VTA light rail

VTA light rail
A VTA light rail train at Winchester station in February 2019
Overview
Locale	Santa Clara County, California
Transit type	Light rail
Number of lines	3
Number of stations	60[1]
Daily ridership	14,600 (weekdays, Q2 2024)[2]
Annual ridership	4,464,500 (2023)[3]
Website	vta.org
Operation
Began operation	December 11, 1987; 36 years ago (1987-12-11)[1]
Operator(s)	Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority
Number of vehicles	100 Kinki Sharyo low-floor light rail vehicles[1]
Train length	90 ft (27 m) (1 LRV) 180 ft (55 m) (2 LRVs)[4]
Technical
System length	42.2 mi (67.9 km)[1]
Track gauge	4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge[4]
Electrification	Overhead line, 750 V DC[4]
Top speed	55 mph (89 km/h)[1]
System map Show interactive map Show static map Legend Mountain View SR 85 (closed 2015) Evelyn Whisman Middlefield US 101 Bayshore/NASA Moffett Park Lockheed Martin Borregas Crossman SR 237 Fair Oaks Vienna Reamwood Old Ironsides Great America Lick Mill Champion Baypointe Tasman Cisco Way River Oaks Alder Orchard I-880 Bonaventura Great Mall/Main Component Milpitas Karina Cropley (via ) Metro/Airport Hostetter Gish Berryessa Guadalupe Division Penitencia Creek Civic Center McKee Japantown/Ayer Alum Rock Story (2029) Eastridge (2029) Saint James Santa Clara Paseo de San Antonio Convention Center Children's Discovery Museum San Fernando Virginia Tamien San Jose Diridon Curtner (planned) West San Carlos Capitol Race Branham Fruitdale Ohlone/ Chynoweth Bascom Oakridge (closed 2019) Hamilton Almaden (closed 2019) Downtown Campbell Blossom Hill Winchester Snell Cottle Santa Teresa Key Blue Line Former Almaden Shuttle Green Line Multiple services Orange Line All stations are accessible This diagram: view talk edit Show route diagram

The VTA light rail system serves San Jose and nearby cities in Santa Clara County, California. It is operated by the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) and has 42.2 miles (67.9 km) of network comprising three main lines on standard gauge tracks. Originally opened on December 11, 1987, the light rail system has expanded since then, and currently has 60 stations in operation.

The light rail system has been criticized for being one of the least used in the United States (an average of 346 boardings per mile on weekdays, Q2 2024) and the most heavily subsidized ($9.30 per passenger trip). VTA leaders have admitted that building light rail was a poor match with adjoining land uses.^{[citation needed]} The system's average weekday daily ridership as of the second quarter of 2024 is 14,600 passengers and saw a total of 4,464,500 trips in 2023.