Palo Alto commuters can ride any VTA bus or light rail line for free on Tuesday, Sept. 15.
The Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) announced the promotion as part of All Aboard Transit Day, a Bay Area Transit Month event organized by SF Transit Riders and Seamless Bay Area. Free service begins at the start of operations Tuesday and runs through 3 a.m. Wednesday, Sept. 16.
No tap, no ticket, no fare. Every fixed route in VTA's system is included.
Palo Alto routes covered
Seven VTA routes that serve Palo Alto will be fare-free that day:
- Rapid 522 and Route 22, both running between Palo Alto Transit Center and Eastridge
- Route 21, connecting Stanford Shopping Center to Santa Clara Transit Center
- Route 89, linking the California Avenue Caltrain station to the Palo Alto VA Hospital
- Express routes 101, 102 and 103, all serving Stanford Research Park
VTA recommends using the Transit app to plan trips.
Orange Line bus bridge in effect
Riders hoping to take the Orange Line light rail on Sept. 15 should know a bus bridge is replacing train service between the Hostetter and Alum Rock stations, affecting the Berryessa, Penitencia Creek, McKee and Alum Rock stops, through Thursday, Sept. 17.
The closure supports light rail improvement work tied to the Eastridge to BART Regional Connector project.
VTA's announcement did not specify whether the free-fare promotion applies to bus bridge service, though the blog post describes the offer as covering all "bus and light rail service."
Stickers and Transit Month
VTA staff will ride the system handing out Transit Month stickers starting at 9 a.m. Tuesday, available while supplies last. The agency described the day as a thank-you to existing riders and an invitation to first-time passengers.
All Aboard Transit Day is one event in a month-long Bay Area celebration of public transit. A full calendar of September activities is posted on the Transit Month website.
