1. Light Rail Efficiency Project,2012
October 12, December 10, 2012
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2. VTA Light Rail System
32,716 weekday ridership
42.2 miles, 62 stations
6.3.C 2

3. Light Rail Efficiency Projects
• Board Adopted LRT Improvement Plan May 2010
• Speed up system, open new markets,
improve cost recovery
• Improve connectivity to BART and other regional
services, increase ridership
• Anticipate employment and population growth
• Support new 49ers Stadium
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4. LRT Systems Analysis Background
• Project began in September 2008, Board adopted mid 2010
• LRT is Phase 2 of the Comprehensive Operations Analysis
• Comprehensive evaluation of the existing light rail system -- focus on making the
system as effective and efficient as possible
• Operations and capital improvements analyzed and tested
• Evaluation of the LRT system to handle projected passenger growth to the year 2018
and 2035
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5. 2010 Study Goals
• Increase Ridership
• Calculate changes in ridership vs. No Build
• Speed up the System
• Compute differences in average operating speed
• Spend Money Wisely
• Check whether proposed scenarios lead to improved farebox recovery
ratio
• Be More Relevant to the Needs of the Valley
• Review how specific ridership gains compare to Market Analysis
opportunities
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6. Light Rail System: Constraints
Single
Track Merge Points
At-grade
Intersections
Future Transit
Connections
Existing Transit
Traffic Signal
Connections
Priority Downtown
Transit Mall
Single Track
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7. Market Analysis: Transit Competitive Factor & Core Network Area
Origin Destination Both
< 25
25 - 50
50 - 100
100 - 200
> 200 7

8. LRT Efficiency Project will increase return on LRT investment
Peer Comparison: VTA ridership low given scale of LRT system
200,000 100
180,000 90
160,000 80
Average Weekday Ridership
140,000 70
LRT Route Miles
120,000 60
100,000 50
80,000 40
60,000 30
40,000 20
20,000 10
0 -
VTA Salt Lake City Sacramento Denver Portland
Boardings
per Mile: 460 1,420 800 1,010 1,160
Average Weekday Boardings LRT Route Miles
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9. New 49ers Stadium Accelerates Need to Deliver
Planned Improvements
August 2014
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Source: 49ers Stadium EIR, 2009/ AECOM, 2012

10. BART Extension creates new demand for transit feeder
service on LRT and Bus Network: 60% Milpitas BART
riders projected to arrive by transit; LRT’s Montague
Station provides direct connection at Milpitas BART

11. Guadalupe Express
All-Day Express Service: Santa Teresa to Alum Rock–
Current Major expansion of existing limited express service
Local service from Almaden to Mountain View– no transfers!
Winchester Line loops through downtown and turns back
Proposed
Non-stop
Service
Downtown Run-Around Track supports increased frequency,
Maximizes Three-Car Train capacity on trunk routes
Run-Around Track Alternatives under consultation with
City of San Jose and Community Stakeholders 11
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12. Tasman Express (Long T)
Establish new LRT Corridor to Connect
with BART
New Line from Mountain View to Alum Rock
• Express between Mountain View and Old Current
Ironsides in peak
• Requires double tracking Mountain View
and pocket track near Great America
Proposed
Double Track alternatives under consultation with Caltrain, City, and County
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13. N. First Street Speed Improvements, System-wide Transit Signal Priority
• Currently operating at maximum of 35 mph on N. First St, goal is 45mph
• Fencing corridor also improves safety
• System-wide Transit Signal Priority improvements will reduce transit travel times, funded by MTC
Transit Performance Initiative grant 13
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14. 2017
Basic Service
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15. 2014
“New Normal”
Service 15

16. 2014
Stadium Event
Service 16

17. Phase I LRT Improvements will:
• Expand pilot Guadalupe Express service to all-day Express Service on Santa
Teresa to Alum Rock line
• Establish new service from Almaden to Mountain View, with direct service
from Almaden to Downtown San Jose
• Turn back Winchester service from Campbell in Downtown San Jose
• Establish new special event service between Mountain View and Alum Rock;
prepare for future BART connection/Tasman Express line
• Reduce travel times system-wide with speed improvement projects
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18. San Jose: Downtown Run-Around Track
Preferred Improvement: Install new run-around track in either 1st
or 2nd Street bus lane between St. James and St. John Streets
• Needed to implement increased LRT Service and to ensure transit
riders do not experience delay on single-track segments
• LRT and bus lane will share former bus lane
• Consistent with City’s plans for transit priority on 1st and 2nd
Streets; Avoids taking parkland
• Continuing in consultation with City of San Jose and local
stakeholders
• Capital cost, Order of magnitude = $ 6.0 to 8.0 M
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19. Illustration of Proposed Run-Around Track installed in existing Bus Only lane on 2nd St
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20. Conceptual Design
San Jose: Downtown Run-Around Track
New track will be the active line for southbound through trains when
Winchester line lays over on the existing track.
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21. Winchester Train Dwells for 5-7 minutes between Inbound and Outbound runs on
existing Track at St James Station
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22. Almaden Train arriving from north while Winchester Train is laying over
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23. Almaden Train pulls into St. James Station on Run-Around Track, serves station and
departs
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24. Santa Teresa Train pulls into St. James Station, serves station and departs
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25. Thank you for your time and feedback.
Sarah Syed, LRT Efficiency Project Manager
sarah.syed@vta.org
408-321-5572
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