San Francisco Bay Area Light Rail discussion

[MIrailfan]

VTA light rail San Jose:
Anyone know wh0y its struggling compared to comparably sized lightrail systems?

 

[BCL]

It’s spread out, and driving is king.

 

[jis]

Here is a good article in Merc News on this subject:

https://www.mercurynews.com/2012/12/26/25-years-later-vta-light-rail-among-the-nations-worst/

 

[allanorn]

It also has really peaky demand. Downtown San Jose doesn't have a lot going on most weekends. Also the Orange Line serves both Levi's Stadium and a lot of stations closer to industrial and/or business office sites. You get a lot of weekday peak rush traffic but not much else unless something's going on at the stadium.

It's almost like "commuter light rail" outside of the immediate downtown-to-Airport section. It doesn't help when offices closed during the pandemic and/or decide to reduce office space after the pandemic (or fold entirely).