North Central County Bus Improvement Plan

Overview

The North Central County Bus Improvement Plan (NCCBIP) studied bus routes in the cities of Mountain View, Sunnyvale, Santa Clara and Cupertino. It started as a companion planning effort to the El Camino Real Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Project to determine how routes that traveled north/south in the study area and connected with the El Camino Real corridor may need to be adjusted or improved to better connect with a future BRT service. The scope of the study was expanded to also analyze how VTA's bus routes connect with new residential and office developments and to determine if changes in land use were shifting travel demand that would require an adjustment in VTA service. Lastly, cities began asking if increased transit service on north/south corridors could be part of a solution for growing traffic congestion.

Download the North Central County Bus Improvement Plan

NCCBIP Findings

The NCCBIP found that the transit service that VTA currently provides generally meets travel demand with ridership and high-frequency service concentrated along the major corridors of El Camino Real and Stevens Creek Boulevard. The study found that service to some areas of the county—specifically employment areas—is uneven and makes recommendations to expand service in these areas and to improve connectivity with the major corridors as well as future BART service in San Jose. Some route adjustments and new services are recommended to address areas where dense growth is planned and is expected to generate travel demand that will warrant new service. The study also found that the generally low-density land uses and poor first/last mile connections along north/south corridors pose a challenge to shifting motorists to transit. The NCCBIP recommends a pilot program featuring faster, limited-stop service on the Mathilda/De Anza corridor in order to provide a service that is more-time competitive with private automobiles and more attractive to north/south travelers.

NCCBIP Recommendations

The NCCBIP makes eleven specific service change recommendations as well as two general policy recommendations. These include:

Service Change Recommendations

Realign Route 32 to serve Maude in Peery Park
Establish new Route 55X service between Lakewood Village in Sunnyvale and Fremont High School
Combine Route 51 with Route 81, and serve Homestead.
Add service in Arques/Scott corridor.
Establish new Route 354 Limited service in Sunnyvale/Saratoga and Mathilda corridor
Expand service on Route 328
Implement new Transit Center at De Anza College
Support Moffett Park shuttle
Extend Route 40 to Downtown Mountain View Caltrain Station
Consider new hub near Tasman/Great America
Add service in Lafayette corridor

General Policy Recommendations

Establish minimum service levels for Express and Limited service
Support privately funded shuttles and explore public-private partnerships

Implementation

The NCCBIP recommendations serve as inputs to future VTA service planning efforts and may be implemented through VTA's two-year service planning process when funding and vehicle availability permits or when travel demand increases justify increases in service. Some of the recommendations are included in the service plan that will go into effect on July 1, 2015.

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