will be doing various tasks along the tracks between Atherton and San Jose. The work will take place from 10:00 pm to 7:00 am when the rains are not running. There may be delays in these areas along with some construction noise.

Friday evening at 8:00 pm the railroad grade crossing at Rengstorff Avenue in Mountain View, between the Central Expressway and California Street, will be closed to allow crews to reconstruct the crossing and adjacent track, as well as resurface the street. The temporary closure will take place until Monday morning (March 31) when the track will be reopened for regular weekday train service. Drivers will have to detour around the construction by using Shoreline Boulevard or the San Antonio Road overpass. A free shuttle will be available for pedestrians on Saturday and Sunday from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm.

For more information check here.

I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: “We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal.” I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slaveowners will be able to sit down together at a table of brotherhood. I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a desert state, sweltering with the heat of injustice and oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice. I have a dream that my four children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. I have a dream today.

– Martin Luther King Jr. (1929 – 1968)
civil rights leader & clergyman

The quotation by Martin Luther King, Jr. that puts a smile on my face: “We may have all come on different ships, but we’re in the same boat now.”

Freedom Train To Run On Martin Luther King Holiday - Jan. 21

Santa Clara Valley – 2008 Celebration

The Martin Luther King, Jr., Encyclopedia.

This New Year’s Eve Caltrain is offering free rides after 11:00 pm for those planning to celebrate in San Francisco. Caltrain is adding three post-midnight, southbound trains that will depart the San Francisco station at 12:45 am, 1:30 am, and 2 am, making all local weekday stops.

Monday, New Year’s Eve, Caltrain will follow its weekday schedule along with the extra trains after midnight.
Tuesday, New Year’s Day, Caltrain will use its Sunday schedule.

Note: Caltrain does not allow open alcohol containers on trains after 9:00 pm.

Caltrain’s schedule and fares.

For more information on fares and schedules: 1.800.660.4287

According to AAA’s Daily Fuel Gauge Report the national average for self-serve regular gas, as of  3:01:05 AM this morning, was $2.685. Here in San José the best I found was at the ARCO on Meridian Ave. Unleaded is $3.11.

If you think you’ll fix ‘em by parking your car and taking Caltrain be prepared to pay 25 cents per zone more each way. Many commuters will need to budget for an additional $60 a month.